Character Building: What makes a good friend?

Continuing on from last week's investigation into the psychology of put downs and in its extreme form- bullying, today we examined what qualities makes a good friend. 

We began in groups and brainstormed qualities that make a good friend. 

The next group received those qualities and tried to rank them in order from the most to least important qualities good friends should have.

Sample:

We then discussed the problem that emerge if two friends have a falling out and both try to make a third friend choose between them:

We explored feelings, thoughts, best possible solutions and who is and is not displaying signs of a good friend:

We then imagined the following situation and wrote reply letters.  We discussed our perspectives during and post letter writing.

You are an advice columnist for a popular teenager magazine. Teenagers write you letters and you publish them and your replies in the magazine.

Write an advice reply to this letter:

Dear TeenVoice,

I have a big problem and it’s making me feel confused and upset.  

I have two friends whom I enjoy spending time with a lot for different reasons.  The problem is those two friends have had a falling out and it doesn’t seem likely that they will patch things up soon- if ever. Now, both them are telling me I can’t be friends with the other.  They say I must make a choice of whom I will be friends with. I don’t know what to do! I want to be friends with both of them, but they think if I don’t choose, I am not being loyal to them.  

I feel like I am really stuck between a rock and a hard place. What should I do? More importantly, why are they doing this?  Are they being a good friend by demanding this of me?

Sincerely,

Torn-Between-Two-Friends

Letter Writing Replies Link