Decode the Message!

Instructions: Read the message below. What do you think it means? Why might someone interpret it differently than you?

"I need that now."

Think about:

• What emotion is the speaker feeling?
• How would their tone of voice change the meaning?
• What about their body language?
• What specific information is missing that could make this message clearer?

Body Language Charades Activity Cards

Objective: To practice recognizing and conveying emotions and situations using only body language.

Instructions:

1. Work as one small group.
2. One student (the "actor") picks a card and acts out the scenario or emotion written on it without speaking.
3. The other student(s) in the group guess what the actor is trying to convey.
4. Discuss: What body language cues helped you understand the message? Were there any confusing parts?
5. Take turns so everyone gets a chance to act.

Cut-Out Cards (Print and cut along the lines)

Card 1

Emotion/Scenario: Confused
(Scratch head, shrug shoulders, furrow brow)

Card 2

Emotion/Scenario: Excited
(Jump up and down, big smile, clap hands)

Card 3

Emotion/Scenario: Frustrated
(Sigh heavily, throw hands up, scowl)

Card 4

Emotion/Scenario: Proud
(Stand tall, chest out, satisfied smile)

Card 5

Emotion/Scenario: Angry
(Cross arms, frown, clenched fists)

Card 6

Emotion/Scenario: Bored
(Yawn, lean head on hand, look around distractedly)

Card 7

Emotion/Scenario: Worried
(Pace back and forth, bite nails, furrow brow)

Card 8

Emotion/Scenario: Apologetic
(Slumped shoulders, sad face, hand gesture of regret)

Card 9

Emotion/Scenario: Disagreeing
(Shake head slowly, subtle hand wave 'no', frown)

Card 10

Emotion/Scenario: Agreeing
(Nod head, thumbs up, smile)

Say What You Mean! Communication Game

Objective: To practice using tone of voice and clear wording to convey messages accurately and understand how they can be misunderstood.

Instructions:

1. Work as one small group.
2. Take turns being the "Sender" and the "Receiver" with one student being the sender and the rest of the group acting as receivers.
3. Sender: Pick a scenario card. Read the scenario out loud to the group. Then, read the secret instruction to yourself. Your goal is to deliver the message to the receivers using the secret instruction (e.g., specific tone, body language).
4. Receiver(s): Listen carefully and observe the sender. After they deliver the message, state what you think the sender meant and how you interpreted their message.
5. Discussion (Sender & Receiver(s)):
   • Sender: Did the group understand your message as you intended?
   • Receiver(s): What cues (tone, words, body language) helped you understand? What cues were confusing?
   • How could the message have been made clearer?
6. Switch roles so everyone gets a chance to be the sender and receiver(s).

Game Cards (Print and cut along the lines)

Card 1: The Late Project

Scenario: "I finished the project."

Secret Instruction: Say it with a tired, slightly frustrated tone and slumped shoulders, implying you struggled to finish it on time.

Card 2: Help Needed

Scenario: "Can you help me with this?"

Secret Instruction: Say it with a hesitant, quiet tone and avoiding eye contact, implying you're embarrassed to ask.

Card 3: Weekend Plans

Scenario: "I'm busy this weekend."

Secret Instruction: Say it with a casual, friendly tone and a slight smile, implying you have fun plans, not that you're avoiding someone.

Card 4: Unclear Directions

Scenario: "Turn left at the big tree, then go straight."

Secret Instruction: Say it quickly and mumble slightly, with a vague hand gesture, making it difficult to understand.

Card 5: Enthusiastic Idea

Scenario: "I have an idea for the group project!"

Secret Instruction: Say it with a very excited, slightly loud tone and animated hand gestures, showing your enthusiasm.

Card 6: Expressing Annoyance

Scenario: "That's interesting."

Secret Instruction: Say it with a sarcastic, drawn-out tone and an eye-roll, implying you find it anything but interesting.

