direction giving lesson plan.

Direction Giving Lesson Plan

Bottom Line: Teach students what constitutes effective speaking and listening skills as communication skills and brainstorm ways we can use these skills successfully.

Lesson Objectives:
1. Students learn to identify four obstacles to only verbal communication
2. Students identify four obstacles to only listening.
3. Students identify what leads to good speaking and listening.
4. Students demonstrate what good listening is
5. Students demonstrate what good speaking is.
6. Students strategize ways to overcome obstacles in speaking and listening.
7. Students practice active listening and speaking by using verbal communication.
8. Student will practice forming good verbal questions by using concise language in order to reach a goal.
9. Students collaborate to recognize that speaking and listening rely on groupwork.
10. Brainstorm ways to use language and listening to communication effectively.
11. Analyze what makes communication effective.

Materials:
12 sheets of paper (one paper for half the class) with a geometric design on it.
24 sheets of paper ( One sheet of paper for half the class) with a different geometric design on it.
Pencils
Paper.


Pre-Lesson or Warm up activity.
1. ask students to think of a time when they had to give directions over the phone.
2. Ask students to share that time with you. What was it like? What were some of the frustrations.
3. Write students responses on the board.
4. Ask students to think of a time when they were receiving directions over the phone
5. ask them how they felt. What was it like? What were some of frustrations/barriers.
6. Write that on the board.
7. Then set up for the activity.

The Main Lesson.

Preparation: Set up the classroom into stations of two. At each station, turn the chairs or desks back to back so that when the students sit down, they are facing away from each other. Make sure the stations are in rows.

1. Divide students into groups of two. You may facilitate this several ways.
a. Options to facilitate: First you may have students number off so that they sit in pairs. So if you have 12 students, you have them number off 1-6 and then have them sit with the person with the same number. Say: In just a minute I’m going to give you each a number, 1-6. When I say “ Go” I want you to find the person with that number. Lets begin: ( start numbering) O
b. Or you could hand them a colored piece of paper and have the students divide into groups with the colored piece of paper: Say: I have handed you each a colored piece of paper. There is only one other person in this room who has the same color. When I say “ Yellow” I want you to quietly get up and find that person. This is your partner for the activity.
c. Or you could just have them find a partner. Say: You probably noticed the classroom looks a bit different. When I say “ Station” I want you to pair up with a person you don’t know or haven’t really talked to.
d. NOTE: If there is not an even number of students, you may have to stand in with the student for the activity
2. Once the students have found a partner, get their attention again by flashing the lights or clapping your hands ect.
3. Direct them to find a station with their partner and sit:
a. Say: Now you have your partner. You probably noticed the classroom looks a bit different. I want you and your partner to find a station and sit at that station. Once you are at that station, I will give you further directions
b. NOTE: For a student who does not have a partner, reassure him/her that you will stand in with them.
4. Once the students are at their stations, have the partners choose to be either a direction giver or a direction receiver
a. Say: Now that I have your attention, I’m going to keep it a while and explain the activity to you. In this activity there will be a direction giver and a direction receiver. I would like the direction givers to raise their hands. Great. The direction receivers. Great. Don’t worry. We’ll be switching off in this activity .
5. Tell the students their roles and the appropriate tools needed: the direction receiver needs a pencil and paper and the direction giver will be getting a piece of paper from you with something on it that they will have to explain to the direction receiver.
a. Say: The direction givers job is to give directions. The direction receivers job is to write down the directions. The direction receiver will need a pencil and a piece of paper to take down directions with. In just a minute, I will hand out a piece of paper to the direction giver. The direction giver will give directions to the direction receiver. However, there are a couple rules:
6. Give the rules—there is to be no body language from either direction giver/receiver and no verbal or nonverbal response from the direction receiver.
a. Say: Rule number 1. Direction giver—Show your piece of paper to no-one. Keep it secret. Do not show it to your Direction receiver. Do not show it to anyone around you.
b. Rule number two: Direction giver—You are not allowed to use gestures or body language. You are only allowed to use your voice.
c. Rule number three: you are not allowed to ask for confirmation from the direction receiver. For example you cannot say: Do you have that? Are you done?
d. Rule number three: Direction receiver; you are not allowed to give confirmation. You are only allowed to draw what the direction giver gives you.
7. Before beginning, have students do a sound check to see if the receiver can hear their direction giver.
a. Say: I need you to check to see if you can hear each other. Direction receiver if you can hear what the direction giver says then say yes.
8. Hand the piece of paper to the direction giver. Make sure no-one but the direction giver sees the paper. Remind them of the rules
a. Say: In just a moment I’m going to give the direction givers a piece of paper. Remember, once you get this paper, you must give directions to your partner. You cannot use your body gestures. You cannot draw it out……you can only use your voice.
9. After two minutes, have the partners see how well they did. You may flash the lights, ect to do whatever you need to do to stop the activity.
a. Say: Alright. Check and see how you did!
10. Bring the students together as a group to discuss what happened. Divide the board in half with direction givers at the top and direction receivers. Start with what worked well for the direction receivers.
a. Say: Alright. Just stay where you are. Now we are going to discuss what went on here. We’ll start with the direction receivers. Direction receivers: What worked for you?
11. Ask students what was challenging the direction receiver. Write it on the board
12. Ask students what went well for the direction givers. Write it on the board
13. Ask students what was challenging for the direction givers. Write on the board
14. Tell the students that they are going to do the activity again, only the roles will be
switched—the direction givers will be direction receivers and vice versa. However, you are going to amend the rules. The direction giver can now ask the direction receiver yes and no questions and only yes and no questions. All the direction receiver can say is “ yes or no”.
a. Say: Alright. We are going to do this activity again, only we are going to switch roles. I’m going to allow the direction giver to ask the direction receiver “yes or no” questions. All the direction receiver can say is “yes or no”.
15. Have students do a sound check.
a. Say: like before, I want to make sure the direction receiver can hear the direction giver. If you can hear each other fine, direction givers, raise your hand
16. Hand out a new sheet of paper with geometric shapes in a different pattern. Remind the class of the rules.
a. Say: Direction givers what can you ask? ( class answers)
b. Say: Direction Receivers what can you say? ( class answers: yes or no)
17. Begin the activity.
a. Say: We will begin this activity in 5 4 3 2 1…Go….
18. After two minutes, have the group check how they did.
19. Bring the group back to discuss what happened. ( Debrief)
a. Ask how the pages turned out. Ask the direction receivers what worked? Did it work better than last time? Why or why not? Write on board
b. Ask the direction givers what worked? Did it work better than last time? Why or why not. Write on board
c. ask students what they thought the object of the lesson was?
d. Brainstorm ways we communicate effectively
i. Analyze what we use to communicate effectively.
e. Brainstorm how you can use these skills in a real life situation.

