Social Skills_Curriculum

Running Head: Developing Healthy Social Skills in Adolescents

Developing Healthy Social Skills in Adolescents A Comprehensive Group Counseling Curriculum

Jennifer Ohara

James Malloy

Francine Sandone

Meghan Kilbourn

Rachelle Sepielli

Roshni Bhatia

Rowan University

April 2015

Developing Healthy Social Skills in Adolescents

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Table of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..3

Literature Review & Rationale……………………………………………………………3

Overall Focus and Goals…………………………………………………………………..6

• Objectives

• ASCA Standards

• Screening & Recruiting Members

• Logistics

Group Plan………………………………………………………………………………10

• Week One

• Week Two

• Week Three

• Week Four

• Week Five

• Week Six

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….27

• Anticipated Challenges

• Evaluation of Effectiveness

• Summary

References………………………………………………………………………………..30

Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………31


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Introduction

Healthy social skills are imperative to student success within the school setting

and in life. As the National Association of School Psychologists puts it, social skills

enable us to know what to say, how to make good choices, and how to behave in diverse

situations (NASP, 2002). However, with the introduction of modern day technology

allowing for more online interaction, students today are at risk of not fully developing

their social skills. This can negatively impact the quality of the school environment and

school safety (2002).

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the need for a social skills developmental

comprehensive group counseling curriculum for adolescents and to outline the logistics

and goals of the group setting, and discuss the lesson plans that will be implemented to

best help our students.

Literature Review & Rationale

Tierney and Dowd (2000) ran a study with three secondary schools, where they

conducted group-counseling sessions to for adolescent female students. The focus of the

sessions were on social skills, and included bullying, communication, friendships, and

interactions. Pre- and Post- assessments were given at the beginning and end of the study

to determine the impact social skills group counseling had on the students.

According to teacher reports, students who participated in the groups made

significant progress in areas of friendship, behavior, peer interactions, and level of

teacher concern. Students themselves reported greater perceptions of happiness in school,


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better classroom behavior, and improvements in relationships with teachers. They also

reported developing friendship outside of the group with other participants in the groups.

This supports that group counseling is “an effective way to provide structured,

short-term support,” and provides a safe environment for students to develop self-esteem

and explore personal issues (Tierney, T and R. Dowd, 2000). Social skills training is

considered an effective resource for students as it positively impacts students’

development of abilities to interact with peers in a positive light, as well as increasing

self-esteem (Tierney, T and R. Dowd, 2000). Charlton (1998) further validates this by

stating that peer support can provide a range where students can grow socially,

emotionally, and academically (Charlton, 1998) as was evident in this study.

Though this study was conducted 15 years ago, it is still (if not more so)

applicable today. It is no secret that social media and texting have become the new norm

when it comes to communication, especially amongst our youth. According to a survey

conducted by Pew Research Center in September 2012, 95% of teens ranging 12-17 years

old are active on the Internet. The access to the Internet and other forms of

communication is increased by the fact that 78% of teens (12-17) own a cell phone and

37% of them own a smartphone (Pew, 2012). It is also noted that 93% of teens either

have a computer or have access to one (Pew, 2012), which further increases Internet use.

Another Pew survey conducted in July 2011 goes on to show that a staggering

81% of teens are active on social media and 63% of teens use texting on a daily basis to

interact with peers (75% overall texting). These statistics become more troubling when

coupled with the statistic that only 35% of teens socialize with others in person outside of


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school on a daily basis (Pew, 2011). With statistics like these, it is apparent that our teens

may not know how to socialize or communicate face-to-face. We know that an

individual’s academic progress in school is intertwined with their emotional and social

functioning (Charlton, 1998). These poor social skills could cause students to experience

difficulty in interpersonal relationships with parents, teachers, and peers as well as

demonstrate poor academic performance (NASP, 2002).

Between the influence of virtual (i.e. texting, social media, etc.) communication

and one’s innate shyness, a student could be rendered almost catatonic in a social setting.

This is why it is vital for adolescents to learn social skills later, as it could continue to

negatively impact them throughout their life. According to a 2008 article regarding the

improvement of social-behavioral adjustment of adolescents, those who experience

difficulties with peer relations not only have more problems in establishing friendships,

but also have more difficulties in gaining satisfying levels of involvement, intimacy, and

attachment within their friendships (Harrell, Mercer, DeRosier, 2008).

