Session 1 Script

Welcome and Icebreaker (5 minutes)

Teacher (smiling and energetic):
“Hey there! Welcome to Session 1 of Solve It Together for 8th grade. I’m [Your Name]. Today we’re going to sharpen our skills at spotting how people feel—online and in real life—and use four clear steps to tackle tricky social situations. Sound good?”

Teacher:
“Let’s warm up with Emotion Charades. I have cards from the Session 1 Emotion Charades Activity with feelings like embarrassed, anxious, and sarcastic. Draw a card, act it out—no words—and I’ll guess. Then we’ll talk about what clues we saw, including how someone might ‘act’ these online with emojis or punctuation.”

(2–3 rounds.)

Teacher (after charades):
“Nice work! What signals—like a shrug, a tight smile, or an emoji—told you the feeling? How might a text tone or a single emoji give away someone’s mood?”

Introduce Problem-Solving Steps (7 minutes)

Teacher (opens Session 1 Slide Deck):
“Now, our road map: the 4 Steps to Problem Solving.

1. Identify the Problem
2. Brainstorm Solutions
3. Choose the Best Solution
4. Act & Reflect

Let’s dive in.”

Slide: Identify the Problem
Teacher:
“Imagine you’re in a group chat for the science project and none of your peers answer your questions. What’s the problem?”
Student Response
Teacher (prompting):
“Right—it’s ‘My messages are being ignored in the group chat.’ Who’s involved? Where’s it happening?”

Slide: Brainstorm Solutions
Teacher:
“Now, list every idea—no filter. You could send a polite reminder, DM a teammate, ask the teacher for help, or set up a quick in-person check-in. What’s one idea?”
Student Response
Teacher:
“Great—what’s another, even if it seems out there?”

Slide: Choose the Best Solution
Teacher:
“Which option is respectful, safe, and likely to work? Why?”
Student Response
Teacher:
“How does that choice address the real issue and consider everyone’s feelings?”

Slide: Act & Reflect
Teacher:
“Finally, act on your choice, then pause: Did it solve the problem? What would you tweak next time?”

Slide: Example Scenario
Teacher:
“Let’s do a quick walkthrough. Scenario: Your friend tags you in a TikTok that you find embarrassing.

1. Identify: What’s the problem?
2. Brainstorm: What ideas come to mind?
3. Choose: Which feels best?
4. Act & Reflect: How will you know if it worked?”

(Guide student step by step.)

Worksheet Activity: Identifying Complex Problems (8 minutes)

Teacher:
“Next, grab your Session 1 Identifying Problems Worksheet. I’ll read four updated scenarios aloud; underline the main problem in each.”

Teacher (reading Scenario 1):
“‘Your friend posts a photo of you on social media with a teasing caption, and you weren’t asked for permission.’ Underline the core problem.”
Student works
Teacher:
“Show me what you underlined. Why?”
Teacher (using Session 1 Perspective Taking Rubric):
“How might your friend feel? Does that change how you see the problem?”

(Repeat for Scenarios 2–4.)

Interactive Game: What Would You Do? (7 minutes)

Teacher:
“Time for What Would You Do? Draw a card from the Session 1 What Would You Do? Game container and read it aloud.”

Teacher (reads a card):
“‘A classmate is pressuring you to share a photo you’re not comfortable posting.’ What would you do?”
Student Response
Teacher (follow-up):
“Which problem-solving steps did you use? Why that choice? How might that person feel afterward?”
Teacher (using Session 1 Discussion Prompts):
“If you were in their shoes, what would you hope someone would do?”

(Play 3–4 rounds.)

Wrap-Up and Reflection (3 minutes)

Teacher:
“Excellent work today! We:

• Practiced reading subtle cues—online and offline
• Learned the 4 structured steps
• Underlined problems and applied perspective taking
• Played through real peer-pressure scenarios

What’s one big takeaway you’ll remember?”
Student Response
Teacher:
“Perfect. This week, notice when someone seems upset—online or in person—and try our steps: identify, brainstorm, choose, and reflect. Next session, we’ll build on empathy and tackle more digital dilemmas.”

Teacher (smiling):
“Thanks for your focus and ideas today. See you in Session 2!”

Session 1 Identifying Problems Worksheet (8th Grade)

Instructions: Read each scenario and underline the main problem in the sentence below.

1. You and your history project group have different ideas for the final presentation, and several members aren’t replying to messages in the group chat. Underline the main problem.

