Personal Space - 3

Continued Growth

Lesson Plan

Goal: Within social and educational (classroom, virtual learning, etc.) settings, the student will respect the other person’s personal space, in 8 out 10 observable opportunities, as measured by a teacher assessment tool.

Objectives:
1. Maintain an arm’s length distance between you and another person.
2. Ask and receive permission prior to hugging or touching a peer or adult.

Definitions of Key Terms: Personal space means maintaining an appropriate distance from people sharing the same common space with you or during a conversation. The general rule is to keep an arm’s length distance between you and another person.

Discussion Points:

  • What does it mean to respect someone else’s personal space?
  • Is the same distance between people the same for everyone?
  • What should we say to someone who is standing too close?
  • How do you feel when someone invades your personal space?

Discuss with students what it means to maintain personal space. Review the discussion point questions.


Possible activities to review the discussion points or use your own:

Think. Pair. Share: The teacher will pose questions related to the discussion points. Explain to students that the purpose of the activity is to think about the question and activate prior knowledge. The teacher will model the procedure to facilitate student understanding.

  • T (Think): Teacher begins by asking a specific question using the discussion topics.
  • P (Pair): Each student should be paired with another student, small group or work with a teacher. Pairs write brief answers on sticky notes or scrap paper.
  • S (Share): Students share their thinking with their partner. Teacher then leads a whole-group conversation using students’ answers.

SEL Categories Activity:

  • Ask students to create a list of words associated with the topic (give them 2-5 minutes to complete).
  • Once time is up, ask each student to share a word or thought from their list.
  • Other students must cross that word or thought off their list.
  • Continue the process until all words or thoughts have been listed.

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: Why is Personal Space Important?

Demonstrate with students appropriate and inappropriate personal space. You can use a hula hoop placed on the floor or ground or you can use tape to mark off a space on the floor or ground. Ask for two volunteers to stand within the marked area. Ask each how they feel.

Materials Needed:
  • Sticky notes or index cards
  • Chart paper or interactive board

Record their answers on the board or chart paper. Then instruct them to step outside the marked area. Ask them how they feel now. Record their answers on the board or chart paper.

Ask students to think about why personal space is important. Each student should write their response on a sticky note or index card. Instruct students to add their sticky note or index card to the board or chart paper when they are finished writing.

Review and discuss the various student responses.

Activity 2: Personal Story

Review the key points from Activity 1 with the students.

Share a personal story about a time when someone did not respect your personal space. Be sure to describe how you felt and what strategies you used to let the other person know you were not comfortable with how close they were.

Materials Needed:
  • Student Activity Sheet A - 1 per student
  • Pencil for each student

Discuss with students how they can be respectful of the personal space of others. Discuss strategies they can use when they want to share a hug with a friend or someone they know really well.

Allow students time to complete Student Activity Sheet A. Discuss their answers when all students have finished.

Student Activity Sheet A

Directions: Answer the question below.

How might others feel when their personal space is invaded? Describe a situation when someone did not respect your personal space. Be sure to describe how you felt.

Application Activity

Script Prompt: Develop a script and create an animation that includes two characters in a setting related to the problem. Use the script prompt provided below or create your own and include:

Materials Needed:

The dialogue between the characters must include:

  • Demonstrating a situation with characters respecting personal space.
  • Demonstrating a situation with one of the characters not respecting the personal space of the other.

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.


Methods for completing this activity include (choose one or a few, depending on your students’ levels and abilities):


Script Writing Practice: Teacher-led discussion of script creation. As a group, write both an appropriate and inappropriate version of the script. In small groups or individually, have the students independently create scripts that demonstrate the script prompt. Use the script sheet to create students' scripts.


Independent Script Recording: Pair students together to complete two scripts using the same script prompt detailed above. Direct each student to take turns being character one and character two.


Animation Creation: Have students record their scripts using the SiLAS software. Remind students to name and save their work. Premiere the movies with the group members at the end of each session.


Lesson Extension: Incorporate ELA standards by discussing both spoken and written grammar rules (dialogue punctuation, correct verb tense, sentence structure, character, setting, problem, solution). Consider using both the final animation and written script as an ELA grade/assignment.

Topic Checkout

Review the key points from Activities 1 and 2 with the students. Allow students time to complete the Student Topic Checkout. Discuss their answers when all students have finished.

Materials Needed:
  • Student Topic Checkout - 1 per student
  • A pencil for each student

Student Topic Checkout

Directions: Complete the following questions.

1. Do you always maintain an appropriate amount of personal space around others?

2. What cues do others give you that help you to know if you are standing too close or too far away from those sharing space with you?

3. How can you ask for permission to share a hug with a friend?

4. What is a good distance to remember when trying to respect the personal space of others?