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Page 1 of 11© The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation | www.RandomActsofKindness.org
QUESTIONS? CONTACT: [email protected]
Objective: Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to engage in active listening as a way to be kind.
Kindness Definition: Kindness is an intrinsic quality of the heart expressed through an act of benevolence reflecting care and good will for self and others.
Kindness Concepts: Respect, Self-Discipline
What Does Listening Mean to You? Activity, p. 3(15 minutes)
• RAK Journals
Sounds Like Activity, p. 4(15 to 20 minutes)
• Before class, record 10 to 15 sounds on your phone or computer. Make a list of the sounds that you record so that you can keep track. Record each sound twice, with a period of silence between each recording. This period of silence will give you a chance to stop the recording. The sounds can be simple like a car horn honking or more difficult like a garbage disposal. Some examples: alarm clock, computer keyboard, popcorn popping, washing machine agitating, toilet flushing, someone eating a potato chip, a telephone ringing, a pencil sharpener, a lawn mower, etc. Make sure that the sounds get more and more difficult, yet are relevant for students.
• Paper and pencil
Active Listening Role-Play and Paired Exercise Activity, pp. 5-7(30 minutes)
• Active Listening Skills sheet, cut apart before class
ACTIVE LISTENING
LESSON ACTIVITIES LESSON MATERIALS
Home Extension Activity, pp. 8-9(time varies)
• Take home activity, one sheet for each student
GRADE 7
Page 2 of 11© The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation | Active Listening, Grade 7
• The activities in this lesson focus on a central theme and connect to different curriculum areas. Lesson activities use a variety of modalities to address different learning styles and build on each other.
• Each activity includes evaluation questions to help determine how well students have internalized the lesson objective. You can discuss the questions as a class, have students work with a partner or a small group, or have students write responses in their RAK journal.
• The activities also incorporate key Kindness Concepts, which can be introduced before teaching the lesson or as the concepts are discussed in the lesson. Consider displaying the Kindness Concept Posters during the unit. See the RAK Teacher Guide for information about using Kindness Concepts to create a healthy classroom environment and help students develop pro-social behaviors.
• Each activity includes tips for how to adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of diverse learners. • RAK also has developed Focusing Strategies and Problem-Solving Strategies to help students better
regulate their emotions, think through challenging situations, and build healthy relationships, friend-ships and community. See the RAK Teacher Guide for more information about incorporating those strategies into the lesson.
• Revisiting the topics or questions raised during discussions regularly will expand student under-standing of the concepts. Scripted explanations are provided, but feel free to use language that feels natural for you.
• The home extension activity may be sent home at any point during the unit.• The Common Core and Colorado P-12 Academic Standards met in this lesson are listed after the
activity title. Key is provided on page 10.
LESSON NOTES
Teacher says: “For the next few days, we are going to talk about how we listen carefully. With a partner talk about what it means to listen actively to others.” Allow time for students to share with their partner. You can also use this time to introduce the key Kindness Concepts (respect, self-discipline) and create community definitions for these concepts or share the definitions listed below. Consider using the Kind-ness Concept Posters for respect and self-discipline as a way to reinforce learning.
SUGGESTED INTRODUCTION TO UNIT
ACTIVE LISTENING
VOCABULARY WORDS FOR UNIT
Respect: Treating yourself and others the way you want to be treated; Honoring the rights of others.Self-Discipline: Controlling one’s actions and words for the benefit of self and others.
ACTIVITY
Page 3 of 11© The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation | Active Listening, Grade 7
WHAT DOES LISTENING MEAN TO YOU? ACTIVITY (15 minutes)
1. Before class, write the following quotes and questions on the board:• “Most of the successful people I’ve known are the ones who do more listening than talking.”
– Bernard Baruch, American businessman and philanthropist• “Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you’d have preferred to talk.”
– Doug Larson, newspaper columnist• What do these quotes mean to you?• Do you think you listen to others well? Why or why not?• Describe what makes someone a good listener.• Do you think that listening can help you communicate better? Why or why not?
2. Teacher says: “We are going to be talking today about what it means to listen. Let’s start by reading the quotes out loud as a class, write your own responses to those quotes in your RAK journal, and then we will discuss as a class.”
3. Ask for a volunteer or two to read the quotes out loud. Then allow time for students to write their responses to the quotes in their RAK journal.
4. After they write, discuss the questions written on the board as a class.
• RAK Journals• Kindness Concept Posters: Respect, Self-Discipline
LESSON MATERIALS
DESCRIPTION
Discuss the following questions: “Do you notice a difference when you are listening well in school? In your friendships? In your family? How?”
