[Teen Living]

Can You Hear Me Now?

Overview
Students will recognize and explore the many different techniques used when communicating with others. They will recognize the importance of quality communication skills.

[Grades 9-10] [2 50 minute class periods]

Teaching Materials
! Communication Content Information Sheet (Located below) A variety of pictures portraying communication Slips of paper with different communication styles for the role-play activity The Following Movie Clips: -The Emperors New Groove -Tangled -The Cosby Show: Season 1: Episode 1 -Don Knotts the Nervous Weatherman (the web link is in the lesson plan)

Standard 1/Objective 3: (Cognitive Domain & Level 1)

Identify and recognize personal communication styles and discuss the importance of quality communication skills as they relate to relationships. ! Discuss styles of communication and their effects (childish, parent, adult, and non-verbal). !

Introduction/Set Induction (10 minutes):

Move all the desks into a big circle to clear the room. The class will then play the Human Knot where students have to get in a circle, reach across and grab someone elses hand with one of theirs and then somebody else with their other. The students are then challenged to get out of their knot as they work like a team. There will be two teams so that it is competitive.

Transition (5 minutes):
When students complete the activity, have them pull their desks back into order. But dont comment about the activity they just did.

Other Resources/Technology
! TV or Computer with a projector so students can see the movie clips

[Can You Hear Me Now?]

Lesson Body (75 minutes) (Teen Living/Inquiry-Based Instruction)

Inquiry-Based Instruction PHASE 1: Confrontation with the Problem (5 minutes): How are you going to confront students with the problem? Have several different pictures displayed on the board. These pictures can be a variety of different ways to communicate. (For example, pictures such as: a handshake, someone talking on the phone, good posture, bad posture, a mouth, hands, someone drawing, eyes, people yelling at each other, a couple hugging, people laughing, a student laying their head on their desk, ears, angry face, happy face, confused face, folded arms, yawning, etc.) With this collage of pictures, students will be asked to identify what they all have in common. If they want they can first group the pictures (such as one with all the hands, another with all the people, another with facial expressions, etc.). The common theme all of these pictures portray is communication. PHASE 2: Data Gathering-Verification (10 minutes): How are students going to verify that the issue/problem exists? As a class we will have a discussion about communication and how important it is in our daily lives. Some of the students may share their experiences (good or bad) with communication. After that discussion, we will go over the different communication styles (childish, parent-like, adult-like, and non-verbal). Use the information on the Communication Content information sheet (down below). PHASE 3: Data Gathering-Experimentation (25 minutes): There will be four different video clips shown. Each one will communicate one of the four communication styles. Students will write down all the details of the example they are watching and then after the clip is over they will get with a group of 3-4 students and discuss and identify what style the clip was portraying. Before moving onto the next clip, we will decide as a class what communication style was used. We will then move onto the next clip and follow the same pattern until all four clips have been shown. The video clips being used: 1- Child-like Communication: The Emperors New Groove a. Show the 2nd scene of the movie where Pacha comes to visit with Emperor Kuzco who wants to know where the sunlight hits the hill the best. The Emperor is self-centered and is only thinking of himself. He is whiny when he doesnt get what he wants. 2- Parent-like Communication: Tangled a. Show the scene when Rapunzel wants to ask her mother if she can go see the lanterns for her birthday. The mother refuses to let her go and yells You are not leaving this tower ever! The mothers communication is one-way and dictatorial. 3- Mature Communication: The Cosby Show Regular People a. This is from Season 1: Episode 1 where Cliff tries explaining to his son Theo the cost of living and the importance of good grades. This is a two-way conversation where they are trying to understand each others point of view. They are calm and respectful. 4- Non-Verbal Communication: Don Knotts the Nervous Weatherman a. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNWZo0UjLNQ In this clip, Don Knotts communicates how he feels through his non-verbal actions. His hands are shaking, he keeps repeating himself, he has a shaky voice, he drops his marker, etc.

[Can You Hear Me Now?]

PHASE 4: Organizing, Formulating, & Explanation (20 minutes): How are you going to challenge students to explain or apply what they have learned? Now that the students have identified the different communication styles, they will be paired up with a partner and be assigned a communication style. Each partnership will have to act out their communication style in front of the class and the class will have to identify what style it is. PHASE 5: Analysis of Inquiry Process (5 minutes): How are you going to have students reflect on process/experience of inquiry? Once all of the groups have performed, students will quickly write down 2 evidences of each communication style.

Summary/Closure (5-10 minutes)

As a class discuss the advantages and disadvantages of every communication style and how they can affect our relationships.

Assessment/Evaluation
By determining how well the students were able to act out and identify the different communication styles, Ill know whether or not they understand the difference.

[Can You Hear Me Now?]

Communication Content Communication implies a two-way process in which understandable messages are both sent and received. *Child: This style of communication is the easiest and most natural to use. It is also very immature and the least effective method of communication when for an adult. It is characterized by self-centered motives: giving orders (I want, Its mine, You do this for me), whining, name calling, yelling, verbal abuse, not listening, interrupting, topping, throwing tantrums, and acting out of control. To communicate in this way you do not need to be a child. Many teens and adults revert back to these childish communication habits when they are frustrated or upset. *Parent: This style of communication has nothing to do with age or being a parent. In fact, two-year-olds are very good at this. It is the mode of communication that directs others behaviors. It is effective in that you usually get someone to comply or act a certain way; however, it is a one-way or dictatorial communication. It is characterized by giving instructions, directing, punishing, demanding, and ordering. Examples of a child using the parent form of communication might be: Mom, get me a cookie. A teenager would use it like: Go get my book out of my locker, or lend me a dollar. This style of communication gets the point across and affects the behavior of others. It is commonly used to deal with someone who is communicating as a child. Teens want to be treated as adults; but when they resort to childlike communication techniques, others around them resort to using parent techniques. *Adult: This style of communication is the highest level and is the most desirable and effective. It is characterized by: a desire for open two-way communication, taking responsibility for comments and actions, remaining calm, showing respect for others feelings and opinions, wanting to resolve problems with a win-win attitude, having trust in others, and controlling emotions during a discussion. *Non-Verbal: Nonverbal communication is the way you express yourself through movements, posture, and facial expressions. It is possible to send one message with your words and a different one with body language. (This information came from Esther Larson who created it on the Utah Education Network)

[Can You Hear Me Now?]