To reiterate what Tierney and T and R. Dowd (2000) wrote, group counseling is

“an effective way to provide structured, short-term support,” and provides a safe

environment for students to develop self-esteem and explore personal issues. Therefore, a

group setting for introverted adolescents will help foster a sense of social understanding

and develop a set of communication and social skills they may not otherwise learn. Since

our group will be smaller, it will be more effective and less intimidating for students to

practice their social skills and step out of their comfort zones. The benefits they gain from

this group will not only follow them within their current school setting, but through life


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as they open up new doors and opportunities through opening their lines of

communication.

Overall Focus & Goals

The main objective of this group curriculum is to enhance high school students’

social skills, which will increase their success in academics and interpersonal relations.

Students will also have strengthened communication skills, stress coping skills, and peer

pressure skills. By the time of the last session, students are expected to see improvement

in their decision-making and ability to converse with both peers and adults.

Overall Objectives

• Students will meet and regularly interact with their peers in group

• Students will discuss ways in which they can open up to those around them

• Students will learn how to appropriately communicate and converse with peers

• Students will acknowledge the presence and consequences of peer pressure, and

learn strategies to deal with them

• Students will think about the difference between face-to-face and online

communication, and how to properly conduct them

• Students will discuss common stressors and how to cope with them

• Students will enhance their confidence through sharing and discussing social

issues they experience


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ASCA Standards

Personal/Social Domain

1. Standard A: Students will acquire the knowledge, attitudes and interpersonal

skills to help them understand and respect self and others.

a. PS:A2 Acquire Interpersonal Skills

i. PS:A2.2 Respect alternative points of view

ii. PS:A2.3 Recognize, accept, respect and appreciate individual

differences

iii. PS:A2.6 Use effective communications skills PS:A2.7 Know that communication involves speaking, listening and nonverbal behavior

iv. PS:A2.8 Learn how to make and keep friends

2. Standard B: Students will make decisions, set goals, and take necessary action to

achieve goals.

a. PS:B1 Self-Knowledge Application

i. PS:B1.3 Identify alternative solutions to a problem

ii. PS:B1.4 Develop effective coping skills for dealing with problems

iii. PS:B1.8 Know when peer pressure is influencing a decision

iv. PS:B1.9 Identify long- and short-term goals

v. PS:B1.10 Identify alternative ways of achieving goals

vi. PS:B1.11 Use persistence and perseverance in acquiring

knowledge and skills

vii. PS:B1.12 Develop an action plan to set and achieve realistic goals


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Screening & Recruiting Members The group facilitator will be identifying who would benefit most from this group.

He/She will be collaborating with teachers and other school staff to assemble information

regarding students’ social skills (perceived self-confidence, reported stress levels, etc.).

All prospective students will be asked to take a brief personality assessment, Meyers

Brigg Type Indicator (MBTI), to indicate each student’s personality type (Briggs &

Meyer, 1962). Screening interviews will then be held during which the group facilitator

will discuss with the student his/her social life in and outside of school, how he/she deals

with stress, etc.

Male and female students between the ages of 14-18 are encouraged to join the

group, as the diversity may provide younger students with a model, while offering

confidence to the older members of the group. This group will be a heterogeneous mix of

extroverts, introverts, and those in-between to offer every perspective of the social

spectrum. However, those that exhibit extreme introversion, a reluctance to associate with

other students, or anxiety when asked to participate in class will be given special notice

during the screening for participation in this group.

During the interview, the students will be given information about the ground-

rules and expectations of the group. If the group facilitator feels that the student is

appropriate for the group and he/she wishes to become a member, the group facilitator

will discuss the goals and logistics of the group. After an invitation has been given and

agreed upon, a consent form will be sent home with the student to have their

parent/guardian read and sign. The consent form will have all detailed information that

the parent needs to be aware of for the group. If they agree/disagree to let their child


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participate, the appropriate box will be checked off, signed, and returned to the group

facilitator.

Group members will be notified of their selection via a pass from the group

facilitator after required consent forms are received. The group members will each meet

with the facilitator and will be informed that they have been selected and have received

appropriate consent to participate in the group.

Logistics

This group will meet in the main office conference room. Group members will

include five male and female students between the ages of 14-18 years old. This group

will meet once a week on Tuesdays for six weeks. Each week will rotate periods,

beginning with period one and going on from there. Students will receive passes from

class on Tuesday mornings in homeroom for the period they are to attend group.

