Wait to Talk - 3
Continued Growth
Lesson Plan
Goal: During a conversation with one person or a group, the student will wait to speak until an appropriate break in the conversation, in 8 out of 10 observable opportunities, as measured by a teacher assessment tool.
Objectives:
1. Identify polite opportunities to interject a comment or question during a conversation (such as a pause, when asked for a response, etc.).
2. Identify and use teacher/student agreed upon verbal or physical prompts to use in a conversation (such as a nod, thumbs up, raise a hand, etc.).
3. Use a rehearsed phrase to add to a conversation (such as “Excuse me,” “May I add something?” “I would like to share…”)
Standards: Click on the appropriate link below to view Language Arts standards included in this lesson.
Definitions of Key Terms: Waiting until others finish speaking to share your thoughts or ask questions is an important skill to learn. When you speak over someone or interrupt by asking questions, it is considered rude.
Discussion Points:
When you wait to speak, you:
- Allow someone to finish their thought.
- Decrease the likelihood of causing a misunderstanding.
- Prevent others from becoming angry or frustrated with you.
- Increase the likelihood others will listen to what you are saying.
Questions:
- Are there times when it is okay to interrupt someone while they are talking?
- What makes waiting to speak difficult?
Discuss with students what it means to wait to talk. Review the discussion points and 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: Finding A Better Way...
Ask the students to share a time when they were with someone who didn’t wait to talk. Discuss how that made them feel.
- Chart paper or interactive board
- Student Activity Sheet A - 1 per person
- Pencil for each student
Ask the students to share their ideas on strategies to use when they want to join in a conversation or add to one that they are already participating in. Record answers on the board or chart paper.
Allow students time to complete Student Activity Sheet A. Ask for volunteers to share their answers when all students have finished.
Save for use in Activity 3.
Student Activity Sheet A
Directions: Answer the question below.
Activity 2: Tell Me About It!
Review the key points from Activity 1 with the students.
Share a personal story about a time when you as a teacher were interrupted. How did it make you feel? How did you handle the situation?
- Chart paper or interactive board
- Student Activity Sheet B - 1 per person
Discuss situations when it might be appropriate to interrupt. Record those ideas on the board or chart paper.
Discuss situations when it is not appropriate and can be hurtful or harmful to interrupt. Record those situations on the board or chart paper.
Save for use in Activity 3.
Ask students to complete Student Activity Sheet B. Discuss their answers on when all students have finished.
Student Activity Sheet B
Directions: Answer the question below.
Activity 3: Role Play
Review the key points from Activities 1 and 2 with the students.
- Lists from Activities 1 and 2
Display and review the lists from Activities 1 and 2. Pair students together and instruct each pair to role play a situation from the list using strategies listed.
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:
- Chart paper or interactive board
- Script sheet and pencil or word processor for each group
The dialogue between the characters must include:
- Appropriate ways to share something that cannot wait until the other person has finished talking.
- Inappropriate ways to share something that cannot wait until the other person has finished talking.
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 the previous activities with the students. Allow students time to complete the Student Topic Checkout. Discuss their answers when all students have finished.
- Student Topic Checkout - 1 per student
- A pencil for each student
Student Topic Checkout
Directions: Complete the following questions.