Lesson Plan
Community Norms Protocol
Students will co-create and justify at least five shared norms that promote physical and emotional safety in Titan Time.
Creating a safe space is crucial for effective learning and open communication. These agreements will empower students to take ownership of their learning environment and ensure everyone feels respected and heard.
Audience
10th Grade
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Collaborative norm-setting, discussion, and reflection.
Materials
Building Safety Together Slides, Think-Pair-Share Prompts, Norms Draft and Rationale Sheet, and Exit Ticket Agreement Reflection
Prep
Review Materials
10 minutes
- Review the Building Safety Together Slides to familiarize yourself with the content and flow.
* Print enough copies of the Norms Draft and Rationale Sheet for each small group.
* Prepare the Think-Pair-Share Prompts for display or distribution.
* Print enough copies of the Exit Ticket Agreement Reflection for each student.
* Ensure you have a whiteboard or chart paper and markers for synthesizing norms.
Step 1
Warm-up: Scenario Sort
5 minutes
- Display the 'Safe/Unsafe Scenario Sort' from the Building Safety Together Slides (Slide 2).
* Ask students to consider the scenarios individually for 1 minute, deciding if each promotes a safe or unsafe feeling.
* Facilitate a brief whole-class discussion, asking students to justify their responses. Use the Think-Pair-Share Prompts as needed.
Step 2
Mini-lesson: What Safety Looks Like
5 minutes
- Transition to the 'What Safety Looks/Sounds/Feels Like' slides (Slides 3-5) from the Building Safety Together Slides.
* Define 'psychological safety' and 'norm-setting'.
* Engage students in a quick brainstorm: "What does a safe learning environment look like, sound like, and feel like?" Record key ideas on the board.
Step 3
Small Group Norm Draft
10 minutes
- Divide students into small groups (3-4 students per group).
* Distribute the Norms Draft and Rationale Sheet to each group.
* Instruct groups to draft 3-5 norms that promote physical and emotional safety, and provide a brief rationale for each. Emphasize that these should be positive statements, not prohibitions.
* Circulate and provide support, prompting groups to think about 'shared responsibility'.
Step 4
Whole-Class Synthesis & Finalization
7 minutes
- Bring the class back together.
* Have each group share their top 1-2 norms and rationales.
* As a class, synthesize the suggestions, identifying common themes and working towards finalizing at least five shared norms. Record these on chart paper or a whiteboard.
* Ensure the norms are concise, actionable, and collectively agreed upon. Facilitate a vote or consensus if necessary.
Step 5
Reflection & Agreement
3 minutes
- Once the top five norms are finalized, have students sign or initial the chart paper/whiteboard as a commitment to upholding the agreements.
* Distribute the Exit Ticket Agreement Reflection and instruct students to complete it individually before leaving class. This serves as a 'cool down' activity.
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Slide Deck
Our Safe Space Agreements
Building a respectful and supportive Titan Time together.
Welcome students to Titan Time. Briefly introduce the purpose of the lesson: to collectively create agreements that make our classroom a safe and effective learning environment for everyone.
Warm-up: Safe or Unsafe?
Read each scenario. Does it promote a safe or unsafe feeling in a classroom? Be ready to explain why.
- Scenario A: A student shares an opinion, and classmates roll their eyes.
- Scenario B: Everyone listens quietly while another student speaks, even if they disagree.
- Scenario C: A student makes a mistake, and the teacher encourages them to try again.
- Scenario D: Students are talking over each other, making it hard to hear the main speaker.
- Scenario E: A classmate offers helpful feedback on your work.
Display these scenarios. Ask students to individually consider each for a minute, thinking if it makes them feel safe or unsafe. Then, facilitate a brief discussion. Ask, "Why did you categorize certain scenarios as safe or unsafe? What does that tell us about our needs in this classroom?" Refer to the Think-Pair-Share Prompts for additional questions.
What is Psychological Safety?
It's feeling safe to be yourself, ask questions, and make mistakes without fear of judgment or embarrassment. It means:
- Feeling respected
- Feeling heard
- Feeling valued
- Feeling comfortable taking risks
Transition to discussing what safety truly means in our learning environment. Start with 'psychological safety' as a core concept.
What Does Safety Look Like?
Think about our classroom. What would you see if we had a truly safe space?