A pre-test/post-assessment will be utilized when collecting data to measure the

effectiveness of this group. It will be a six-question social skills survey and will be

distributed the first week and final (sixth) week of group to measure progress. All

question response options are formatted in a 5-point Likert scale.


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Group Plan

WEEK ONE

Facilitator: Meghan Kilbourn

Session Number: 1

Group Topic: Introduction/Social Skills Jenga

Time: 40 minutes

Lesson Objectives/ Goals:

1. Group members will become familiar with each other, the group purpose, and the

rules of group.

2. Group members will be introduced to themes of social skills, such as self-esteem,

communication, stress/anger expression, peer pressure, and ways of interacting.

3. Students will discuss and recognize how they currently interact with their peers.

Plan:

1. Greeting- Greet members as they walk through the door.

2. Facilitator Introduction- Facilitator will introduce herself.

3. Icebreaker- The members in the group will states their names and participate in a

short game of “Two Truths and A Lie,” (from abouteducation.com).

4. Discussion of Group Process and Purpose

5. Explanation of Group Rules and Confidentiality- Ask group members what

they might think are good group rules. After some input, decide, with the

members, on ground rules including confidentiality.

6. Activity- Jenga game with social skills questions (altered from

creativecounseling101.com).


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7. Discussion- Discuss the activity with members.

a. Questions:

i. What were the similarities between members’ answers?

ii. What were some themes we saw in the questions?

iii. How do you think each of these themes relate to each other?

iv. What about to you? How do you relate to the themes?

v. How do these relate to your school experience?

vi. For those of you with a “negative” response to an answer, would

you like to change the way you reacted/responded?

vii. Based on these themes, did you find anything you could improve

upon/change?

8. Create Goals- Have students create goals based on what they would like to

improve. Have students write down their goals with I statements. Ex: “I will say

no to others when I do not want to do something, or when I do not have the time

to do something.”

9. Processing/ Summarizing- Summarize the session. Ask what everyone’s

experience was like, and if they would like to share. Thank the members for

coming this week.

Materials:

1. How-to Create Instructions and Rules (Appendix A)

2. Jenga game with social skills questions on each block (Appendix B)

3. Pen/pencil and paper


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WEEK TWO

Facilitator: James Malloy

Session Number: 2

Group Name or Topic: Introversion/Self-Expression

Time: 40 minutes

Demographic: Male and female high school students, all grades accepted.

Lesson Objectives/Goals:

1. Students will acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses with opening up and

social interaction.

2. Students will discuss their comfort zones, and how they differ from those around

them.

3. Students will differentiate introversion and extroversion.

4. Students will discuss difficult social situations, and how to deal with them.

Plan:

1. Greeting – I will briefly welcome the students and ask how their week was.

2. Introduction – It will be explained that today’s session is about introversion, how

to open up, and friends. Questions will be asked about what it means to be an

introvert.

a. What does an introvert look like? What does one do?

b. What does an extrovert look like? How are they different?

c. Are people always strictly one or the other?

3. Comfort Zones – Students will be asked to write down examples of their comfort

zones, challenge zones, and panic zones.


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4. Discussion – We will discuss the similarities and differences between our

individual choices for the comfort zones activity.

a. Were there any examples that surprised you?

b. What zone are you in the most? What zone do you want to be in the most?

c. Is there a “best” zone?

d. Is it possible to change the zone you are in?

5. Social Interaction Activity - Facilitator will hand out a worksheet listing 20

different social situations. Students will break into groups and rate (on a scale of

1-5) how difficult it would be to start a conversation, or interact with the person in

the example. The entire group will discuss their answers, why certain situations

are more difficult than others, and strategies to avoid or make these situations

better.

a. The group will break the examples up into “hard” and “easy”

i. Select 5 hardest and 5 easiest

ii. Explain what Negative Assumptions are. Specifically, referring to

when a person expects a scenario to play out in the worst way

possible.

1. Provide an example of a negative assumption for one of the

“hard” scenarios.

2. How would that affect the way you handled the situation?

b. The group will analyze trends between the easiest and hardest examples

i. Gender differences

ii. Size of group


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iii. Type of activity

iv. Status of individual/group

v. Setting

6. Closing Exercise

a. What differences did you see in other group member’s responses to the

activities?

b. How did you feel about your specific panic zones after discussing them?

c. How did knowing the rest of the group affect your answers?

