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What's Their Vibe?

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Lesson Plan

What's Their Vibe?

Students will be able to identify and interpret common nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, body language, and gestures to understand others' feelings and intentions.

Understanding nonverbal cues is essential for effective communication, building strong relationships, and navigating social situations. This lesson will empower students to be more empathetic and socially aware.

Audience

3rd Grade Students

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, visual examples, and a fun game to practice decoding nonverbal signals.

Materials

Whiteboard or projector, Nonverbal Clues Slide Show, Markers or pens, Emotion Charades Game Cards, and Body Language Match-Up Worksheet

Prep

Prepare Materials

15 minutes

Step 1

Introduction: What's Your Vibe?

5 minutes

  • Begin by asking students: "What does it mean to have a 'vibe'? What kind of 'vibe' do you give off when you're excited?"
    - Introduce the concept of nonverbal communication – how we communicate without words.
    - Explain that today, they'll become 'vibe detectives' to understand how people show their feelings without speaking.

Step 2

Exploring Nonverbal Clues

15 minutes

  • Present the Nonverbal Clues Slide Show.
    - Go through each slide, discussing facial expressions, body language, and gestures.
    - Ask students to demonstrate different expressions or poses and guess what feelings they convey.
    - Discuss examples from their own experiences or observations.

Step 3

Emotion Charades Game

15 minutes

  • Introduce the Emotion Charades Game.
    - Divide students into small groups or play as a whole class.
    - Have students act out emotions from the game cards using only nonverbal cues, while others guess.
    - Emphasize observing closely and guessing based on the 'vibe'.

Step 4

Body Language Match-Up

7 minutes

  • Distribute the Body Language Match-Up Worksheet.
    - Instruct students to match the nonverbal cues with the emotions or messages they convey.
    - Circulate to provide support and clarification.

Step 5

Wrap-up: Vibe Check!

3 minutes

  • Briefly review the key nonverbal cues discussed.
    - Ask students how understanding nonverbal cues can help them in school and with friends.
    - Encourage them to be mindful of their own nonverbal signals and those of others.
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Slide Deck

What's Your Vibe?

How do we communicate without saying a word?

Today, we become Vibe Detectives!

Welcome students and introduce the idea of communicating without words. Ask them to think about how they show feelings without speaking.

Faces Tell a Story

Your face can show:

  • Happiness 😊
  • Sadness 😔
  • Anger 😠
  • Surprise 😮
  • Confusion puzzled

What other feelings can your face show?

Explain that facial expressions are a big part of showing feelings. Ask students to show different emotions with their faces.

Body Language Speaks Loudly

Your body can show:

  • Excitement (jumping up and down)
  • Nervousness (fidgeting, looking down)
  • Confidence (standing tall)
  • Boredom (slouching)

How does your body show when you're ready to learn?

Discuss how our bodies can express feelings. Have students stand up and show a 'happy' body, then a 'tired' body.

Gestures: Hand Signals

Gestures are movements we make with our hands or arms.

They can mean:

  • "Hello!" 👋
  • "Goodbye!"
  • "Yes!" 👍
  • "No!" 👎
  • "Quiet!" 🤫

What gestures do you use?

Talk about gestures and what they mean. Ask students to demonstrate a 'come here' gesture or a 'stop' gesture.

Putting it All Together

Facial expressions, body language, and gestures all work together!

They help us:

  • Understand how others are feeling.
  • Show our own feelings.
  • Make friends and work with others!

Review all three types of nonverbal cues and emphasize how they work together to send a 'vibe'.

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Activity

Emotion Charades Game

Objective: To practice recognizing and demonstrating emotions using only nonverbal cues.

Materials:

  • Emotion Charades Game Cards (see below)

Instructions:

  1. Divide the class into small groups, or play as a whole class.
  2. One student from a group (or the teacher) picks an emotion card without showing it to others.
  3. The student then acts out the emotion using only their body language, facial expressions, and gestures – no talking or sounds allowed!
  4. The other students try to guess the emotion being acted out.
  5. The first student to correctly guess the emotion earns a point for their team (if playing in teams), or gets to be the next actor.
  6. Continue playing until all cards have been used or time runs out.

Emotion Charades Game Cards:
(Cut these out to create individual cards)

Happy

Sad

Angry

Surprised

Scared

Confused

Excited

Bored

Proud

Shy

Silly

Frustrated

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Worksheet

Body Language Match-Up

Instructions: Draw a line to match each nonverbal cue with the feeling or message it usually shows.

Nonverbal Cue

  1. Smiling broadly
  2. Frowning
  3. Crossing arms
  4. Standing tall with shoulders back
  5. Slouching shoulders, looking down
  6. Waving hello
  7. Biting fingernails
  8. Rolling eyes
  9. Nodding head up and down
  10. Shaking head side to side





























Feeling or Message

A. Sadness or Disappointment
B. Greeting
C. Confidence or Pride
D. Disagreement or "No"
E. Happiness or Joy
F. Annoyance or Disbelief
G. Nervousness or Worry
H. Agreement or "Yes"
I. Feeling closed off or defensive
J. Tiredness or Lack of Interest

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