EVALUATION
Common Core: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1Colorado: Comprehensive Health S.3, GLE.1, EO.a; Reading, Writing and Communicating S.1, GLE.2, EO.b
STANDARDS MET
TIPS FOR DIVERSE LEARNERSStudents might benefit from:
1. Turning and talking to a partner to answer the questions.
2. Being encouraged to draw a picture of what a good listening is like, labeling the picture de-scriptively (i.e. eyes that look at the speaker, standing still, a mind thinking about what the other person is saying, etc.)
3. Using their drawings, notes, Kindness Concept Posters, etc. as a visual aid for the journal writ-ing.
ACTIVITY
Page 4 of 11© The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation | Active Listening, Grade 7
SOUNDS LIKE ACTIVITY (15 to 20 minutes)
1. Divide the class into groups of two or three students, and hand each group a piece of paper.
2. Then explain: “I will be playing a recording of different sounds. Each sound will be repeated twice. I will play the sound once and give your group a few seconds to discuss what you think it is. I will play the sound a second time and want you to write down your group’s answer. The sounds will get more and more difficult to recognize. Write your answers in the order that you hear them. We will discuss later.”
3. Play about 1/3 of the sounds at a time and then ask the students to identify the sounds.
4. Then ask the following questions:1) Did you find it easy or difficult to recognize the sounds? Why?2) Did you get better at listening to the sounds with practice?3) How does this apply to our conversations with others? If we listen carefully, do you think we can ac-
tually become better listeners? Why or why not?
• Before class, record 10 to 15 sounds on your phone or computer. Make a list of the sounds that you record so that you can keep track. Record each sound twice, with a period of silence between each recording. This period of silence will give you a chance to stop the recording. The sounds can be simple like a car horn honking or more difficult like a garbage disposal. Some examples: alarm clock, computer keyboard, popcorn popping, washing machine agitating, toilet flushing, someone eating a potato chip, a telephone ringing, a pencil sharpener, a lawn mower, etc. Make sure that the sounds get more and more difficult yet are relevant for students.
• Paper and pencil• Kindness Concept Posters: Respect, Self-Discipline
LESSON MATERIALS
DESCRIPTION
Discuss: “What do you think it means to actively listen?”
EVALUATION
TIPS FOR DIVERSE LEARNERSStudents might benefit from:
1. Being allowed to guess and record the answers in their home language and then use a translation program to translate for accuracy. Then ask: “If you are learning a second language it can be easier to listen in your first language. What can you do to help it become easier to listen in a second language?”
2. Listening to the sounds through headphones, particularly if they have hearing or sensory processing issues.
Common Core: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1Colorado: Comprehensive Health S.3, GLE.1, EO.a; Reading, Writing and Communicating S.1, GLE.2, EO.b
STANDARDS MET
ACTIVITY
Page 5 of 11© The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation | Active Listening, Grade 7
ACTIVE LISTENING SKILLS (30 minutes)
1. Teacher says: “I want you to think about a favorite activity or hobby. Write down at least three reasons why you enjoy that activity in your RAK journal.”
2. Allow time for students to describe their favorite activity or hobby.
3. Explain: “Now we are going to do five role-plays. We will need five volunteers to share their favorite activity and five other volunteers to be listeners.” Choose five pairs of volunteers, five talkers and five listeners. Give each pair one of the five skills listed on the Active Listening Skills worksheet, but tell them not to let anyone see the piece of paper.
4. Say: “We are going to talk about five different ways we can improve our listening skills. I am going to ask for one volunteer to describe their favorite activity or hobby and the other person to model the opposite of each listening skill written on the piece of paper. The rest of the class will try to guess what skill is not being modeled.”
5. Ask for the first two volunteers to come forward. Tell one student to talk about the favorite activity they wrote about and the other student to demonstrate the opposite of the first listening skill written on the slip of paper. Then ask: “What skill do you think this listener needed?” After students identify the skill, write the skill on the board. Have those two students sit down, and ask two other volunteers to come forward. Repeat the exercise for each listening skill.
6. The skills are:• Look at the person who is speaking• Concentrate on what is being said• Respond by nodding or answering questions• Ask questions if you do not understand or need more information• Drop all other distractions or activities
7. Divide students into pairs.
8. Then say: “Now we are each going to practice these skills. Each partner should take a turn sharing a favorite activity with a partner for up to 1 minute. The listener should try to practice the five skills listed on the poster sheet. The speaker should try to summarize information, give concise details and make eye contact.”
9. Allow time for each partner to share. At one minute say “Switch!” so that each student has a turn.
• Active Listening Skills sheet (p. 7), cut apart before class
• Kindness Concept Posters: Respect, Self-Discipline
LESSON MATERIALS
DESCRIPTION
Common Core: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.4; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1 Colorado: Comprehensive Health S.3, GLE.1, EO.a; Reading, Writing and Communicating S.1, GLE.2, EO.b
STANDARDS MET
ACTIVITY
Page 6 of 11© The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation | Active Listening, Grade 7
Discuss: “From doing this activity, what did you discover you could do to listen more actively?”