Card 7: Gentle Correction

Scenario: "Actually, I think it works differently."

Secret Instruction: Say it with a calm, polite tone and open hand gestures, showing you're offering help, not criticizing.

Card 8: Urgent Request

Scenario: "I really need to talk to you for a minute."

Secret Instruction: Say it with a slightly serious, direct tone and direct eye contact, conveying importance without being aggressive.

Card 9: Offering Support

Scenario: "I'm here if you need anything."

Secret Instruction: Say it with a warm, reassuring tone and a gentle nod, showing genuine care.

Card 10: Just Stating a Fact

Scenario: "It's raining outside."

Secret Instruction: Say it with a neutral, matter-of-fact tone and minimal body language, simply delivering information.

Teacher Script: Communicate Like a Spy!

Warm-Up: Decode the Message (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Alright everyone, welcome to our communication training! Today, you're all becoming communication spies. Your first mission is to decode a message.

Look at the message on the screen or handout: 'I need that now.'

Take a minute to quickly write down what you think it means. Then, think about why someone might interpret it differently than you. What might change its meaning?"

Teacher: "Okay, let's hear some of your thoughts. What did you write down? (Call on a few students). Interesting! As you can hear, even a simple sentence can be understood in many ways. That's what we're going to explore today – how to make sure our messages are always clear."

Introduction: What's Your Communication Superpower? (5 minutes)

Teacher: (Display Communicate Like a Spy! Slide Deck Slide 1)

"As communication spies, our mission is to decode messages others send and send our own messages clearly to avoid misunderstandings. Think of it as having a communication superpower!

(Display Communicate Like a Spy! Slide Deck Slide 2)

There are three main parts to our communication superpower, our 'Spy Toolkit':

1. Tone of Voice: This is how we say something. Is it loud, soft, happy, angry, sarcastic? The same words can mean completely different things depending on our tone.
2. Body Language: This is what our body says without using any words. Our facial expressions, hand gestures, and how we stand or sit can tell people a lot.
3. Clear Wording: This is about choosing the right words. Being specific, direct, and avoiding slang that others might not understand.

(Display Communicate Like a Spy! Slide Deck Slide 3)

Why do you think it's so important to be good at all three of these? What happens when messages get mixed up? (Allow a few student responses, guide towards confusion, frustration, conflict.) Exactly! Our goal today is to practice these skills so we can be super clear and avoid those mixed messages."

Activity: Body Language Charades (10 minutes)

Teacher: (Display Communicate Like a Spy! Slide Deck Slide 4)

"Alright, agents, for our first training exercise, we're going to focus on body language! We're playing 'Body Language Charades.'

We'll work together as one group. When it's your turn to be the 'actor,' pick a card and act out the emotion or scenario using only your body – no talking at all! The rest of the group will guess what you're trying to communicate.

After each person acts, let's take a moment to discuss: What body language cues helped us understand the message? Were there any parts that were confusing? Remember to pay close attention to facial expressions, gestures, and posture.

You have 10 minutes for this mission. Let's begin!"

(Facilitate the activity, observing and providing positive feedback. Remind students to switch roles.)

Game: Say What You Mean! (15 minutes)

Teacher: (Display Communicate Like a Spy! Slide Deck Slide 5)

"Excellent work with body language, spies! Now, let's add tone of voice and clear wording to our training. We're going to play 'Say What You Mean!'

We'll continue to work as one group. We'll take turns being the 'Sender' and the 'Receiver(s).'

Sender: You'll pick a card. Read the scenario out loud to the group. Then, read the secret instruction to yourself. Your mission is to deliver the message to the group, following that secret instruction (for example, 'say it with a tired tone' or 'use animated hand gestures').

Receiver(s): Listen and observe carefully. After the sender delivers their message, tell them what you think they meant and how you interpreted their message. What emotions did you pick up? What did their body language tell you?

Then, as a group, let's discuss: Did the group understand the message as the sender intended? What cues helped or confused the message? How could it have been clearer?