Materials:

1. List of high school scenarios (Appendix C) 2. Pen and paper


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WEEK THREE Facilitator: Francine Sandone

Session Number: 3

Group Topic: The Art of Conversation

Time: 45 minutes


1. Group members will practice positive conversation skills such as active listening,

turn taking, and topic maintenance while playing Conversation UNO.

2. The members will be able to express their point of view on various topics to

fellow group members.

3. Group members will be exposed to and encouraged to consider other peer

perspectives. Varying perspectives in response to social topics such as stressors,

relationships, bullying, school cliques and crowds, school climate, and peer

pressure.

Plan:

1. Greeting- The facilitator will greet group members as they enter the room.

2. Review- The facilitator will take this time to review group rules and recap

thoughts and feelings regarding the previous session. At this time the facilitator

will also check in with group members, asking if anything happened since the last

group meeting.

3. Purpose Established- The facilitator will inform group members that they will be

practicing important conversation skills while commenting on topics of interest.


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4. Activity- The facilitator will bring out the UNO card game and shuffle the deck.

If a table is available to use, members will sit around it and the facilitator will

place the Conversation UNO Rules Sheet and Suggested Topics Sheet in the

center for group members to reference throughout the game.

The facilitator will then read the Conversation UNO Rules Sheet aloud. Ask

members if there are any questions regarding the rules. Play Conversation Uno.

The facilitator may choose to initiate conversation by using an icebreaker

question before playing the game such as “What do you like to do for fun?”

5. Discussion

a. What rules of conversation were included in this game?

b. How can Conversation UNO be applied in real life discussions? (with

friends, family, or even in the classroom)

c. What was your experience playing this game?

6. Processing/Summarizing- The facilitator will summarize the session and ask

group members not only what they learned about themselves in this session, but

from other group members. This time will also be used to resolve any conflict

before dismissing group members.

a. Have you learned anything about yourself today? What similarities did

you notice between yourself and other group members? Differences?

b. Due to these varying responses, do you feel you learned something today?

Are there group members you could learn more from? (in terms of

perspective taking)


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c. How might varying perspectives and personal characteristics impact our

group dynamic/interaction?

Materials:

1. UNO Card Game

2. Conversation UNO Rule Sheets (Appendix D)

3. Potential Topics Sheet (Appendix E)


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WEEK FOUR Facilitator: Rachelle Sepielli

Session Number: 4

Group Topic: Express Your Stress: Healthy Ways to Cope With Stress

Time: 40 Minutes


1. Learn appropriate techniques for dealing with stress and conflict.

2. Learn to identify and express feelings, develop ways to manage and cope with

stress in a healthy way.

3. Learn to recognize unhealthy ways of dealing with stress and how to change

them.

Plan:

1. Greeting/Review

a. “Thank you for coming back to group, it is good to see you all again.”

b. Group rules and confidentiality

2. Introduction

a. Discussion about the definition of stress

b. Appropriate & inappropriate ways to deal with stress/how their stress

levels may affect others

c. Questions: What does stress look like, sound like, and feel like? When can

stress become harmful to themselves or others?

d. Define and explain fight or flight.


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i. “Fight or flight is our body’s natural reaction to stress. When we

feel stress our brain triggers a reaction to fight or flight. We

respond to the stressful situation by dealing with the stress in a

certain way (fight) or escaping the situation immediately (flight).

Our reaction to stress can be a good thing if we are in physical

danger, however it can be bad if our stress in response to an

emotional situation. This can cause our strength and energy to

bottle up and lose control.”

3. Activity

a. Part 1- What stresses you out?

i. Students will each give examples of the situations that stress them

out by answering the following below. After each student has

discussed each topic, the facilitator should review the student’s

responses, focusing on similarities and differences. (Questions to

ask; what were some similar responses to the situations? Who felt

that their stressors were silly or less serious compared to others,

explain, and give examples.

