Irmo Middle School

International Academic Magnet

An Expeditionary Learning School

LessonTitle/Focus:Communication/Lesson2 Date:September18,2014

PriortoCrew:
1. Cutoutthecardsofthenegativenonverbalcommunicationexamples.
(Seebottomoflesson)
2. Writethisquoteontheboard,Actionsspeaklouderthanwords.
3. Suppliesneeded:8piecesofwhitepaperand8markers

YearLongLearningTarget:Icancreateandmaintainhealthyrelationshipswithallcommunity
members.

StrandLearningTarget:Icancommunicateclearlyandpositivelywithmywordsandactions.

*LessonLearningTarget:Icanunderstandthesignificanceofnonverbalcommunication.

Norms:
1. LISTENwiththeintentoflearning.
2. SPEAKtoshare,wonder,clarify,connect.
3. ENGAGE&exploremyroleasaCrewmember.
4. BEPRESENT&minimizedisruptions.
5. ENJOYoneanotherscompany,fosterhumor,reachout.
6. BECOURAGEOUS&beOKwithnotknowing.

Time LessonComponents DetailedStepsandMaterials

5Minutes Openingand
Welcoming:

Welcomeand/orgreet
oneanotherIntroduce
targetorgoalReview
agendaSettone.
Say:Welcometotodayscrew.Todayswelcome
willbeademonstrationoftheuseofnonverbal
communication.WhipAround:Theteacherwill
expresshowtheyarecurrentlyfeelingusinghand
signalsorafacialexpression.Theteacherwillpoint
thedirectionofthewhiparoundandcontinuewithall
students.

Say:Todaywewilldemonstratetheimportance
ofnonverbalcommunication.Thisishowpeople
communicatewithoutusingwords.
1Minutes Reading:
Meaningfulexcerpt,
poem,song,riddle,etc.
tiedtopurposeofcrew
session.
Askastudenttoreadthequoteontheboard:

Actionsspeaklouderthanwords.
20
Minutes
Community
Initiative/Main
Activity/Discussion:.
Centeredonthefocus,
targetorgoalforthe
day.Mayinclude
teambuilding,fitness,
discussionofrelevant
eventsorissuesinthe
studentslives,visit
fromanexpert,portfolio
workorstudentled
conferencepreparation.

1. The teacher can identify a section of the room as

January 1 and the other end as December 31 or the
teachercanleavethatuptothestudents.

2. Instruct students to arrange themselves in line

according to the month and day of their birthday (no
year). This must be done without talking, whispering,
writing, mouthing the words, or props. Instruct them
to arrange themselves by month and then day (some
studentsmayhavethesamemonthfortheirbirthday.)

3. Give students a minute to think of a strategy

without discussion with other students. When this
activity begins, the students should be completely
silent.

4. When the group believes it has accomplished the

task, ask the student to state their birthday beginning
with the student closest to the designated place for
January 1. If they are out of order, ask them to move
tothecorrectplaceinline.

5. When all students are in the correct order, ask 3 or

4 students to share their strategy for finding their place
inline.

6. Next, ask students to sit in pairs. Give each pair of

students a card that describes a negative nonverbal
action. Ask one student to demonstrate the negative
nonverbal action and ask that students partner to
write a sentence on a plain piece of white paper
explaining the message that this behavior conveys.
The teacher will ask each group to come to the front of
the room one by one and demonstrate the nonverbal
negative communication. Afterwards, the partner will
holdupthemessageandreadittotheclass.

Thenegativenonverbalactionsare:
Drawingduringclass
Passingnotestoafriend
Trying to mouth something to a student across the
room
Browsingthewebonyourpersonaldevice
SlouchinginClass
Rollingyoureyeswhenaskedtotrysomethingnew
Completinghomeworkforanotherclass
Roamingtheclassroom
1Minutes Debrief/Reflection:
Checkinonhowthe
sessionwent,including
ourcollaboration,
individualwork,
progresstowardthe
targetorgoalandideas
forimprovingournext
session.
SAY: Using the Fist of Five technique, ask the
following question: How important is nonverbal
communication when trying to get a point across to
someone? (Holding up one finger represents little
importance and holding up all five represents great
importance)

SAY GOAL OF THE WEEK: Be more conscious of

your nonverbal communication to staff and students
and keep it positive and supportive. Use SLANT as a
way to demonstrate positive nonverbal communication
inyourclassesthisweek.

ReviewSLANTcomponents
S:situp
L:leanforward
A:askquestion
N:nod
T:trackthespeaker
3Minutes NextSteps::
Teacher/student(s)
reviewimportant
upcomingeventsand
agendaitems.Identify
nextstepsforCrew
SAY:WewillmeetagainnextThursday.Keepthese
normsinmindasyouattendyourclassestoday.

Reconfiguretheclassroomasneeded,incorporate
intoCrewroutineifnecessary.
(assignnextcrew
leader,ifstudentsare
takingturns).

Drawing
DuringClass

Passing
Notestoa
Friend
Tryingto
mouth
somethingto
astudent
acrossthe
room

Browsingthe
webonyour
personal
device

Slouchingin
Class
Rollingyour
eyeswhen
askedtotry
something
new
Completing
homework
foranother
class

Roamingthe
classroom