EVALUATION
10. After the activity, ask the following questions:1) Were you better at listening carefully or speaking clearly?2) What did you do to be a good listener? (Asked questions. Repeated what the speaker says.
Made eye contact.)3) How did you communicate clearly? (Made eye contact. Summarized information. Gave
concise details.)4) Did the talker have to listen sometimes? Did the listener have to talk sometimes? Why is this
important?5) Did taking notes help you listen better?6) What if you had been texting or surfing the Internet when your partner was talking to you. Do
you think you would have been able to listen as carefully?7) What did you learn from your partner about how to listen carefully?
TIPS FOR DIVERSE LEARNERSStudents might benefit from:
1. Seeing the five Active Listening Skills with images from the Home Extension Activity posted.
2. Adding illustrations to the Active Listening Skills posters.
3. Having a copy of the Active Listening Skills with the illustrations translated into their home lan-guage to practice at home.
ACTIVITY
Page 7 of 11© The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation | Active Listening, Grade 7
Directions: Cut apart the listening skills before class and hand to the listener in each role-play.
Look at the person who is speaking
Concentrate on what is being said
Respond by nodding or answering questions
Ask questions if you do not understand or need more information
Drop all other distractions or activities
ACTIVE LISTENING SKILLS
ACTIVITY
Page 8 of 11© The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation | Active Listening, Grade 7
HOME EXTENSION ACTIVITY (time varies)
1. Take home activity (p. 9), one sheet for each studentMATERIALS
1. Hand out the Home Extension Activity with return date marked on the sheet.
2. Have students chose an event to attend with their parents, guardian, or a trusted adult. Examples include a lecture or speech at the local library or university, a concert, a religious event or a meeting, but feel free to find any event that is of interest.
3. Explain to students that they should practice the five active listening skills when they attend the event and should take notes to ensure that they are listening well.
4. Have students report back to the class about what they learned at the lecture, speech or a concert that they attended and whether the listening techniques made a difference.
DESCRIPTION
Page 9 of 11© The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation | Active Listening, Grade 7
BACKGROUND
As part of the Random Acts of Kindness program, we have been talking about listening actively. Here are the five active listening skills we learned:
• Look at the person who is speaking
• Concentrate on what is being said
• Respond by nodding or answering questions
• Ask questions if you do not understand or need more information
• Drop all other distractions or activity
AT HOME ACTIVITY
Chose an event to attend with your parents, a guardian, or a trusted adult. Examples include a lec-ture or speech at the local library or university, a concert, a religious event or a meeting, but feel free to find any event that is of interest. Take notes to ensure that you are listening well. You will give an oral presentation to the class about what you learned at the lecture, speech or a concert and whether the listening techniques helped you listen more effectively.
Name: __________________________________ Please return by: ___________
ACTIVE LISTENING:HOME EXTENSION ACTIVITY
Page 10 of 11© The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation | Active Listening, Grade 7
COMMON CORE STANDARDS (www.corestandards.org)
1. Writing• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
2. Speaking & Listening• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one,
in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
3. Language• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing or speaking.
COLORADO P-12 ACADEMIC STANDARDShttp://www.cde.state.co.us/standardsandinstruction/coloradostandards-academicstandards
1. Comprehensive Health• Standard 3: Emotional and Social Wellness in Health
Grade Level Expectation (GLE): 1. Demonstrate effective communication skills to express feelings appropriatelyEvidence Outcome (EO): Students can:a. Demonstrate the ability to engage in active listening
2. Reading, Writing and Communicating• Standard 1: Oral Expression and Listening
Grade Level Expectation (GLE): 2. Small and large group discussions rely on active listening and the effective contributions of all participantsEvidence Outcome (EO): Students can:b. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-
led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly
STANDARDS KEYACADEMIC SUBJECT KEY
Comprehensive Health
Reading, Writing and Communicating
Science
Mathematics
Social Studies
Visual Arts
Drama and Theatre Arts
Page 11 of 11© The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation | www.RandomActsofKindness.org
QUESTIONS? CONTACT: [email protected]
OTHER STANDARDS MET
1. 21st Century Skills (www.p21.org)• Learning and Innovation Skills
a. Critical Thinking – Reason effectively, make judgments and decisions, solve problemsb. Communicate clearly and collaborate with othersc. Creativity and Innovation – Think creatively and work creatively with others
• Life and Career Skillsa. Social and Cross-Cultural Skills – Interact effectively with othersb. Productivity and Accountability – Manage projects and produce resultsc. Responsibility – Be responsible to others
2. Social and Emotional Standards (www.casel.org)• Self-awareness• Social Awareness• Self-management
STANDARDS KEY
