Nonverbal Communication

Goal:  Understand physical, emotional, and intellectual growth and development and their influence on self and others.

Objective:  Examine nonverbal ways of expressing and communicating emotions.

Grade Level:  7

Materials Needed:  3” X 5” cards with the names of emotions written on them, chalkboard, and chalk.

Procedure:

1.      Have students define non-verbal communication.

2.      List on the chalkboard non-verbal ways people communicate.

3.      Discuss the importance of the way we communicate feelings non-verbally.

4.      Divide the class into four groups of four and have group members select a card naming an emotion.

5.      Each group’s task is to develop a brief skit demonstrating non-verbally the emotions named on the group member’s card.

6.      As each group performs its skit, the class tries to guess what emotions the group is attempting to portray.

7.      Discuss how easy or difficult it was to correctly interpret the emotion relying solely on non-verbal clues.

Evaluation:  Students have a greater recognition of the messages our non-verbal expressions communicate to others.

Resource:  Nebraska Career Guidance Program Handbook.  1989.

Guidance Lesson Submitted By:  Scott Harrison