Personal Space - 2
Foundational
Lesson Plan
Goal: In social and classroom settings, the student will respect another’s personal space without being asked to do so, in 8 out 10 trials, as measured by a teacher assessment tool.
Objectives:
1. Define personal space in your own words.
2. Maintain personal space when interacting with peers or adults.
3. Ask and receive permission prior to touching (such as hugging) peers or adults.
Standards: Click on the appropriate link below to view Language Arts standards included in this lesson.
Definitions of Key Terms: Personal space means maintaining an appropriate distance from your communication partner. It means not getting too close to someone you are talking with or completing an activity with. It also means that you ask someone for their permission and receive it before you hug or touch them.
Questions:
- What does it mean to respect someone else’s personal space?
- What is the distance that we should maintain between ourselves and a communication partner?
- 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 he/she invaded your space?
- What should we say to someone who is standing too close?
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: Circumstances
Use a hula-hoop (or taped off section of the floor) to demonstrate the distance individuals should maintain when conversing with each other. Have two students stand inside the hoop together and ask them how they feel. Then, ask one student to remain inside the hoop while the other stands outside. Ask them how they feel now that there is more distance between them.
- Hula-hoop or tape to mask off a section of the floor
- Chart paper or interactive board
Make a list of the situations when it is important to respect the personal space of others.
Ask students to think of how they would describe or define personal space to someone else. Record their answers on the board or chart paper.
Activity 2: Personal Story
Review the key points from Activity 1 with the students. Ask students to think of a time when they felt their personal space compromised or not respected. Did they ever have someone hug them or touch them without asking and gaining their permission first? Discuss how they felt and if they said anything to the person.
- Student Activity Sheet A - 1 per student
- Pencil for each student
- Chart paper or interactive board
Discuss the ways you can respond to someone when they are not respecting your personal space. Record answers on the board or chart paper.
Allow students time to complete Student Activity Sheet A. Discuss their answers when finished.
Student Activity Sheet A
Directions: Write or tell a story about a time when someone didn’t respect your personal body space and describe how it felt.
Activity 3: Comic Strip Worksheet
Review the key points from Activities 1 and 2 with the students. Discuss the ways you can remember to maintain personal space.
- Student Activity Sheet B - 1 per student
- Pencil for each student
Allow students time to complete Student Activity Sheet B. Discuss their answers when finished.
Student Activity Sheet B
Directions: Study the comic strips below. Circle the answers that show characters respecting each other’s personal space.
Lesson Extension: Listening Comprehension and Grammar Review
Explain that a script is a form of written dialogue between characters in a movie, play, or broadcast. Students should listen carefully as the teacher plays the example scripts from the immersive reader. Replay the script if needed. Allow students time to answer the questions on Student Activity Sheet C.
- Student Activity Sheet C - 1 per student
- Pencil for each student
- Student Activity Sheet D - 1 per student
- Red and purple colored pencil or pen
After students have finished, discuss the listening comprehension questions together.
After completing the listening comprehension portion of this activity, provide students a copy of Student Activity Sheet D. Point out to students the features of script text that indicate which character is talking. Remind students that this is a dialogue between characters.
Allow students time to complete Student Activity Sheet D.
Display the script using the immersive reader and highlight the nouns in the script. Students should self-check their work to determine if they correctly named nouns. Repeat the process for verbs.
If time allows students may partner together and role play the script.
Example script demonstrating two people using strategies to achieve appropriate personal space:
Silas: Hi, Darren. How are you?
Darren: I’m fine. I just got a new video game.
Silas: Would you like to play it together?
Darren: Sure. (Darren sits down next to Silas)
Silas: Darren could you please move over? You are sitting 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'm fine. I just got a new video game.
Silas: Get off me!
Darren: What are you talking about?
Silas: You are always leaning on me! Get away from me!
Read Aloud Recommendations: Completing a read aloud with students is a great way for them to see and learn social skills as well as incorporating reading skills. Read and discuss as appropriate for level and as time allows throughout the lesson.
Use current classroom literature that demonstrates personal space.
Student Activity Sheet C
Directions: Think about the script read/played for the class and complete the questions below.
Student Activity Sheet D
Directions: In the scripts below, circle in purple two nouns that name a person and one noun that names a place. Circle in red two verbs.
Remember:
A noun names a person, place, thing, or idea.
A verb names describe an action, a state, or an occurrence.
Example script of demonstrating active listening appropriately:
Silas: Hi, Darren. How are you?
Darren: I'm fine. I just got a new video game.
Silas: Would you like to play it together?
Darren: Sure. (Darren sits down next to Silas)
Silas: Darren could you please move over? You are sitting too close to me.
Darren: Of course I can.
Example script of not demonstrating active listening appropriately:
Silas: Hi, Darren. How are you?
Darren: I'm fine. I just got a new video game.
Silas: Get off me!
Darren: What are you talking about?
Silas: You are always leaning on me! Get away from me!
Application Activity
Review and discuss example scripts from the lesson extension.
In small groups, have the students create scripts demonstrating using and not using strategies to achieve appropriate personal space. Use the script sheet to create students' scripts.
- Script sheet for each group
- Pencil for each student
Have students record their scripts using SiLAS software for social skills. Remind the students to name and save their work. 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.
Topic Checkout
Review the key points from previous activities and discussions with the students. Allow students to complete the Student Topic Checkout. Discuss their answers when all have finished.
- Student Topic Checkout - 1 per student
- A pencil for each student
Student Topic Checkout
Directions: Answer the following questions.
- What is personal space?
- What distance should we maintain between ourselves and a communication partner?
- What does it mean when you invade someone’s personal space or body bubble?
- How do you think people feel when you don’t respect their personal space?