Let's try an example. If my scenario is 'I finished the project,' and my secret instruction is 'Say it with a tired, frustrated tone and slumped shoulders,' I wouldn't just say the words normally. I'd say, 'I finished the project,' (with a sigh and slumped shoulders).

(Model an example, perhaps with a student volunteer or by having students identify the difference in meaning.)

You have 15 minutes for this game. Remember to switch roles so everyone gets a turn. Your mission is to understand how tone and words work together, and how they can sometimes clash!"

(Circulate, listen to discussions, and offer guidance. Prompt students to elaborate on why a message was misunderstood.)

Discussion: Real-Life Spy Missions (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Great job with those communication challenges, everyone!

Let's reflect: Can anyone share an example from the game or activity where the tone or body language really changed the meaning of the words? Or a time in your own life when a misunderstanding happened because of unclear communication?

(Facilitate discussion, focusing on active listening and asking clarifying questions.)

What can we do when we're the receiver and we're confused? (Guide towards asking for clarification, 'Can you say that again?' 'Did you mean...?') And what if we're the sender and we realize our message wasn't clear? (Guide towards politely correcting, 'What I meant was...'). It's okay to ask for clarification or to rephrase. That's what good communication spies do!"

Cool-Down: Communication Confidence Check (5 minutes)

Teacher: (Display Communicate Like a Spy! Slide Deck Slide 6)

"Alright, super spies, your final mission for today is a quick 'Communication Confidence Check.' I'm handing out a Communication Confidence Cool-Down sheet.

On this sheet, I want you to write down two things:

1. One communication skill you feel more confident using after today's lesson.
2. One communication challenge you still face or want to work on.

This helps me understand what resonated with you and what we can keep practicing. When you're done, please turn it in as you leave.

Remember, becoming a great communicator is like training to be a spy – it takes practice and observation. Keep using your 'Spy Toolkit' – tone, body language, and clear wording – in all your interactions. Mission accomplished for today!"

Communication Confidence Check

Instructions: Please answer the following questions honestly to help me understand your progress.

1. One Communication Skill I Feel More Confident Using:
   (After today's lesson, what is one communication skill (tone, body language, clear wording) you feel more confident about using or recognizing?)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. One Communication Challenge I Still Face:
   (What is one aspect of communication that you still find challenging, or that you want to continue working on?)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Thank you, Communication Spy!

Body Language Charades Activity Cards

Objective: To practice recognizing and conveying emotions and situations using only body language.

Instructions:

1. Work as one small group.
2. One student (the "actor") picks a card and acts out the scenario or emotion written on it without speaking.
3. The other student(s) in the group guess what the actor is trying to convey.
4. Discuss: What body language cues helped you understand the message? Were there any confusing parts?
5. Take turns so everyone gets a chance to act.

Cut-Out Cards (Print and cut along the lines)

Card 1

Emotion/Scenario: Confused
(Scratch head, shrug shoulders, furrow brow)

Card 2

Emotion/Scenario: Excited
(Jump up and down, big smile, clap hands)

Card 3

Emotion/Scenario: Frustrated
(Sigh heavily, throw hands up, scowl)

Card 4

Emotion/Scenario: Proud
(Stand tall, chest out, satisfied smile)

Card 5

Emotion/Scenario: Angry
(Cross arms, frown, clenched fists)

Card 6

Emotion/Scenario: Bored
(Yawn, lean head on hand, look around distractedly)

Card 7

Emotion/Scenario: Worried
(Pace back and forth, bite nails, furrow brow)

Card 8

Emotion/Scenario: Apologetic
(Slumped shoulders, sad face, hand gesture of regret)

Card 9

Emotion/Scenario: Disagreeing
(Shake head slowly, subtle hand wave 'no', frown)

Card 10

Emotion/Scenario: Agreeing
(Nod head, thumbs up, smile)