Full House 

“Fast Friends”

(Season 7, Episode 5) Fast Friends Scene 

• Air Date: October 12, 1993
• Produced: American Sitcom created by Jeff Franklin for ABC
• Length: 23 minutes and 28 seconds
• Rating: G

Description and Review

• Full house is an American sitcom produced in the late 80’s and throughout the 90’s. A father (Danny Tanner) raises his three daughters (DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle) with the help of his brother in-law (Jesse) and best friend (Joey). The episodes include life lessons and messages that are applicable to kids growing up. A big theme for the show as a whole is how to learn from experiences and grow as an individual. Although some students may think that it is “cheesy” or irrelevant, the moral messages that it conveys are visual and auditory ways to plant the seed into a child’s mind. I think that this is the best selection for my topic because fifth graders will soon be entering into middle school where there will be a greater learning curve due to the change in school and social life.

• This specific episode, “Fast Friends” connects to my topic of emotional and mental well-being because it demonstrates the desire that many experience of wanting to be popular among their peers or fit into a certain crowd. This also shows the difficulty that peer pressure includes and the struggle it can be to make the right decision. This addresses the health standard of how to use self-control and impulse control strategies. Also, this episode connects to my topic in the way of identifying the various influences of your peers and how that effects your own health. Within the episode Stephanie finds herself in a situation where some girls are pressuring her to smoke cigarettes, she feels torn between being part of the “cool” group and her own morals.

Snippet from YouTube: Fast Friends Scene 

Core Integration Activities 

Although this popular TV show does not necessarily connect to a core topic directly, I think that this would be a great opportunity for literacy, more specifically writing. After watching the episode, students would write a reflection about the decisions that Stephanie made in the show and how she handled the situation. Then students would get into small group and discuss the use/lack of self-control exhibited, along with how Stephanie enhanced her physical and emotional health based on the decisions she made in the reoccurring situations.

Students could further journal in their writing notebooks about a time they dealt with peer pressure or a time when they had to make a decision that impacted their health (physical, mental, or emotional). This would develop the student’s ability to write a narrative-like reflection on a more vulnerable topic. Focusing on the language that was used in the episode and the language they use in the writing section of the lessons would be a way to integrate the development of figurative language and word meanings.

Common Core State Standards

• ELA-LITERACY.L.5.3
  • Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
• ELA-LITERACY.L.5.5
  • Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

NHES Standards

• NHES 5: Students will demonstrate the ability to use decision-making skills to enhance health.
• NHES 1: Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.
  • 5.5 Describe appropriate ways to express and deal with emotions.
    • HBO 5: Use self-control and impulse-control strategies to promote health.