Personal Space - 1
Lesson Plan
Goal: In both social and classroom settings, the student will respect others' personal space by keeping a teacher/student set distance in 8 out of 10 observable opportunities, as measured by a teacher assessment tool.
Objectives:
1. Maintain personal space or social distancing from peers and adults.
2. Ask and receive permission prior to hugging or touching peers and adults.
Standards: Click on the appropriate link below to view Language Arts standards included in this lesson.
Definition of Key Terms: The circle around your body that no one should enter or stand in without your permission is your personal space. This is also known as your body bubble. You should respect others’ personal space and others should do the same for you.
Discussion Points:
- What is personal space or your body bubble?
- What does it mean to respect someone else’s personal space?
- What is the distance that we should maintain between ourselves and a friend?
- Why is it important to stay outside of someone’s body bubble?
- How would you feel if someone did not respect your body bubble and they stood too close to you?
- What should we say to someone who is standing too close?
Discuss these points or your own with students. Review the discussion points with the students. The teacher may want to share their own examples of when their personal space was not respected.
- The group should form a circle. Ask a question and allow students to toss a bean bag to those who would like to answer the question.
- Play tic-tac-toe by dividing the group into teams. Write discussion questions on a post-it note and place them on the tic-tac-toe grid. Allow a representative from the team to select a post-it note and as a team develop an answer to the question. If they get it right they may put their team's marker (x or o) on the grid.
Possible activities to review the discussion points:
Directions for In-Person or Virtual Learning: You have three options for students to complete this lesson.
- Option 1: Print the Student Activity Sheet for each student. Complete the lesson as a group and assign the activity sheet to the students.
- Option 2: Click the Student link to access the activity sheet electronically and post to your Learning Management System (if your school has one) or send the link to the student. The student may complete the activity sheet electronically within the classroom on a shared computer or device.
- Option 3: Click the Student link to access the activity sheet electronically and send the link to the student. The student may access the link from a home computer, chromebook, iPad or other device.
Activity 1: Circumstances
Use a hula-hoop (or taped off floor space) to demonstrate the distance that individuals should maintain when conversing with each other. Have two children stand inside the hoop together and ask them how they feel. Then, ask one child to remain in the hoop while the other stands outside. Ask them how they feel now that there is more distance between them.
- Hula-hoop or tape for the floor
- Chart paper or Interactive Board
Make a list of the circumstances when it is important to respect the personal space of others. Record answers from students on chart paper or the board. Also discuss any situations in which you may need to get closer (into someone’s personal space) and how you should do so in a positive manner. Ideas could include when you need to share a secret or tell someone about something you do not want others to hear.
Examples could include (or make your own): When speaking with a teacher, asking a friend to sit with you at lunch, or talking to the school secretary.
Activity 2: Comic Strip Worksheet
Review the key points from Activity 1. Ask students to complete Student Activity Sheet A. Discuss as a group when all have finished.
- Student Activity Sheet A
- Pencil for each student
Student Activity Sheet A
Directions: Study the comic strips below. Circle the answers that show that the characters respect each other’s personal space.
Lesson Extension: Listening Comprehension
Explain that a script is a form of dialogue writing between characters in a movie, play, or broadcast. Utilizing the immersive reader students should listen carefully as the teacher plays the example scripts below. Replay the script if needed. Allow students time to answer the questions on Student Activity Sheet B.
- Student Activity Sheet B - 1 per student
- Pencil for each student
After students have finished and if time allows, ask students to partner together to role play the script.
Example script demonstrating two people using strategies to achieve appropriate personal space:
Silas: Hi, Darren. How are you?
Darren: I am fine. I just got a new video game.
Silas: Would you like to play it together?
Darren: Sure.
Silas: Darren could you please move over? You are sitting too close to me.
Darren: Of course I can.
Read Aloud Recommendations: Completing a read aloud with students is a great way to connect text with lesson content while incorporating reading and language practice. Below are suggested titles including, a YouTube link, Lexile and Grade Level information for books relating to the lesson.
| Book Title | Author | Grade Level | Lexile Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Space Invader | Christianne Jones | Pre K-2 | BR650L |
| My Very Own Space | Pippa Goodhart | Pre K-1 | AD360L |
Student Activity Sheet B
Directions: Draw a comic to match the script you listened to.
Application Activity
In small groups, have the students create scripts demonstrating maintaining personal space appropriately and inappropriately. Use the script sheet to create students' scripts.
- Script sheet for each group
- Pencil for each student
Have students record their scripts using the SiLAS software. Remind students to name and save their recordings. Premiere the movies with the group members at the end of each session.
Script Extensions:
Click the following hyperlinks to have students choose their Characters, Background and Props prior to writing scripts. For examples of script writing accommodations, click Here.
Ideas for modifying this activity based on your students’ needs:
- create a script as a class
- pair or group students so that skill levels are varied and assign each a role or task that uses their skill
- create the script by recording the dialog with a phone or other recording device.
Example script demonstrating two people using strategies to achieve appropriate personal space:
Silas: Hi, Darren. How are you?
Darren: I am fine. I just got a new video game.
Silas: Would you like to play it together?
Darren: Sure.
Silas: Darren could you please move over? You are siting too close to me.
Darren: Of course I can.
Example script demonstrating two people not using strategies to achieve appropriate personal space:
Silas: Hi, Darren. How are you?
Darren: I am fine. I just got a new video game.
Silas: Get off me!
Darren: What are you talking about?
Silas: Get off me! You are always leaning on me!
Topic Checkout
Review key points from the previous activities with students. Ask students to complete the Student Topic Checkout.
After all students have finished, discuss the answers.
- Student Topic Checkout - 1 per student
- A pencil for each student
Student Topic Checkout
Complete the following questions.
1. What is personal space?
2. What is a body bubble?
3. Is it okay to stand so close to people that you are touching them?
4. Do you like it when your friends stand too close?