• Display a slide with a few images of people showing clear emotions through facial expressions and body language (without words).
  * Ask students: "What do you think these people are feeling? How can you tell?"
  * Facilitate a brief discussion, encouraging students to point out specific visual cues. (e.g., "Her eyebrows are raised, so she might be surprised!")

• Introduce the term "nonverbal social cues" using the Slide Deck: What Are They Saying Without a Word?.
  * Explain that these are messages we send without speaking, using our bodies, faces, and even the space around us.
  * Discuss key concepts: Body Language, Facial Expressions, and Active Observation.
  * Provide examples and ask students to demonstrate simple nonverbal cues (e.g., nodding for agreement, shrugging for uncertainty).

• Explain the Emotion Charades Cards activity.
  * Divide students into small groups.
  * Distribute the Emotion Charades Cards to each group.
  * Instruct one student from each group to pick a card and silently act out the emotion using only nonverbal cues while their group guesses.
  * Circulate and provide support, prompting students to think about how different body parts contribute to conveying an emotion.

• Bring the class back together.
  * Ask each group to share one nonverbal cue they observed or acted out and what it might mean.
  * Reiterate the importance of actively observing others' nonverbal cues to understand and respond thoughtfully.
  * Summarize the main takeaway: Our bodies and faces are always

What Are They Saying Without a Word?
Teacher: "Good morning, everyone! Today, we're going to become detectives of feelings! How many of you have ever felt really happy, or maybe a little frustrated, without even saying a word? Give me a nod if you have!"

Allow students to respond with a nod or other nonverbal affirmation.

Teacher: "Awesome! Our faces and bodies are always telling a story, even when our mouths aren't. Today, we're going to learn about these 'silent messages' called nonverbal social cues. These are clues our bodies give off that tell others how we might be feeling or what we might be thinking."

## Connect: Guess the Feeling! (3 minutes)
Teacher: "Alright, detectives, look at the screen!"

Display the first slide with images of people showing emotions.

Teacher: "Take a good look at these pictures. What do you think these people are feeling? And more importantly, how can you tell? What parts of their faces or bodies are giving you clues?"

Allow students to share observations. Encourage them to use descriptive words and point out specific features like eyebrows, mouth, posture, or hand gestures.

Teacher: "Excellent observations! You're already natural nonverbal cue readers! Let's dive deeper."

## Introduce Concept: Nonverbal Cues (5 minutes)
Teacher: "So, as you noticed, we don't always need words to understand someone. Our bodies and faces do a lot of the talking. Let's look at some key types of nonverbal cues."

Advance to slides introducing Body Language and Facial Expressions.

Teacher: "First, we have Body Language. This is all about what your body is doing. Think about how someone stands, sits, or moves their arms. If someone has their arms crossed and is frowning, what might they be feeling?"

Wait for student responses (e.g., mad, upset, closed off).

Teacher: "Exactly! Now, what about Facial Expressions? Our faces are super expressive! Our eyebrows, eyes, and mouth can change in so many ways to show happiness, sadness, surprise, or even confusion. Can you all make a 'confused' face for me?"

Give students a moment to make confused faces.

Teacher: "Great confused faces, everyone! And finally, a really important skill for reading these cues is Active Observation. This means really paying attention to what you see. It's like being a super-sleuth, noticing all the little details."

Advance to slide for Active Observation.

Teacher: "Let's try a quick one. If I'm tapping my foot quickly and looking around a lot, but I say 'I'm perfectly calm,' which message would you believe? The words or my body?"

_Expect students to say

Materials Needed:

• Smartboard or Projector
• Slide Deck: What Are They Saying Without a Word?
• Emotion Charades Cards

Preparation:

• Review Slide Deck and Script: 5 minutes
  • Review the Slide Deck: What Are They Saying Without a Word? to familiarize yourself with the content.
  • Read through the Script For What Are They Saying Without a Word? to prepare your talking points and student interactions.
• Print and Cut Charades Cards: 5 minutes
  • Print and cut out the Emotion Charades Cards.
• Set Up Technology: 2 minutes
  • Ensure the projector or smartboard is set up and working.

Lesson Instructions:

Connect: Guess the Feeling! (3 minutes)

• Display the first slide of the Slide Deck: What Are They Saying Without a Word? with a few images of people showing clear emotions through facial expressions and body language (without words).
• Ask students: "What do you think these people are feeling? How can you tell?"
• Facilitate a brief discussion, encouraging students to point out specific visual cues. (e.g., "Her eyebrows are raised, so she might be surprised!")

Introduce Concept: Nonverbal Cues (5 minutes)

• Introduce the term "nonverbal social cues" using the Slide Deck: What Are They Saying Without a Word?.
• Explain that these are messages we send without speaking, using our bodies, faces, and even the space around us.
• Discuss key concepts: Body Language, Facial Expressions, and Active Observation.
• Provide examples and ask students to demonstrate simple nonverbal cues (e.g., nodding for agreement, shrugging for uncertainty).

Guided Practice: Emotion Charades (5 minutes)

• Explain the Emotion Charades Cards activity.
• Divide students into small groups.
• Distribute the Emotion Charades Cards to each group.
• Instruct one student from each group to pick a card and silently act out the emotion using only nonverbal cues while their group guesses.
• Circulate and provide support, prompting students to think about how different body parts contribute to conveying an emotion.

Share Out: What Did We Learn? (2 minutes)

• Bring the class back together.
• Ask each group to share one nonverbal cue they observed or acted out and what it might mean.
• Reiterate the importance of actively observing others' nonverbal cues to understand and respond thoughtfully.
• Summarize the main takeaway: Our bodies and faces are always communicating, and learning to read these cues can help us be better friends and classmates!

Connect: Guess the Feeling! (3 minutes)

Display a slide with a few images of people showing clear emotions through facial expressions and body language (without words).

Ask students: "What do you think these people are feeling? How can you tell?"

Facilitate a brief discussion, encouraging students to point out specific visual cues. (e.g., "Her eyebrows are raised, so she might be surprised!")

Introduce Concept: Nonverbal Cues (5 minutes)

Introduce the term "nonverbal social cues" using the Slide Deck: What Are They Saying Without a Word?.

Explain that these are messages we send without speaking, using our bodies, faces, and even the space around us.

Discuss key concepts: Body Language, Facial Expressions, and Active Observation.

Provide examples and ask students to demonstrate simple nonverbal cues (e.g., nodding for agreement, shrugging for uncertainty).

Guided Practice: Emotion Charades (5 minutes)

Explain the Emotion Charades Cards activity.

Divide students into small groups.

Distribute the Emotion Charades Cards to each group.

Instruct one student from each group to pick a card and silently act out the emotion using only nonverbal cues while their group guesses.

Circulate and provide support, prompting students to think about how different body parts contribute to conveying an emotion.

Share Out: What Did We Learn? (2 minutes)

Bring the class back together.

Ask each group to share one nonverbal cue they observed or acted out and what it might mean.

Reiterate the importance of actively observing others' nonverbal cues to understand and respond thoughtfully.

Summarize the main takeaway: Our bodies and faces are always communicating, and learning to read these cues can help us be better friends and classmates!