12 Lesson Plan 2 (Interact) Developing Understanding of Nonverbal Communication through a Kinesthetic Activity Students should be in collaborative groups for this lesson. Duration: 1 to 2 class periods Materials: Kinesthetic Activity Scenario Cards (make a copy of the scenarios on the right and cut into cards) Guiding Question: How do our physical actions communi- cate thoughts, feelings, and ideas? Learning Outcome: Through use of a kinesthetic activity, students will demonstrate the power of nonverbal commu- nication and interpret nonverbal communication. Step 1: Divide students into collaborative groups of 3 or 4. Step 2: Students pick a scenario card. Step 3: Explain the rules: ● Each group has 5 minutes to plan how they will act out the scenario. ● When acting out the scenario, there is no speaking (optional: no touching). ● Students can’t show their scenario card to other classmates. Step 4: After students “perform” the scenario, use one or more of the following questions as prompts to help students become aware of their nonverbal communication: ● What did the body language of the performers tell you about this scene? ● What else did you observe in this scene? ● How did the performers use their bodies, facial expressions, or gestures to convey meaning? ● What was the scenario? Rationale for Kinesthetic Activity Susan Griss, author of Minds in Motion: A Kinesthetic Approach to Teaching Elementary Curriculum, offers the following rationale for the use of kinesthetic activities in the classroom: By teaching through the universal language of movement, we can offer a chance for real success to children who may be caught in a spiral of academic failure. At the very least, kinesthetic teaching throws a lifeline to kinesthetic learners, who often can’t sit still and are seen as disruptive or learning disabled. Allowing these students to become leaders can strengthen the learning community of the whole class. By working together creatively—constructing a tableau (a group body sculpture) or a piece of choreography, for example—students acquire many skills they will need to be successful adults. They learn about communication and team- work, giving and taking, leading and following, taking risks, being accountable, and giving and receiving affirmation. They learn about their individual responsibility for a successful group effort, and the role the group must play in supporting the needs of individuals. This also helps build a genuine learning community, as students become invested in the process and the product. In short, people who create and perform together simply feel a stronger bond than individuals who sit in separate seats facing a teacher. 2 2 Susan Griss, “The Power of Movement in Teaching and Learning,” Education Week, March 20, 2013, https://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2013/03/19/fp_griss.html. Used with permission from the author.