Activity: Silent Charades (Silent Charades)

Objective:

• Help students practice reading and responding to nonverbal noise-level cues in an engaging, kinesthetic way.

Materials:

• Quiet Cue Visuals cards (printed or on teacher’s tablet)
• Noise Meter Tracker worksheet & pencils
• Optional props (e.g., small hats or scarves) to indicate the “Actor” role

Setup:

1. Arrange students in pairs with a clear space between desks or on the carpet.
2. Give each pair a set of Quiet Cue Visuals cards laid face up in the center.
3. Distribute a Noise Meter Tracker worksheet and pencil to each student.

Roles:

• Actor: silently acts out a noise level or transition behavior.
• Guesser: selects the matching visual cue card and holds it up; records the noise level on their tracker.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Teacher Demo (2 minutes):
   • Model a sample round: act out “Whisper” by cupping your hand and speaking quietly (without voice) and show responding student how to pick the Whisper card.
   • Record together on the tracker (e.g., “Level 1 – Whisper”).
2. Student Rounds (5–7 minutes):
   • Students take turns within pairs, switching actor/guesser roles each round.
   • The actor reviews the five signals in their head then silently demonstrates one:
     • Silent (Level 0)
     • Whisper (Level 1)
     • Partner Talk (Level 2)
     • Group Talk (Level 3)
     • Transition (quiet movement)
   • The guesser picks the matching card and, once confirmed by the actor nod or thumbs-up, records that level on their Noise Meter Tracker.
3. Speed Variation (optional):
   • After one full cycle, challenge pairs to see how many correct rounds they can complete in 2 minutes.

Reflection Questions (2–3 minutes):

• What signal was easiest to guess? Why?
• Which one was hardest? How did you know what it was?
• How will using these signals help our class during transitions?

Extension (if time allows):

• Have two pairs face off: one pair acts out while the other pair guesses, then swap. Keep score of correct matches!

Noise Meter Tracker

Name: ____________________________



Date: ____________________________

Instructions: After each round of Silent Charades, write down the signal you saw, its level number, and give yourself a quick self-check by circling the face that matches how well you responded.

Notes or Drawings:

Warm-Up: Volume Check-In

Time: 3 minutes

Objective: Students will use silent thumbs-up/thumbs-down signals to self-monitor and identify appropriate classroom voice levels.

Instructions:

1. Introduce the Signal (30 seconds):
   • Say: “Today we'll use thumbs-up when our voice is just right (quiet enough) and thumbs-down when it's too loud.”
2. Model the Signal (30 seconds):
   • Read a sentence in a whisper. Ask: “Thumbs-up if that voice was quiet enough for our classroom?”
   • Then read the same sentence loudly. Ask: “Thumbs-down if that was too loud?”
3. Scenario Practice (1 minute):
   • Read each scenario aloud. After each, students silently show thumbs-up or thumbs-down.
     • Reading a book quietly
     • Working with a partner on a worksheet
     • Walking in the hallway
     • Playing with blocks at carpet time
     • Sharing at show-and-tell
4. Reflection (1 minute):
   • Ask: “Which scenarios got thumbs-down? How can we make our voices quieter in those moments?”

Script Prompts:

• “Show me thumbs-up if you think your voice should be a whisper right now.”
• “Give me thumbs-down if that voice was too loud for our classroom.”