- Eye contact when someone is speaking
- Nodding in understanding
- Respectful body language
- People raising hands to speak
- Students helping each other
Encourage students to brainstorm specific examples. Prompt them with questions like: 'What does it look like when everyone feels safe to share?'
What Does Safety Sound Like?
What would you hear in a classroom where everyone feels safe?
- Calm, clear voices
- Constructive feedback
- Words of encouragement
- Questions being asked freely
- Laughter (at appropriate times)
Now, shift to the auditory aspect. 'What would you hear in a psychologically safe environment?'
What Does Safety Feel Like?
How would it feel to be in a classroom where you feel truly safe?
- Calm and focused
- Empowered to share ideas
- Comfortable making mistakes
- Trusting of classmates and teacher
- Supported and understood
Finally, focus on the emotional and internal experience. 'How would it feel to be in such a space?'
Setting Our Norms
To create this safe space, we need norms – shared agreements for how we interact. This is about shared responsibility.
- What are expectations for everyone?
- How will we treat each other?
- What actions will build our safe space?
Introduce the idea of norm-setting and its importance for 'shared responsibility.' Explain that we are moving from ideas to actions.
Small Group Work: Draft Your Norms
In your groups, you will:
- Discuss what makes a classroom safe, drawing on our brainstorm.
- Draft 3-5 positive, actionable norms for our Titan Time.
- Write a brief rationale (reason why) for each norm.
Use your Norms Draft and Rationale Sheet.
Explain the small group activity. Emphasize creating positive, actionable norms.
Sharing & Finalizing Our Agreements
Let's bring our ideas together!
- Each group will share their top 1-2 drafted norms.
- As a class, we'll discuss, combine, and refine them to create our Top Five Shared Norms.
- These will be our collective commitment!
Guide the whole-class sharing and synthesis. Write proposed norms on the board. Look for common themes to combine or refine.
Our Commitment & Reflection
Now that we have our shared norms, let's commit to upholding them.
- Sign our class agreement!
- Complete the Exit Ticket Agreement Reflection to share your thoughts.
Conclude by having students sign the finalized norms (if written on chart paper) and introduce the exit ticket.
Discussion
Think-Pair-Share Prompts: Building Our Safe Space
Use these prompts to guide your discussions and deepen your understanding of creating a safe and respectful learning environment. Remember to listen actively and share thoughtfully.
Warm-up Discussion (after Scenario Sort)
- Consider Scenario A (classmates rolling eyes). Why might this make someone feel unsafe or hesitant to share?
- What about Scenario B (everyone listening quietly)? How does this contribute to a sense of safety and respect?
- Think about a time you felt really comfortable and safe to share your ideas. What were the elements of that environment?
Mini-lesson Reflection (after "What Safety Looks/Sounds/Feels Like" discussion)
- Out of "looks like," "sounds like," and "feels like," which aspect of safety do you think is most important for our classroom? Why?
- Why is it important for everyone to contribute to creating and upholding these norms, rather than just the teacher setting rules? (Think about "shared responsibility".)
- How can we make sure that our agreements promote both physical and emotional safety? What's the difference, and why are both important?
Small Group Brainstorm (before drafting norms)
- What are some specific actions we can all take to ensure our Titan Time is a place where everyone feels respected and heard?
- How can we respond positively when someone makes a mistake or shares an idea that is different from our own?
- What kind of language or behaviors should we avoid if we want to build a truly safe and supportive community?
Worksheet
Norms Draft and Rationale Sheet
Group Members: ____________________________________________________
Instructions:
Working with your group, brainstorm and draft 3-5 norms that will help make our Titan Time a physically and emotionally safe space for everyone. For each norm, write a clear, positive statement. Then, briefly explain why this norm is important and how it contributes to our shared safety.
Norm 1:
Rationale:
Norm 2:
Rationale:
Norm 3:
Rationale:
Norm 4 (Optional):
Rationale:
Norm 5 (Optional):
Rationale:
Cool Down
Exit Ticket: Agreement Reflection
Name: _________________________
Instructions: Please reflect on today's lesson and our newly created shared norms.
-
Which of the five finalized norms do you think is the most important for ensuring a safe and respectful Titan Time? Explain why.
-
What is one thing you can do starting tomorrow to actively uphold our shared norms and contribute to a safe learning environment? (Be specific!)
-
Do you have any remaining questions or suggestions about our class norms?