Acting with Respect

This activity involves small groups of students creating and performing skits that illustrate both respectful and disrespectful interactions. The goal is to help you understand how your behavior affects others and to encourage empathy and teamwork.

Materials Needed

• Skit Creation Guide
• Respect vs. Disrespect Skit
• Post-Skit Reflection Chat

Activity Breakdown

1. Introduction & Group Formation (3 minutes)

• Objective: Understand the importance of respectful behavior.
• Steps:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • Explain the objectives of the activity and why respect is important in every interaction.
  • Divide the class into small groups. Each group should assign roles such as actors, director, and note-taker.

2. Skit Creation and Rehearsal (5 minutes)

• Objective: Create skits that demonstrate different types of interactions.
• Steps:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • Each group will create two skits: one that shows respectful behavior and another that shows disrespectful behavior.
  • Use the Skit Creation Guide for ideas on structure and content.
  • Encourage creativity while ensuring that the key differences in interactions are clearly shown.

3. Performance & Discussion (7 minutes)

• Objective: Compare and contrast respectful and disrespectful actions through performance and discussion.
• Steps:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • Each group performs both skits for the class.
  • After each performance, use the Post-Skit Reflection Chat to discuss the differences between respectful and disrespectful behaviors.
  • Ask reflective questions and encourage all students to share their thoughts.

Follow-Up Questions for Discussion

1. What specific actions made the respectful skit successful?
2. How did the disrespectful skit make you feel, and why?
3. What could be changed in the disrespectful skit to make it more respectful?
4. How can these lessons be applied in your daily interactions at school and home?

Enjoy acting and remember, respect is not just something you show during class, but in every interaction you have!

Post-Skit Reflection Chat

After each performance, the class will come together to discuss the skits that were presented. This reflection aims to help students think deeply about the differences between respectful and disrespectful behaviors, and consider how they can apply these ideas in their everyday interactions.

Discussion Questions

1. What specific actions made the respectful skit successful?
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. How did the disrespectful skit make you feel, and why?
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. What changes could be made in the disrespectful skit to make it more respectful?
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. How can you apply these lessons in your daily interactions at school and at home?
   
   
   
   
   
   

Guidelines for the Discussion

• Listen carefully: Before you share your thoughts, listen to what others have said.
• Respect each opinion: Even if you disagree, remember that every opinion is valuable.
• Be honest: Share your genuine feelings and ideas about what you observed.
• Ask questions: If you're not sure about something, ask for clarification.

Let's work together to better understand how our actions affect others, and to build a community of respect in our classroom and beyond.

Respect and Disrespect Skits

Below is a detailed, word-for-word script that you can use during your lesson. This script includes two skits: one that demonstrates respectful behavior and one that shows disrespectful behavior. Use this as a guide to help your students visualize the differences between the two and then create their own versions in small groups.

Introduction

"Good morning, everyone! Today we are going to learn about respect and how our actions affect others through acting and role-playing. We are going to see two short skits – one that shows what respectful behavior looks like, and one that shows what disrespectful behavior looks like. I will perform these skits with some help, and then you will work in small groups to create your own versions."

"Remember, being respectful means listening, using kind words, and treating everyone fairly. Disrespect can make people feel bad, and it is important to understand why it is never acceptable."

Skit 1: Respectful Interaction (Approximately 2 minutes)

Teacher Script for Respectful Interaction:

"In this skit, we will show what a respectful interaction looks like. Imagine that two friends, Alex and Jamie, are talking about a class project."

Teacher acts as Alex and calls on a volunteer for Jamie, or you can act out both parts if needed.

Alex (Teacher): "Hi Jamie, I really like your ideas for our project. Do you think we could add your suggestions into our plan?"

Jamie (Volunteer or Teacher): "Thank you, Alex! I would love to. I think we can also listen to everyone else’s ideas so that our project is even better."

Alex (Teacher): "Absolutely, Jamie. I appreciate your creativity and teamwork. Let's make sure everyone gets a turn to share their ideas."

(Pause and smile to the class.)

"Notice how Alex and Jamie listened to each other, used polite words, and thanked one another? That's respectful behavior because it makes everyone feel valued."

Skit 2: Disrespectful Interaction (Approximately 2 minutes)

Teacher Script for Disrespectful Interaction:

"Now, let's see an example of disrespectful behavior. In this skit, imagine that the same friends, Alex and Jamie, are discussing the class project, but things go wrong."

Teacher acts as Alex again and selects a volunteer as Jamie, or act both parts yourself if needed.

Alex (Teacher): "Jamie, your ideas are not very good. I already know how our project should be done, so I don’t think your suggestions matter."

Jamie (Volunteer or Teacher, with a sad tone): "Oh... okay, I guess I won't say anything then."

Alex (Teacher): "Right, because I don’t have time to listen to ideas that aren't as smart as mine."

(Pause and look at the class seriously.)

"In this skit, observe how dismissive and hurtful Alex's words are. This type of behavior makes Jamie feel unimportant and doesn't encourage teamwork or creativity."

Reflection and Transition to Student Activity

"Now that you have seen examples of both respectful and disrespectful interactions, let's think about the differences. What made the first skit feel supportive and kind? And how did the second skit make you feel?"

Pause and prompt for a few responses from the class.

"In your small groups, you will now create your own skits. One skit should demonstrate respectful behavior, and the other one should show what disrespect might look like, followed by ideas on how to change that behavior into respect. Use the Skit Creation Guide to help you structure your skits, and remember the questions in the Post-Skit Reflection Chat for discussion afterward.

"Let's get into our groups and start brainstorming. I'm excited to see your creative ideas and how you make a difference by acting with respect!"