Lesson 2: Conversations
Essential Question: How do I introduce myself when talking with someone?
Lesson Overview
1. Brain Warmup
2. Read Aloud
3. Modeling Activity
4. Group Activity
6. Brain Cooldown
Purpose:
- Teaching eye contact and personal space will aide students in feeling confident when introducing themselves to someone.
Vocabulary:
- eye contact
- personal space
Additional Books
Mrs. Joyce Gives the Best High Gives by Erainna Winnett
- This story focuses on the importance of a school counselor, however Mrs. Joyce models how to greet students using various greeting techniques.
Click on book for video of read aloud
Additional Lesson
Activities
Eye Contact vs. Non Eye Contact
- Show students various pictures of people or students talking. Ask students, “are the people or students making eye contact?” Emphasize what it means to make eye contact and model correct or modified versions of eye contact
Show and Tell Activity
- Students will bring in an object he or she would like to share with the class. Encourage students to use eye contact when speaking to his or her audience and when listening to a speaker. This activity can be complete in a whole group or in pairs.
Additional Resources
- This article describes 12 books to strengthen children's social skills.
Space Camp Activities:
- Activities correlating with Space Camp can be found on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Brain Warmup: Listen and Repeat Game
Purpose: This game will require students to practice active listening skills to complete a specific task asked by the teacher.
Materials: open carpet space, index card
Time: 5 minutes
Procedure:
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Students will sit on the floor or carpet facing the teacher
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Remind the students to use SLANT
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Refer to the SLANT Poster from Lesson 1
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Teacher will show students an index card with a shape drawn on it
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Each shape equals a number
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Example: circle equals 1, square represents 2, and triangle equals 3
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Students will look at the index card, identify the shape, and clap the number the shape represents
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Example: show students a square and the students will clap two times
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This pattern will repeat. The number of rounds is determined by the teacher
Note: Drawing shapes and their number correspondence on the board will be a good visual to remind students how many times to clap.
Read Aloud: Personal Space Camp by Julia Cook
To prepare for read aloud, place hula hoops on the carpet or open floor space for students to sit in. The hula hoops represent student’s personal space. This story will teach students about personal space which is essential when having conversations with others. The following are discussion questions that can be used to guide the read aloud discussion.
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What is personal space?
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Why is personal space important?
Modeling Activity: Watch Me
This ‘Watch Me’ activity is for students to visually see how to introduce himself or herself and what to including when greeting someone.
Procedure:
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Ask students to use SLANT during the teacher model
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Explain and display the 'Introduce Myself' Poster
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The poster defines eye contact and personal space
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As the teacher or instructor, stand in front of the students and emphasize the importance of facing your audience when speaking
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Explain to students that an audience can be one person, a few people, or a group of people
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Demonstrate how eye contact and personal space are essential for greeting your audience
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Explain to students, “when speaking with my audience, I will look at them"
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Ask students, “what part of the body do you look at when making eye contact?”
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Refer to the read aloud when explaining personal space
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Explain and demonstrate the appropriate distance between the speaker and the audience
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Model introducing yourself
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Ask students, “what words can you say when greeting someone?” (answer options: hello, hi, good morning)
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Explain to students to use a greeting word before introducing yourself
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Demonstrate greeting and introduction (example: Hi, my name is ______________.)
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After demonstrating, ask the students to practice eye contact and personal space
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Place students into groups or pairs, ask students to introduce themselves in the small group
Eye Contact Note: if students are nervous about making eye contact, encourage students to look at the speakers face or any area near the eyes.
Personal Space Note: if students are having difficulties with demonstrating the appropriate amount of distance, use the hula hoops.
Group Activity: It's Me in Disguise
Purpose: This activity allows students to practice eye contact and personal space when introducing themselves. Students will have the opportunity to wear costumes or disguises to help ease nerves when introducing themselves.
Materials: costumes or disguises (hats, gloves, scarves, glasses, sunglasses, jewelry)
Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Procedure:
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Students will sit on the carpet or open floor space
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An individual student will dress up in costume/disguises (if desired) and introduce himself or herself to the class
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The student can introduce himself or herself using his or her proper name or made-up name
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Each student will have the opportunity to introduce themselves
Brain Cooldown: 3, 2, 1, Look Up
Purpose: Students will practice making eye contact with other students.
Materials: shape or object
Time: 5 minutes
Procedure:
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Students will stand in a circle around an object
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All students will look at the object
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Object will be located on the ground
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Teacher or instructor will count down from 3 and when ‘look up’ is said, students will raise their heads
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Example: 3, 2, 1, Look Up
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Students will try to make eye contact with another student in the class
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This pattern will repeat. The number of rounds is determined by the teacher
