lesson 1 grade empathy and communication: working in … · active listening is one way of showing...

Lesson 1Empathy and Communication: Working in GroupsGrade

© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org Page 111

Section 1

Order of pictures:

Title of story:

Section 2

List two things to do that show you are actively listening to someone.

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2.

List two ways you feel when someone is actively listening to you.

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2.

Active listening is one way of showing respect. List two other ways to show respect for other people and their ideas.

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2.

List two ways to make sure everyone is included in a group activity or discussion.

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2.

Lesson 1Handout 1A: Group SkillsGrade

http://www.secondstep.org


Lesson 1Create-a-Story Challenge PhotosGrade

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Lesson 1Family LetterGrade

Dear Family,

Wouldn’t it be great if there were a way to protect your middle school student from risky behaviors, such as bullying, aggression, and substance abuse, while improving his or her school success? Fortunately, research shows there is a way to do just that.

This week we begin the Stepping In program. Building on and practicing social skills throughout the middle school years helps students become better able to use them. As in the Stepping Up program taught last year, the Stepping In program focuses on skills that will help your student succeed in school and in life. These skills include:

• Empathy• Communication• Perspective taking• Respectful disagreement• Negotiation and compromise• Emotion management• Coping with stress • Decision making

You play a vital role in helping your student develop strong social skills. During the next few weeks, the focus of the lessons will be on empathy and communication. Ask questions about the skills your student is learning, such as:

• “What does it mean to have empathy, and how does it help you in school?”• “Who are some people you can count on if you need an ally?”• “What are the steps you use to negotiate and compromise?”

If you have any questions about the program, please do not hesitate to contact me for more information. Thank you for supporting your student in learning the skills that lead to success in school and in life.

Sincerely,

P.S. Make sure to join with the activation key to watch videos about the Second Step program and get information about what your student is learning.


Name:

You are a private investigator. You have been hired by an unnamed source to “spy” on your family. This source wants to find out all the various feelings that one or more of your family members have while doing activities at home. You won’t be able to talk to your family (you don’t want to blow your cover!) so you’ll have to use your keen skills of observation. Start with one person. Write down what you observe about his or her facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, and what he or she says. Then guess based on these clues what he or she might be feeling. Then try the same activity with another family member. When you’ve completed the sheet, show it to an adult in your family and see if he or she can guess who you were spying on.

Lesson 1Homework: I Spy...Grade

What kind of activity?Household activities could be vacuuming, washing dishes, doing laundry, cooking, sweeping, fixing appliances, or anything that needs to be done where you live.

Clues What you observe

Facialexpression

Bodylanguage

Tone ofvoice

What wassaid

Possiblefeelings

Activity:

Who is this person?

Clues What you observe

Facialexpression

Bodylanguage

Tone ofvoice

What wassaid

Possiblefeelings

Activity:

Who is this person?

This homework assignment was completed on . (date) [adult] signature



Name:

Answer each question to explain what you learned. Then write a reflection to show how what you learned connects to your life.

What I Learned

Empathy is: .

Identify at least two skills that are important to group work.

Connecting to My Life

Name a situation in which you interact with others (such as playing on a team, rehearsing a play, working on a project, or participating in a youth group). Describe how active listening, respecting others’ ideas, and including everyone will be helpful in that situation.

Lesson 1Reflective Writing AssessmentGrade



The Challenge

Try to hit a target with a sheet of paper.

Materials/Preparation• One sheet of scrap paper per group (all scrap paper should be the same size)• Masking tape (make an “X” target and a designated tossing line on the floor with masking tape, eight feet apart)• String or twine cut to five to six feet long (or use a broom handle or yardstick)

Instructions for Students1. Work in groups of four.2. Each group makes an object out of a single piece of paper. 3. Two students from each group hold a string up at approximately waist height, parallel to the tossing line, between the tossing line and target.4. One student from your group tosses the paper object from a distance of eight feet over the string held up by two students to try to hit the target.

Group Exchange Post-Activity Questions1. What contributed to your group’s success?

2. What stood in the way of successful collaboration?

If necessary, have students repeat the activity, focusing on the behaviors that contribute to successful group work.

Lesson 1Additional Practice: Target ChallengeGrade

8 feet

Target


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Lesson 1Academic Integration Activities

Language Arts and Social StudiesHow would that character respond?

Have students imagine that they are a character in a book that they are currently reading or have just read (either in class or on their own). Have students describe in writing how that character might react to a conflict or problem in the student’s life. The problem could be about school, friends, family, chores, homework, or anything else. Have your students respond in writing. Be sure they include the name and description of the character, a brief description of the problem, what the character might have been thinking or feeling at the time, what the character would say or do in response, and why the character would react in that way.

Health and ScienceWhy do wolves live in packs?

Humans are social creatures, and so are a lot of animals. Preselect appropriate animal-science Web sites or search engines for your students. (Your school librarian can help.) Then have students work in groups to research animals that live in groups or packs, such as wolves or other wild dogs. What benefits do wolves get from living in packs? How do they communicate with one another? Compare how wolves work in groups with how humans work in groups. What are the similarities and differences? Have groups present their findings to the class.

Media LiteracyWhat’s your interpretation?

Record a clip from a Disney movie, such as The Lion King. Have small groups watch the clip. Afterward, have each member of the group write down what they thought of it on their own. (Expect varied responses such as babyish, stupid, nice animation, good music, etc.) Then have each member report their thoughts to the group. Have each group discuss the following questions: Did you agree with what your other group members thought of the clip? Why or why not? If you disagreed, how did you handle the disagreement? Did you actively listen to the other group members when they discussed their thoughts? Where you respectful of other group members’ thoughts, even if they were not the same as yours?

lesson 1 grade empathy and communication: working in … · active listening is one way of showing...

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