1. Situations that make me angry

2. Situations that make me worry

3. Situations that make me happy

b. Part 2: How do you handle stress?

i. Students will explain how they have responded to the following

situations in the past (or if they have not been in the situation, how


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would they have responded). After hearing other students'

responses, group members should share how they would respond

whether it is similar or different. They will pick out cards from a

bag with the situations listed on them.

c. Part 3: Today is a new day!

i. Students will be instructed to think about stress that they have

recently dealt with or are currently dealing with.

ii. Students will write down 3 stressors that they have experienced

within the past few days or even today.

iii. Students will share some of their stressors with the group. They

should explain how they handled the situation: are they proud of

the way they handled the situation, how they wish they could have

handled the situation, or if they are still facing the issues

iv. Students should discuss possible ways of dealing with the stress.

4. Discussion

a. Discuss how negative responses to stress can cause physical and emotional

harm to yourself and other students. Allow members to discuss ideas and

concerns for dealing with stress.

b. Discussion Questions:

i. What are some ways you can deal with frustration?

ii. When a situation makes you angry, how can you change it to a

positive reaction?

iii. How does worrying affect the way you deal with stress?


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iv. What are some healthy ways you can deal with the stress in your

life?

v. If you feel that you are unable to communicate your stress in a

healthy way, what can you do to prevent a negative reaction?

vi. What are some things you would personally like to change about

the way that you handle your stress?

vii. When we do feel positive, how can we keep that positive energy

going?

5. Processing/summarizing

a. Summarize the session

b. Ask students what they learned about themselves and their group

members. Address any concerns about unhealthy habits.

c. The group facilitator should check in with group members. It is important

to make sure that the group members feel ok to leave group. Discussing

stressful situations can cause students to become overwhelmed and overly

stressed. Make sure that the students feel capable of dealing with stress.

d. Thank group members for coming to group and sharing today, remind

students that you will meet them next week, at the same place at the same

time!

Materials:

1. Stress situation cards (Appendix F) 2. Bag 3. Pen & Paper


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WEEK FIVE

Facilitator: Jennifer Ohara

Session: 5

Group Topic: The pressure is on!

Time: 30-40 minutes

Learning Objectives:

Students will understand how peers pressure each other into making decisions.

Students will learn various ways to say ‘no’ to peer pressure.

Plan:

1. Activity

a. Facilitator will ask for a volunteer to leave the room. Do not tell the

student that this is a part of the activity. Make sure the student is gone long

enough to explain to the other students the plan.

b. Explain to the other students that this is a part of the activity, and that

when you call on them to give their answer to the question, they must

answer “B”. Also explain that this is the wrong answer, but is very close to

the correct answer.

c. The idea of the students answering with the incorrect answer is to see if

the student you asked to leave will also answer incorrectly.

d. Hang the lines up on a wall, and make sure the 4th is far enough away that

it cannot be measured easily.

e. Ask the students to choose line (A, B, or C) that is equal to the 4th line.

Make sure to have the student who left, answer last.


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f. After the students are done answering the question, go over what the

correct answer is. Also, explain to the students that it is natural for us to go

along with what other people are doing. Explain that in this case it was in

a safe controlled environment, and that next time it might be in a more

dangerous situation.

g. Let the students know that you are now moving on to ways to say no, or

make your own decision.

2. Processing

a. What is a “peer” — what is “pressure”?

b. What are some dangerous situations that you might experience peer

pressure? (Party, School event (prom, graduation, etc.), Friends house)

c. There are many different ways to say “no”. Ask the students for examples.

Then read them the other examples you have.

3. Summarizing

a. “4 Friends” Discussion— Your personality is the average of the four

people you spend the most time with.

i. Have each student choose four of his or her closest friends.

ii. Students will then describe all of their friends to the group, and

explain why they are their closest friends.

iii. Explain to the students that the more you hang out with someone,

the more you start to pick up on their habits. These habits can be

both good and bad.

b. “Good and Bad Peer Pressure” Discussion


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i. Have the students talk about the difference between good and bad

peer pressure.

ii. Ask the students what type of pressure do they usually experience.

iii. Ask if anyone has any questions or feelings they wish to talk

about.

Materials:

1. Ash Conformity Experiment (Appendix G): Drawings of 3 lines that are different in length, 2 of them should look close in size. A fourth should be the exact length of one of the 2 that look similar in length.

2. Examples of ways to say “no” (Appendix H)


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WEEK SIX Facilitator: Roshni Bhatia

Session Number: 6

Group Topic: Tone Deaf

Time: 40 minutes


1. Members will learn the difference between face-to-face socialization and typed

communication.

2. Members will create SMART Goals using the skills they have learned thus far, in

light of their progress and where they hope to be socially in the future.

