In the unit students will investigate the current relationships in their lives and how they impact their health. Students will have the chance to observe communication styles (assertive, aggressive and submissive) and discover the difficulty and importance of listening. Students will have the chance to host their own device free dinner and be exposed the necessity of communication in planning and hosting an event. Students explore the power of conversational agreements and implement these with a parent interview. Students will reflect on their communication skills

Students understand that  effective communication adapts and develops in different situations, that everyday interactions can be improved by using effective communication strategies. 
Students are able to host a family device free dinner which includes conversation or games, are able to plan, prepare and review their communication styles through the process.
Students value ​the benefit of effective communication. 

Lesson 1

Game Introduction 

Communication Game
Three students are selected to come to the back of the room while the remaining class members sit. The seated students need a piece of paper and a pen. They are to close their eyes and draw only what their peers say. 
​With the three students selected, I have them take turns in describing the picture to the class. 
Discussion Questions​

1. Who had the easiest job describing, the 1st student or 3rd?
2. Why did the 3rd student seem to have an easier / more effective way of describing?

Listening Game
All students stand with their eyes closed holding a piece of paper. As the teacher I provide them all with the same instructions. Every time I play this I create new instructions about folding and tearing the piece of paper. At the end of the instructions the students hold their paper open and see the differing results. 
Discussion Questions 

1. What do you notice about the pieces of paper?
   
2. What might be some reasons that they are mostly different?
   
3. ​What might be some ways to develop that
   

Tapping into Understanding 

Group / Board Work
Students discuss the two games and what they tell us about communication. What assumptions can we make about communication based on our games today?
Students write 3 reasons on the board. 
In groups the students discuss and create similar categories with the content on the board. 

Individual Written Work
Students finish the lesson writing their own statement (2-3 sentences) on What you now think about communication considering the discussions and categories you formed with your group?

Lesson 2 - 3

Finding Questions / Exploring the Evidence

Effective Communication - Students brainstorm questions about effective communication. Prompts are Why? What? How? When? 

Students work individually before sharing and collating work with their table groups. Groups put their questions on the board under the relevant headings. 

Students rank the most important questions they believe need answering. This year the questions were:

1. What makes communication effective? 
2. How do we use Effective Communication? extension: How does effective communication affect us as students?
3. When do we use Effective Communication?
4. Why do we use, need or feel Effective Communication is important? 

Students need to create a poster that includes:

• the answer to the question in their own words
• a picture or diagram
• Examples
• Evidence / Support

Gallery Walk
​
Once the poster is on the wall, students walk around and read their peers answers.
Students write questions that if answered would allow for extended understanding.
They leave the post-its on the poster for the group to answer. 

Lesson 4 

Exploring the Evidence

Students start by reading the "Styles of Communication" Evidence and Kid Health Article on Communication 

Once they have completed the readings they find their groups, return to their posters and collect the post-it questions their peers provided during the Gallery Walk. 
Each Group attempts to edit their poster to answer the questions, considering the new information. 

Students complete another Gallery Walk reading the new information on the poster.

Lesson 5
Constructing a Theory / Testing the Theory

Students are provided with 1 style of communication (passive/aggressive/assertive. They are asked to create a short skit where they address a "typical" middle school problem and the participants use their allocated communication style to deal with the situation. 

Students are encouraged to research their communication style and demonstrate their understanding (formatively) in the skit. 

Students perform their skit in front of the class or a peer group, class members attempt to guess which style they are using.

​Class discussion on the accuracy and effectiveness of the style. The performing groups takes this feedback to make improvements to their work.

​Formative Assessment

Lesson 6 

Demonstrating Understanding - Skit Performance / Note Taking / Review

Introduce students to the task. 

Work with students to build an appropriate to take notes on their peers skits (the above formative template is a guide)

Students perform their skit in front of the class, the others take notes. Remind students to take into consideration the Task Specific Criteria. 

I tend after each skit to lead a group discussion to ensure all of the product requirements have been discussed. Remind students to take notes.

Provide time, once the skits are complete. To write up their draft. Draft copies should be submitted on google classroom by the end of the lesson for formative feedback.

Lesson 7

Students take their formative feedback and make improvements to their work. Summative work is due at the end of the lesson.

Lesson 8 or combine with Lesson 7

Reflecting and Acting

Students complete a reflection survey on the unit, my teaching and their conceptual, competency and character development through the unit. 

I have a page dedicated to the importance of student feedback you can find linked here. I am also working on presentation for Lincoln staff on the benefit of hearing student voice in developing our skills as teachers. 

Device Free Dinner

I removed this lesson from the plan due to a reduction in teaching hours. However, I think it is a wonderful lesson for communication, digital citizenship or advisory/pastoral care. I have left it here as an option

Students take the learning from their paragraph and apply the communication techniques to hosting their own Device Free Dinner (an organisation with all the resources you and they will need). 

​I really enjoy this activity, it address students need to communicate with family, technology etiquette and the creativity of the task. 

Teacher Warning: Give parents a heads up so they see this one coming.