SEL Communication
Overview
This lesson is designed to build communication as a class and individual. With covid please consider having students wear masks and using 2ft. noodles instead of physically tagging with your hands.
SEL Unit, Lesson 4,Communication
Unit for SEL
Lesson 4
Lesson Topic: Communication
Lesson Description: This lesson is designed to build communication as a class and individual. With covid please consider having students wear masks and using 2ft. noodles instead of physically tagging with your hands.
Learning Goals/Outcomes:
- The student will have an understanding of how to communicate as a group and individually.
Nebraska Standards: Standard 4: S4 M1 & H1, S4 M2 & H2, S4 M3 & H3, S4 M4 & H4, S4 M5, S4, M6, S4 M7 Standard 5: S5 M6 & H4
Teacher Planning:
4 hula hoops, four plush toys, long rope, blindfolds (one for every student) flip chart, markers
Time Required for Lesson: 45 minutes
Technology Use:
_____ YES ____X_NO
Instructional Plan:
Warm-Up: Elevator Air (10 minutes)
Objective: to move across the circle in a variety of different ways creating connections with other team members.
Set-Up: Invite the group to form a circle.
Framing: many of us have experienced riding in an elevator and it is often quiet and uncomfortable. We are going to create an elevator space (Masks will be required to be worn during this activity during covid.) here in our classroom to see if we can change this typical impersonal situation. We will try different verbal and nonverbal behaviors to see how they effect the mood or energy.
- For the first crossing, ask the group to visually select an area on the opposite side of the circle from where they are standing. They will move to this space during the first round. During this round invite the students to imagine they are on an elevator in which they will cross cross the circle without making any eye contact. Remind them to be mindful of one another as they come towards the center of the circle.
- For the second crossing follow the same guidelines as above, however, this time each person should give a short head nod or other non verbal response, acknowledging at least three of their classmates,
- During the third crossing, each student needs to elbow bump (during covid) at least three other people in the group.
- By the fourth crossing , the group will be asked to think about how they might react at the end of the school year. Invite them to imagine saying good-byeto their wonderful team members at the end of the year. Remember during covid no contact.
Debrief:
- Which circle crossing felt the most comfortable to you?
- Which felt the least comfortable?
- What would our group be like if we spent the entire time not making eye contact?
- On which elevator would you like our team to be on during our time together.
Activity Communication Breakdown (25 minutes)
Objective: For groups to work together as a team to place their mystery object into appropriate hula hoop with significant limitations to each person’s role.
Setup: Set up a start line at one end of a clear, open area. Divide the students into groups of three. If there is an extra student they can be a 4th person as an observer.
Framing: Your small group will have to transport an unknown object to an unknown location in the room. You will each have different capacities, and you will need to rely on eachother and on good, clear communication to achieve the task.
- Explain the following individual roles. In each team there is:
- One person who can see but cannot speak or move around. (i.e., walk or move from their initial start)
- One person who can speak but cannot see or move around.
- One person who can move but cannot see or speak.
- 4th person (if there is one) will observe and report their findings at the end.
- Participants may choose the role they feel most comfortable with, but all three roles must be covers.
- Before the task begins, the group has up to 10 minutes to plan their strategy and devise their communication plan. Remind students that they should be thinking about how the students who cannot speak might communicate.
Team 3 Object for team 1 XXX. Team 1
Team 4 object for team 2. XXX Team 2
Team 1 Object for team 3 XXX Team 3
Team 2 Object for team 4 XXX Team 4
- Once students have chosen their roles and the speaker and mover are blindfolded, set up the hula hoops and objects as shown above.
- Set out hula hoops on the other end of the open area. They can be set in random arrangements. Teams may be attaining an object and leaving the object not in a straight line.
- Once the props are arranged, visually point out each group’s object and hula hoop to the sighted person. Check understanding with a thumbs up.
- Once a team of three successfully completed a task, group members may remove their blindfolds and watch others complete the task silently.
- Briefly discuss the following questions with the students;
- How did your team develop a strategy to communicate together? What was your strategy?
- What would occur if one of these players was removed from the system of team?
- If you had a fourth person observing allow them to share their observations.
Closing Debrief: Nuggets (10 minutes)
Objective: To identify effective communication principles and strategies .
Setup: Hand out a piece of flip chart paper and markers to each small communication breakdown group.
Framing: In your small groups, you will try to find nuggetsof effective and ineffective communication.
Effective Communication Ineffective Communication
Looks Like | Sounds Like | Looks Like | Sounds Like |
|
|
|
|
- Ask students to split their pages as shown above.
- Have groups populate each column. As in any brainstorming, group members do not have to agree to write something down.
- Ask groups to report out and discuss how these communications strategies and principles play out for students in school and at home.