Goal: To improve social-relationship skills
Objective(s): The student will be able to correctly identify another's feelings based on their body language.
Process Steps:
1. Look at the person's body actions (eyes, face, arms/hands, posture/stance, etc.)
2. Decide what the person is feeling.
Discuss
Definition: Body language is non-verbal communication using the body to communicate.
Rationale: Teacher stresses the importance of mutual gazing in "reading" facial and body expressions. (Deckert and et al, 1989 p. 23)
Where/When/Comments:
• Students generate a list of when and where to read body
language
• Discuss with students the wide variety of messages that
are sources of information about ourselves (eye contact, tone of
voice, body language, vocabulary).
• Discuss facial deceit (hidden emotions).
Set the Stage:
• Teacher introduces and demonstrates the difference in
facial and body expression for each specific emotion.
Model/Role-play with Feedback
• Have students "read" the emotions on various
pictures of faces. Discuss the various interpretations.
• Play a tape or movie without the sound and have the
students figure out what is going on based on body language.
• Have students interpret pictured gestures.
• Cut out pictures from magazines depicting different
emotions and have the students make posters.
• Have students play pantomime and "describe"
emotions/feelings or pass on information with body language.
Application with Feedback
• Homework: Instruct students to keep a log of reactions
they observe in others that give them the impression that someone
sees them differently than they thought.
• Teacher stands in front of the class for lecture or to
give directions and gives conflicting verbal messages to her body
language. See who can pick up on it.
• Students sort pictures of two or more persons into piles
indicating "friends", "enemies",
"neutral", "can't judge". Discuss what clues
each picture had that led to the placement. (Deckert and et al,
1989 p. 23)
Social Skills Curriculum Guide, 1992
Special School District of St. Louis County