Lesson Plan: Can We Talk?

Interpersonal Skills
 

Understand that your actions, words, and feelings affect how others act, speak, and feel. Think about and choose respectful behaviors and words when interacting with others to build strong relationships. Treat others kindly, politely, and respectfully.

Lesson Key Words: Interpersonal Skills and Respect

Number of Students: 30-35 students

Format: Lesson can be facilitated in person or virtually.

Lesson Time Required: 60-75 minutes

Preparation Required: The facilitator should review the lesson plan to internalize the key concepts, vocabulary, and general flow of the lesson. Additionally, the facilitator should make modifications based on time constraints and the varying needs of the student group.

Supplies Needed: A screen or monitor to display videos (if not available, the facilitator can talk through the example in the video), paper, and writing utensils.

Outcomes and Objectives

Prior to this lesson, students should understand:

• Basic concepts of being respectful in various settings.
• That daily interactions vary, based on the person, place, and context.

At the end of the lesson, students will understand:

• How their actions, words, and feelings impact others.
• The importance of using respectful behaviors and words to build and maintain strong relationships.

At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify the impact of their actions and words on others.
• Choose respectful behaviors and words in different social situations.
• Demonstrate kindness, politeness, and respect when interacting with peers.
• Accept feedback and navigate uncomfortable conversations and situations.

Outline

Hook: Start with a brief discussion on the following video clip highlighting various communication styles: Styles of Communication for Kids. Ask students how the interactions made them feel and how the people in the video might have felt based on the communication style.

Video Discussion: Explain that interpersonal skills are about understanding how what we say and do affects others (e.g., “Today, we’ll learn how to be more mindful of our actions and words to build better relationships”).

Lesson Activity (45-60 minutes)

First, review the directions for each activity, then assign students to one of four groups; provide the directions to each group. As the students engage with their groups, encourage them to identify the different communication styles covered in the Styles of Communication for Kids video (i.e., passive, aggressive, passive aggressive, and assertive). The students will spend approximately 25 minutes at their assigned station, followed by another 20-25 minutes for each group to share their discussions with the whole class.

Group 1: Article Review

Have the students read the article, Why are Online Political Discussions so Mean?,from the Social Science Journal for Kids. After reading the article, students will discuss the following questions with their group and provide evidence from the text to support their answers:

• What were the authors of the article trying to explain to the reader?
• What is the “troll hypothesis”?
• From the research, what suggestions do the authors make to improve the internet?
• What are the key takeaways from this article?
• What communication style(s) is the author using? What evidence from the text do you have that supports this?

Group 2: Role Play

Have the students in this group create their own scenario or script about being respectful and then act it out for the class.

• Students should describe the characters who are involved (a maximum of five): someone with a problem, someone who is helping with the problem, and someone who is not helping.
• Have the group decide on a type of conflict: a concern related to a class, an issue related to an after-school activity, or experience with bullying at school.
• Students have 3-5 minutes to act out the scenario in front of the class, which should include a brief introduction of the issue, the role play, the resolution, and the communication style they chose for the resolution.

Group 3: Video or Art Display

Have the students respond to a prompt by creating a poster or video presentation (using Flip Grid or PowerPoint; 2-3 minutes) about being respectful:

• Prompt: “What do you think is respectful? And how do you incorporate respect into your interactions with different people (e.g., friends, parents, teachers, new people, supervisors, someone you’re having a disagreement with)?”
• Ask the students which communication style should be used to convey the appropriate message for each situation and explain why that communication style is the best response.

 

Group 4: Text Conversation Handout

• Distribute two or three conversation stems to the group (e.g., a text from a friend asking to copy homework because they’re too busy to do it themself, someone making someone else feel uncomfortable with something they said, or someone judging someone else’s clothing negatively).
• The first half of the text conversation sets up the conflict, and students fill in responses in the space given to resolve it respectfully.
• Once they finish, they receive feedback from other group members on how they resolved the conversation, the communication style they chose, and if it was the most effective style.

Rotate among the groups to listen in on their conversations. While rotating, be sure to remind students of the time remaining and to have their representatives ready to share with the class at the end. End the lesson with a large group discussion with a representative from each group sharing the final products and what their group learned through the activity.

Guiding and Reflection Questions

• What are some ways you self-reflect?
• What are some techniques you use to self-regulate or control your emotions in uncomfortable situations?
• What is respectful language you can use?
• How can you show empathy to others in these kinds of situations?
• How do you handle uncomfortable situations or receive feedback that you made someone feel uncomfortable?
• How can you focus your feedback on someone’s behavior rather than the person, so your feedback is constructive and not mean?

Wrap-Up

Ask the students to imagine that they are visiting the school nurse because they are feeling ill. Upon entering the nurse’s office, they attempt to explain their symptoms, but the nurse is preoccupied with another student, someone outside is knocking on the door, and the nurse’s computer alarm just sounded, indicating she has a message that requires an immediate reply.

Ask the students the following:

• How would this situation make you feel and why?
• What communication style is the nurse using?
• How could you respectfully resolve the situation?

Student Follow-Up Activities

Have students keep a list of interactions they have over the upcoming week that allow them to practice what they have learned. They can share these experiences in the next class.

Facilitator Follow-Up Activities

In coordination with the English and language arts or writing teacher(s), students can extend their learning through the following writing prompts:

• Describe a time when you said something that hurt someone’s feelings. What could you have said differently?
• Write about a person you know who is very respectful. What do they do that shows they care about others’ feelings?
• Imagine that a new student joins your class. How would you make them feel welcome and respected?
• Reflect on a time when you felt disrespected. How did you handle the situation, and what did you learn from it?

Vocabulary

Interpersonal Skills: The abilities and behaviors used to interact effectively with others, including communication, empathy, and relationship-building.
Example: “By practicing good interpersonal skills, like listening carefully and speaking kindly, we can build strong friendships.”

Respect: Treating others with kindness, politeness, and consideration.
Example: “Showing respect means listening when someone else is talking and not interrupting them.”