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Squad Goals: Social Skills

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Lesson Plan

Squad Goals: Social Skills

Students will identify and practice key social skills like active listening, clear communication, and empathy to foster positive relationships.

Strong social skills are crucial for personal well-being, academic success, and future career readiness, helping students build meaningful connections and navigate conflicts constructively.

Audience

8th Grade Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, paired activities, and reflection.

Materials

Whiteboard or Projector, Markers/Pens, Social Skills Warm-Up, Social Skills Slide Deck, and Social Skills Discussion Guide

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: Social Scenarios

5 minutes

  • Distribute or project the Social Skills Warm-Up.
    - Instruct students to individually respond to the prompts.
    - Briefly discuss a few student responses as a class to gauge prior knowledge and set the stage for the lesson.

Step 2

Introduction to Social Skills

7 minutes

Step 3

Pair Share: Skill Practice

10 minutes

  • Divide students into pairs.
    - Assign each pair one social skill (active listening, clear communication, or empathy) to practice using a brief scenario.
    - Encourage students to create a short role-play or discuss how they would apply the skill in a real-life situation.
    - Circulate to provide guidance and feedback.

Step 4

Class Discussion & Wrap-Up

8 minutes

  • Bring the class back together for a brief discussion.
    - Ask pairs to share their insights or a key takeaway from their practice.
    - Use the Social Skills Slide Deck to summarize the main points and reinforce the importance of continuous social skill development.
    - Conclude with an encouraging remark about applying these skills in their daily lives.
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Slide Deck

Squad Goals: Social Skills

Building awesome connections!

Welcome students and introduce the day's topic: social skills. Ask them what they think 'social skills' means and why they might be important.

Warm-Up: Social Scenarios

Think about how you navigate different social situations.

Introduce the warm-up activity. Explain that they will think about different social situations.

Skill 1: Active Listening

• Paying full attention when someone is speaking
• Not interrupting
• Showing you understand (nodding, eye contact)
• Asking clarifying questions

Introduce the first key social skill: active listening. Explain what it means and why it's important. Ask students for examples of good active listening.

Skill 2: Clear Communication

• Saying what you mean directly and respectfully
• Using "I" statements
• Considering your tone of voice and body language
• Avoiding assumptions

Introduce the second key social skill: clear communication. Explain how important it is to express thoughts and feelings effectively. Ask for examples of clear vs. unclear communication.

Skill 3: Empathy

• Understanding and sharing the feelings of another
• Putting yourself in someone else's shoes
• Responding with kindness and support
• Recognizing different perspectives

Introduce the third key social skill: empathy. Define empathy and discuss why it's vital for getting along with others. Ask students how showing empathy helps in relationships.

Practice Time: Pair Share

• Work with a partner
• Choose one social skill: Active Listening, Clear Communication, or Empathy
• Discuss how you would use this skill in a specific situation
• Be ready to share your insights!

Explain the pair activity. Encourage students to practice one of the skills they just learned.

Keep Practicing!

• Social skills are like muscles – the more you use them, the stronger they get!
• Practice active listening, clear communication, and empathy every day.
• These skills will help you build amazing friendships and navigate life's challenges.

Wrap up the lesson by reinforcing the importance of these skills and encouraging students to apply them daily.

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Warm Up

Social Skills Warm-Up

Instructions: Read each scenario and write down how you would respond or what you would do.

Scenario 1:

Your friend is telling you about a problem they're having at home, but you're really excited about something that happened to you today. How do you make sure your friend feels heard?





Scenario 2:

Someone in your class makes a comment that you find a little hurtful, but you're not sure if they meant it that way. How do you address it?





Scenario 3:

You and a group of friends are trying to decide what to do after school, and everyone has a different idea. How do you help the group come to a decision without anyone feeling left out?





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Discussion

Social Skills Discussion Guide

Introduction to Social Skills (following slide deck presentation)

  • What did you notice about the three skills we just talked about: active listening, clear communication, and empathy? Do they seem connected?
  • Why do you think it's important to develop these skills, not just for school, but for your life outside of school too?
  • Can anyone share a time when one of these skills really helped them in a social situation?

After Pair Share Activity

  • What was one key takeaway from your discussion or role-play with your partner?
  • Was it easier or harder than you expected to practice your assigned skill? Why?
  • How might practicing these skills regularly change your interactions with friends, family, or even people you don't know very well?
  • What's one small thing you can commit to doing this week to practice one of these social skills?
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Squad Goals: Social Skills • Lenny Learning