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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Identify challenges involved in saying goodbye to a person or a phase of life; define “closure” and describe a variety of ways to achieve closure when saying goodbye.
HEALTH ED STANDARDS
NHES 4: Use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks.
CASEL: Relationship skills
KEY VOCAB
reminiscing
souvenirs
gratitude
terminal
Lesson Plan: Secrets of a Good Goodbye
Saying farewell can be tough, but if you do it right, it can have some unexpected silver linings. Read on for tips to make sure your goodbyes are as good as possible.
1. Preparing to Read
Before you read the article “Secrets of a Good Goodbye,” ask your students the following pre-reading question:
What can you do to make goodbyes feel good even though they are hard?
2. Reading and Discussing
Close-Reading Questions
The following questions can be shared in printable or interactive form from the Resources tab.
Critical-Thinking Questions
Think back to a goodbye in your life that gave you closure. Describe the goodbye and how you were able to achieve a sense of resolution.
Why do you think moving on to a new relationship or phase of life might be difficult if you don’t achieve closure from a previous relationship or phase?
3. Building Comprehension and Vocab
Check students’ comprehension of and engagement with the story with the following assessment tools:
Quiz
Vocab Builder
4. Expanding SEL Opportunities
Continue the learning journey with the following extension activity:
In GOODBYE ADVICE, have students talk to a trusted adult about that person’s experiences with saying goodbye. Then, they’ll share what they learned with a small group.