3. Members will have a successful termination.

Plan:

1. Greeting

a. At the door, each member will be silently given a folded paper.

b. Once seated: Gratitude for coming to group, go over rules, recap of group

thus far, brief description of objectives for session

2. Text It/Speak It/Feel It Exercise

a. The whiteboard in the room will be divided into three sections vertically

and all the chairs will be facing it in a semi-circle.

b. Each member will have a 1, 2, or 3 on their paper. Have the two members

who have 1 go up to the board first and write out the text conversation that

is on their papers. They will only have what they are to text and not what


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the other will be responding with. The conversation starter will have a

green dot on her paper. This step will be repeated until all pairs have gone.

c. Then go to each pair and have them read their conversation out loud (each

reading her part). Move on to the discussion.

3. Discussion about Exercise

a. Was their difference in how you read it versus how it was spoken?

b. If so, how did the difference affect you and your feelings?

c. Would the conversation have been easier to have through text or in

person?

d. How can we make our messages more clear both through text and in

person?

1. Social Interaction SMART Goals- Students will create Specific, Measurable,

Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound goals they hope to achieve relating to the

social skills they’ve exercised over the course of the group (e.g. socialize in

person more, use healthy coping skills for stress, don’t give in to negative peer

pressure, etc.)

2. Assessment- evaluating their overall experience will be given and collected

3. Termination of Group- Sharing feedback, collection of assessment, gratitude for

participation, goodbyes

Materials:

1. Conversation Scripts (Appendix I) 2. Whiteboard/Posters 3. Markers 4. SMART Goals Worksheet (Appendix J) 5. Assessment (Under Evaluation in Conclusion section)


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Conclusion

Anticipated Challenges

There are several challenges that may present themselves when engaging in this

social skills curriculum. For one, the mix between introverts and extroverts may allow

certain members to monopolize or withdraw from the sessions more easily. This will

need to be addressed early on in order to prevent these behaviors from exacerbating.

Additionally, it may be necessary to frequently re-state and enforce the group rules, as

social skills will likely be absent in participants. Confidentiality, turn-taking, and active

listening may be lacking, but will be crucial in order for these sessions to be effective. It

will be important to enforce perfect or near-perfect attendance. Due to the target

audience, it may not be uncommon for a participant to attempt to leave the group as an

alternative to developing certain social skills, such as conversing and stress management,

or discussing relevant issues, like peer pressure.

It will be important to be cognizant of the academic and social environment that

students are surrounded by. Social norms can vary greatly based on the setting; as a

result, group facilitators may have to adapt this curriculum to fit their students’ individual

needs. This variation also occurs on social networking platforms, and should be

addressed during the closing session on communication using technology. There are also

external factors that may influence the direction that discussions go in, which may require

flexibility. Family issues, such as divorce, or personal issues, such as deciding what they

want to do after high school, or their self-image, may arise in during the later sessions,

such as stress management or peer pressure. Due to the variability of these factors and the


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subject matter of social skills, it is important to personalize these sessions as much as

possible.

Evaluation of Effectiveness

Evaluation Name: _________________________ Date: ___________________ Please circle your answer accordingly: 1-Strongly Agree, 2-Agree, 3-Neither Agree or Disagree, 4-Disagree 5-Strongly Disagree 1. Interacting with peers comes easily to me. 1 2 3 4 5 2. I have a strong understanding of the 1 2 3 4 5 difference between healthy and unhealthy ways of dealing with my stress. 3. I can actively engage and listen to others 1 2 3 4 5 when they talk to me. 4. I easily cave into peer pressure. 1 2 3 4 5 5. I find it difficult to communicate through typed 1 2 3 4 5 messages and really don’t understand how the other person means to come off. 6. I can easily recognize my emotions that I 1 2 3 4 5 have during different times of the day/week.

Summary

It should be known that the members in the test group were majority female.

There was only one male member in the group. This could have had an impact on the

development of the group as a whole, as well as on each session individually. Since the

group curriculum was created for both female and male students, it would be ideal to

have roughly an equal number of female and male students. This would allow for a


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greater diversity of perspectives during the sessions, in return helping the group as a

whole to develop.

