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Can You Decode Me?

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Lesson Plan

Decoding Messages Blueprint

Students will decode hidden messages using verbal and nonverbal cues and practice clear communication through puzzles, charades, and reflection.

Clear communication and active listening are vital relationship skills that help students collaborate, resolve conflicts, and build trust. This lesson empowers 8th graders to understand both spoken and nonverbal signals, strengthening empathy and teamwork.

Audience

8th Grade Students

Time

50 minutes

Approach

Interactive puzzles, role-play, and guided discussion.

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up Puzzle

5 minutes

  • Distribute one index card and marker to each student
  • Display a simple coded message on Secret Signal Slides
  • Students work individually or in pairs to decode and share their solution

Step 2

Decode Hidden Messages

15 minutes

  • Advance through three progressively challenging slides in Secret Signal Slides
  • In pairs, students decode each hidden message and record their interpretations on index cards
  • Rotate pairs after each message to share strategies and compare answers

Step 3

Emoji Charades Challenge

15 minutes

  • Shuffle and place Emoji Charades Challenge cards face down
  • One student draws a card and uses only nonverbal cues to act out the emoji/message
  • Classmates guess the emotion or phrase, then discuss which gestures were most helpful

Step 4

Nonverbal Cues Corner

10 minutes

  • Lead a discussion using prompts from Nonverbal Cues Corner
  • Ask: What nonverbal signals stood out? How did they influence your understanding?
  • Encourage students to share examples of congruent vs. conflicting verbal and nonverbal messages

Step 5

Wrap-Up and Reflection

5 minutes

  • Provide sticky notes for students to write one key takeaway about communication skills
  • Invite volunteers to post and briefly explain their reflections
  • Summarize: clear verbal cues + supportive nonverbal signals = effective communication
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Slide Deck

Can You Decode Me?

• Unlock hidden messages
• Practice clear verbal & nonverbal cues
• Build teamwork & empathy

Welcome everyone! Introduce today’s interactive decoding lesson. Emphasize that we’ll explore both written codes and nonverbal signals to strengthen communication skills.

Today's Objectives

  1. Decode three secret messages using patterns and clues
  2. Identify clear verbal and nonverbal signals
  3. Reflect on how these skills improve teamwork

Read through each objective, ensuring students understand why decoding and communication matter for relationships and collaboration.

Challenge 1: Caesar Cipher

Encoded Text:

“Khoor Zruog!”

Clue: Shift each letter back by 3

This first puzzle uses a simple letter shift (Caesar cipher). Ask students to note the shift and decode within 2–3 minutes.

Challenge 2: Symbol Substitution

Each symbol stands for a letter.

▲■●▼ ▲▼●■■ ●■▲●

Clue: ▲=H, ■=E, ●=L, ▼=O

Show solution (“Hello World!”) after students share. Transition into a substitution code for challenge 2.

Challenge 3: Visual Code

Observe the sequence of emojis and gestures:

👁️ ➡️ 👍 🤚 ✋ 👀

What phrase do these nonverbal cues convey?

Reveal “HELLO HELLO.” Then introduce a visual/nonverbal puzzle on next slide.

Transition

Great decoding! Next up: Emoji Charades Challenge.

• One acts out an emoji or emotion
• Class decodes nonverbal signals

Guide students to suggest “I see you” or “I like what I see” and discuss how gestures support meaning.

Reflection Prompt

• Which decoding strategy worked best?
• How did nonverbal cues help or hinder understanding?
• Write one key takeaway on a sticky note

Prompt reflective thinking before moving to group discussion activity.

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Activity

Emoji Charades Challenge

In this activity, students practice decoding nonverbal cues by acting out an emoji or emotion without using words.

Materials:

  • 10 Emoji Cards (listed below)
  • Open space for acting

Emoji Cards:

  1. 😄 (Happy)
  2. 😢 (Sad)
  3. 😠 (Angry)
  4. 😱 (Surprised)
  5. 😍 (In Love)
  6. 🙏 (Thankful)
  7. 😴 (Sleepy)
  8. 😜 (Silly)
  9. 😎 (Cool)
  10. 😇 (Innocent)

Instructions:

  1. Shuffle the 10 Emoji Cards and place them face down in a stack.
  2. Students sit or stand in a circle. One student draws the top card without showing it to the group.
  3. That student uses only facial expressions, gestures, and body language—no words or sounds—to act out the emoji/emotion for the class.
  4. Classmates call out guesses. The first correct guesser takes the next turn.
  5. After each round, briefly discuss:
    • Which nonverbal cues (facial expressions, gestures, posture) helped you guess?
    • Were any cues confusing or misleading?

Debrief Questions:

  • How did focusing on body language change your understanding of the emotion?
  • Which gestures or expressions felt most natural or effective?
  • How can tuning into nonverbal signals improve everyday communication?



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Discussion

Nonverbal Cues Corner

Purpose: Reflect on how body language, facial expressions, and gestures influence the meaning of messages and build stronger connections.

Discussion Prompts:

  1. Which nonverbal signals (facial expressions, posture, gestures) stood out during the charades? Why?



  1. How did these cues help or hinder your understanding of the emotion or message?






  1. Think of a time when someone’s words and body language didn’t match. How did that affect what you believed or felt?



  1. What nonverbal cues can you use to show active listening and respect when someone else is speaking?






Extension Activity (Optional):

  • In pairs, role-play one scenario twice: first with mismatched verbal and nonverbal signals, then with them in alignment. Notice how the clarity of the message changes.

Reflection:
Write one specific nonverbal habit you will practice this week to improve your communication (e.g., maintaining eye contact, open posture, nodding).












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