A really great story on compassion and the transforming power of generosity!
Attached is a four part lesson on the book!



http://www.vsb.bc.ca/NR/rdonlyres/41B22542-6262-4A0D-83DD-2FA02026CFA9/0/Lesson8.pdf

An ordinary day with ordinary thoughts

Today, I finished my second reading series in Ready! Set....Read , a reading program for 3-7 year olds that I volunteer for at a local children's museum. I am finding my way slowly through the programming. Although I have three activities strategically planned through the course of the reading, I never seem to be quite prepared. My biggest challenge is gathering them from their play to listen to the story. Today, after arraying the space with beach balls, towels, and shovels and playing hawaiian music, I began to play games. I think I was too intimidating because none of the kids approached but continued to play with the other exhibits and their parents. So exhausting my efforts to entice them to story hour, I followed my co-workers suggestion and simply began to read " Punia and the King of Sharks" aloud. In no time, the kids were on the towels listening to the story. The younger children toddled back and forth between the story, playing with the clay and then coming back to hear the interesting parts. The older kids, for the most part listened, but asked questions after each page and I answered them, trying to maximize inquiry and interaction. I had a post reading activity planned, but by the end of the book, the older children's imaginations could sit still no longer and they were off like a shot.

I am again reminded at how important those three minutes of introduction are. It's crucial to hook the child and keep them hooked.

I think in the future, I will try engaging them with a game in the beginning, playing Criss Cross Applesause or bring musical instruments in=--- pertaining to the theme of course. Then I might begin with an interactive poem introducing the story and seamlessly slide into the reading of a picture book.

Tune in next week to see how these work!!! and by all means, offer suggestions of your own!
:)

Storytelling in the Classroom

We all tell stories. Stories shape our life histories and our social life. They are the voice of our cultures, impressions, and thoughts. They give us the window to other worlds and slake our thirst for discovery. Stories are the maps of our souls and the key to our humanity.

Stories tell us who we are and where we are going. They give us insight into our community. They also are powerful instructional tools promoting critical thinking and problem solving. In the classroom, stories can be used to improve reading and writing skills by allowing the student to explore the basic structure of a story. Every story has concievable beginning and a definite ending.

A exercise used in theater that would help students with story structure is called " Storytime". In this activity, the students are given partners. They choose a letter, A or B. Partner A is then given a minute to think of something significant that happened in his or her life. Then Partner A is instructed in three minutes to tell that story to Partner B. If the story is finished before the minute is up, then Partner is A is instructed to tell the story again with any embellishments they can think of. After Partner A is done, Partner B is to make a comment beginning with " I noticed" The comment can be an observation, positive feedback, or anything else that struck Partner B. For instance, Partner B can say " I noticed that you used the word "and" a lot. It really helped me follow the story." ect.
Then Partner A and B switch.

Throughout the course of the activity, the teacher can build by switching the Partners throughout the classroom and encourage students to add to their stories or use different aspects. Usually, as the person switches telling partners, the story grows with gestures and embellishments.
Dicussion can be follwed with:
How did you feel when you told your story?
How did Partner B feel?
What did you notice happening with the stories in this activity?
Did stories differ from person to person?
What does this say about the story?
Could you pick out Beginning, Middle, and End?
Coudl you draw out anything significant from your story or others?
How might we use this when we read a story? What things should we look for?

A Book Recommendation

When Kids Can't Read What Teachers Can Do by Kaylene Beers is an excellent guide for teachers grades 6-12 offering lesson plans and suggestions and strategies to improve reading comprehension. Unlike other books that I have read on strategies, these ones are relatively straightforward and easy to facilitate. One of the lessons I particularly enjoy involves having the students create bookmarks where they record either words they don't know or different observations about characters. It's really quite brilliant because the students not only are apply self-regulated strategies when reading, but also, they have a bookmark readily available!!!!

Gilad Shalit's When Shark and Fish First Met

I was moved by the power of a simple story and reminded how much words and stories mean to us all. The movie shows children from a middle school in the Bronx reading Gilad Shalit's When Shark and Fish First Met. The words reach out. The story speaks.

The more I head through the Masters Program, the more convinced I am that working with families is crucial to education-- Viewing the student as simply a student, to me, is a disservice to that child. Literacy begins in the home which informs and enhances the classroom experience. I think it’s necessary not only to ‘work” with parents, but also to understand and acknowledge that the family offers the best and most valuable educational experience a child can have—especially in literacy. To teach a child reading depends on family interaction.

And now, for an interesting idea to encourage family literacy!!!!