Helping students develop healthy social skills will be greatly beneficial in today’s

world. Skills ranging from how to listen effectively to dealing with peer pressure can be

difficult for students to learn on their own, especially with barriers such as modern

technology. Learning these skills will enable them to make better choices and know how

to communicate to each other effectively, which will in turn open a world of

opportunities for them. This group will help students through the process of learning

about themselves through a social lens and how to adjust that lens to enhance their lives.


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References

Asch, S. E. (1940). Studies in the principles of judgments and attitudes: II. Determination

of judgments by group and by ego-standards. Journal of Social Psychology,

12, 433–465.

Brunner, D. (2010, August 1). Conversation Oo-No. Retrieved from

http://www.ocslp.org/?tag=conversation

Charlton, T. (1998). Experiencing school effectiveness though using peer support

strategies with pupils and teachers. Support For Learning, 13(2), 50.

Harrell, A., Mercer, S., & DeRosier, M. (2008). Improving the Social-Behavorial

Adjustment of Adolescents: The Effectiveness of a Social Skills Group

Intervention. Retrieved February 26, 2015.

Social Skills: Promoting Positive Behavior, Academic Success, and School Safety. (2002,

January 1). Retrieved February 26, 2015, from

http://www.nasponline.org/resources/factsheets/socialskills_fs.aspx

Teens Fact Sheet. (2012, May 21). Retrieved March 1, 2015, from

http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/teens-fact-sheet/

Tierney, T., & Dowd, R. (2000). The use of social skills groups to support girls with

emotional difficulties in secondary schools. Support For Learning, 15(2), 82-85.

doi:10.1111/1467-9604.00151


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Appendix A

How to Create Social Skills Jenga

This game was originally found at creativecounseling101.com. The game was then

adapted to include social skills questions, which were created and included on the next

page.

1. To create your own version of Social Skills Jenga, you will need:

a. Jenga game blocks

b. Typed and printed Social Skills Questions

c. Tape

2. Cut out each individual question and tape one question to each block. Your game

is made.

3. The rules of the game stay the same as original Jenga. The player must pick a

block from the tower and place that block on top of the tower, without knocking it

over. However, if a block has a question on it, the player should answer that

question. Other players are allowed to comment as well, and discussion is

encouraged. If the block is blank, the player should share something they hope to

gain from Group.


32

Appendix B

• Three good qualities in a friend are...

• What would you say is a good number of friends?

• Do you think you have enough friends right now?

Friendship

• What is your favorite thing about yourself?

• Why is it important to be confident in yourself?

• What is your definition of self-esteem?

Self-‐Esteem

• How do you feel when you are talking to someone you don't know? Someone you do know?

• How can you tell when someone doesn't want to talk?

• What do you think baout when others are talking?

Communication

• What do you do when you are angry or stressed? • How do you act towards others when you are angry or stressed?

• Have you ever become so angry that you have been physically violent? If so, what were the consequences of that?

Anger/Stress

• What are some people pressure others? • Have you ever felt pressured by your friends to do something you didn't wnat to? How did you respond to it?

• Name one way you handle peer pressure.

Peer Pressure

• How do you interact with others the most? (in-perosn, texting, facebook, etc.)

• What social media do you use the most? • Have you experienced a negative response or consequence from something you posted online?

Social Media


33

Appendix C

High School Scenarios

1. The teacher announces that the class will have to break into groups for an assignment,

but you don’t know anyone else in the class.

2. A group of “popular” students are forming a club, and you want to join.

3. You want to join the soccer team, but you aren’t friends with anyone on it.

4. On your way to class, you trip and drop all of your books in the hallway.

5. A group of girls you don’t know are doing homework together and you want to join in.

6. You don’t have any friends in your lunch period, but you have to find somewhere to

sit.

7. You accidentally walk into the wrong classroom, interrupting the lesson.

8. A group of guys are hanging out in front of your locker, blocking your way.

9. You see a group of students from your History class at the mall, and you want to join

them.

10. There’s a new student in your class, and you want to introduce yourself.

11. You only know one person at the party. She leaves to say hi to her other friends.

12. You attempt to greet someone, but forget their name.

13. You have to pick a partner for gym class for tennis. You don’t know anyone in the

class, and you aren’t very good at Tennis.

14. You get along with someone in school and want to ask for their phone number to

hang out on the weekend.

15. There’s a school dance in a week. You want to go, but you don’t have a date.

16. You ask a teacher a question, but she doesn’t hear you because she’s reading a book.

17. You’re talking to another student, but you can’t understand what he’s saying and he’s

already repeated himself.