1. Your friend posts a Snapchat story showing a private message you sent, without asking you first. Underline the main problem.

1. During class, a classmate shares a meme about you in the group chat, and you feel embarrassed and excluded. Underline the main problem.

1. You notice your project partner tagged only themselves on your joint assignment when sharing it online. Underline the main problem.

1. A peer invites you to an online gaming session but then blocks you in chat without explanation. Underline the main problem.

Session 1 Discussion Prompts

Use these questions during activities—especially the Session 1 What Would You Do? Game—to help students explore others’ perspectives and deepen empathy:

• After hearing a scenario, ask: How do you think the other person feels?
  
  
  
• What might be going through their mind right now?
  
  
  
• If you were in their shoes, how would you feel?
  
  
  
• What is one kind thing you could say or do to help them?
  
  
  
• What do you think is causing them to feel this way?
  
  
  
• How might your idea affect how they feel?
  
  
  
• Can you think of another way to look at this situation?
  
  
  
• Why is it important to consider someone else’s perspective before acting?
  
  
  
• What could happen if we don’t think about how others feel?
  
  
  

Feel free to revisit these prompts throughout the session to guide reflection and encourage thoughtful discussion about perspective taking.

Session 1 Emotion Charades Activity

Objective:
Help the student recognize and label nuanced emotions by acting them out and observing nonverbal cues.

Materials:

• Printed emotion cards (cut into individual prompts)
• A container or small bag to hold the cards

Setup:

1. Print and cut out the emotion prompt cards provided below.
2. Fold each card and place them in a container or bag.
3. Arrange chairs or clear a small space where the student can stand and move safely.

Instructions:

1. Explain the rules:
   • The student draws one card without showing it and acts out the emotion using facial expressions and body language—no words allowed.
   • The teacher watches and guesses which emotion is being portrayed.
   • After guessing, discuss the clues (e.g., facial expression, posture, gestures) that led to the answer.
2. Take turns for 2–3 rounds, so the teacher can also act out emotions and the student can guess.
3. After each round, ask questions to deepen understanding:
   • “What facial expression did you notice?”
   • “How did the person’s posture or movements convey the feeling?”
   • “What subtle cues helped you identify this emotion?”
4. Emphasize that recognizing nuanced emotions helps us respond thoughtfully in social situations—both online and in person.

Emotion Prompt Cards:

• Embarrassed
• Anxious
• Sarcastic
• Relieved
• Jealous
• Overwhelmed
• Disappointed
• Hopeful
• Curious
• Frustrated

Note: Use these cards at the start of the session to warm up and set the stage for exploring perspective taking and problem solving.

Session 1 What Would You Do? Game

Objective:
Practice problem-solving steps, perspective taking, and choosing expected behaviors in real-life and online social situations.

Materials:

• Printed scenario cards (cut into individual cards)
• A container or box to hold cards
• Session 1 Discussion Prompts

Setup:

1. Print and cut out the scenario cards below.
2. Shuffle them and place them in a container.
3. Student and teacher sit facing each other with the container between them.

Instructions:

1. The student draws one scenario card and reads it aloud (or teacher reads it if preferred).
2. Ask: “What would you do in this situation?” Encourage them to reference the four problem-solving steps.
3. Probe with discussion prompts: “Why did you pick that option?” “How might the other person feel?”
4. Reflect on how the choice follows the problem-solving steps and expected behaviors (safe, respectful, helpful).
5. Return the card to the bottom of the pile and repeat for 3–4 rounds.

Scenario Cards:

• Your science fair group chat derails into memes, and no one replies to your project proposal.
• A friend tags you in an unflattering Instagram Story without asking first.
• During lunch, classmates whisper about you when you walk by the table.
• A teammate in your online gaming group uses insulting language toward you in chat.
• You discover your name was removed from the shared Google Slides credit list.
• A classmate pressures you in DMs to share a private password in exchange for social points.
• Someone posts a screenshot of your private text conversation in the school forum.
• Your lab partner schedules an after-school meet-up at a place you’re not comfortable going.
• In PE, the team skips selecting you when picking players for volleyball.
• A peer offers to keep your secret only if you complete a dare that makes you uncomfortable.

All set—no changes were made to the Session 1 Perspective Taking Rubric; it remains ready for 8th-grade use.

Let me know if you’d like me to generate a compiled student worksheet or anything else for Session 1!