18. For an icebreaker, the teacher wants you to share a talent, but you can’t think of an

interesting one.

19. You only have one friend, she wants to borrow money for a concert ticket, but you

don’t want to do it.

20. You only have one friend, and she wants a ride home from school. You don’t want to

do it.


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Appendix D

Conversation UNO Rules

1. Prior to the first turn the facilitator will select a topic.

2. When a card of the same color is put down, that player will make a comment about the topic. The facilitator may intervene and provide feedback on the appropriateness of a comment and may model an appropriate response if necessary.

3. When a card of the matching number or symbol is put down, the player will ask a question to the next player about the topic.

a. If the next player places a matching color card, the comment should be in regards to the question that was just asked.

b. If the next player places another matching number or symbol card, the player should respond to the previous question before providing their own.

4. When a Draw 2 or Draw 4 card is put down, the player must provide 2 or 4 comments about the topic.

5. When a wild card is placed the player then has the power to change the topic! The player can refer to the suggested topics list provided or may come up with a topic on their own. *Note: When a Draw 4 wild card is put down, the player has to make 4 comments about the previous topic before choosing the next one.

6. Listen to fellow players! You only have the power to change the topic if you place a wild card down. UNO’s the name but active listening is the game!

7. Respect the opinions/perspectives of others. Although you may not agree on what they may be saying, you will be provided with opportunities to respectfully express your opinion.

a. If disrespectful comments are made you may lose a turn, be asked by the facilitator take a break from the game momentarily, or even be asked to leave the game altogether. It is up to the discretion of the facilitator.

8. While all players are encouraged to participate throughout the duration of the game, participation is still voluntary. If you are uncomfortable with answering a question or commenting on a specific topic, you most certainly can opt out. It is then up to the facilitator to intervene and redirect the game as necessary.

9. Have fun!


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Appendix E

Possible UNO Topics

Stressors

Social Media

Friendships

Family

Relationships

Bullying

School Cliques & Crowds

Peer Pressure

Extra Curricular

School Climate/Culture

(beliefs, attitudes, “unwritten rules”, “feel of a school”)


36

Appendix F

Stressful Situations

1. You fail a test

2. You over hear someone talking badly about you or making fun of you

3. You have a lot on your mind about issues in your personal life (at home, with friends,

significant other, parents etc.) and you still have a lot expected of you at school

and/or work

4. You feel alienated from your friends

5. You suspect that you maybe failing a class

6. You don’t think that you are living up to your parents expectations

7. You have experienced a loss in your personal life (could be not talking to a family

member, friend, a death)

8. You feel that you are being bullied

9. You have so much to get done with school, work, and your social life and literally do

not have enough time for everything

10. You are being bullied


37

Appendix G

Asch Conformity Experiment

The first 3 lines should be on one sheet of paper and placed on one side of the wall.

The 4th line is on a separate sheet of paper, placed on the other side of the wall.

3 lines:

____________________

__________________

__________________________

4th line:

__________________


38

Appendix H

Examples of Ways to Say “No”

1. Say no firmly

2. Repeat the word ‘no’ over and over

3. Give a believable excuse

4. Give a reason

5. Change the subject

6. Suggest an alternate activity

7. Ignore the problem/act dumb

8. Reverse the pressure

9. Use humor


39

Appendix I

Text Simulation Conversations

Conversation 1 (Starter) • Hey! Wanna hang out this weekend? • K cool. What do u wanna do? • K…so Saturday work 4 u? -‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ Conversation 1 (Responder) • Sure. • Idk whatever. • Yup. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Conversation 2 (Starter) • Hey what’s up? • Chillin. I miss you… -‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ Conversation 2 (Responder) • Nmu

• (Draw this on the board and sit down) _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Conversation 3 (Starter) • I have a surprise for you! • No really, it’s gonna be so good! • You seem really excited… • Sure you are. Geez. I’m trying to do something nice for you and you don’t even

appreciate it. Fine. I won’t surprise you or do anything for you for that matter. I just wish you actually felt as excited I am for once. I just feel like this whole relationship is so one-‐sided and I’m really starting to question how invested you are.

-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ Conversation 3 (Responder) • Great. Can’t wait. • I know. Sounds awesome. Thanks. • I am, I swear.


40

Appendix J

Documents

Social Skills_Curriculum