Starting a Convo
Today is the last day of May. What could you say to start a conversation?
Do you have any plans for June/Summer?
Only one more month of school!
What JTerm are you doing?
What is one NONVERBAL way that you can show you are listening during a conversation?
Nod your head
Use a gesture
Making eye contact
Today is field day and you forgot your backpack at home. Your backpack has your sunscreen, a hat and your water bottle in it. What are 2 things you could do to solve this problem?
Call home
Ask to borrow sunscreen
Get cup for water
A friend gives you a birthday present- a candy bar that you hate. Why did they do this?
They were trying to be nice. Maybe giving you something that they liked. They didn't know you don't like this.
If you fail a test you studied hard for, how might you be feeling?
What might you be thinking?
Frustrated. Confused.
What did I do wrong?
It is Friday. Yesterday was the music field trip. What could you say to a student in your class?
Did you go on the music trip?
How was the trip?
How did you do at the competition?
Was 6th flags fun?
What is one VERBAL way you can keep a conversation going?
Ask a question.
Make an on-topic comment.
Share something related.
You are in Social Studies and there is not enough clay for everyone to make their own cuneiform. What could you say to the person sitting next to you who does have clay?
Do you want to work together?
Can I use that when you're done?
You brought starbursts to school today. Someone next to your locker sees them. They say to you, your shoes are so nice! What do they want?
You are playing a game during advisory. You know all the correct answers so you keep shouting them out. How do others feel? What are they thinking?
Annoyed.
Can I have a turn?!
Start a conversation with someone in this group based on a shared event (e.g., look at the calendar)
Answers vary.
You are with a group of students at lunch and they are talking about the science project. What could you say to keep the conversation going?
What planet did you research?
Are you done with your slide?
When do you present?
In science, the teacher asks you if you want to present your project. You don't like talking in front of large groups, but your partner wants to present. What could you do?
I could practice the presentation ahead of time.
We could present to a smaller group.
When you get a 98 on your math quiz, the person next to you says, Wow- you should have studied harder! What do they mean?
They are being sarcastic. They think you did great.
You keep saying random words while the teacher is talking. How does the teacher feel? How do the students feel?
What are they thinking?
Frustrated. Annoyed.
Frustrated. Distracted.
Why won't he stop talking?
Start a conversation with someone in this group based on a shared event (e.g., look at the calendar)
Answers Vary.
You are in homeroom and the kids you are sitting near are talking about a new movie that is coming out this weekend. What could you say to keep the conversation going?
What movie is it?
What is it about?
Are you going to see it?
When putting together your science project, everyone has a different idea for the background images and colors. What 2 things could you do?
Try to agree on 1 color that everyone likes.
Let everyone do their own background.
You are playing Jeopardy and the person sitting next to you is whispering an answer to you. What 2 reasons could they be doing this?
To help you.
To sabotage you!
You talk for a long time about your sibling who no one else in the group knows. You share their favorite color, their favorite animal, their favorite food... How is the group feeling? What are they thinking?
Bored. Uninterested. Confused.
Why are they talking about this?
I'm not interested in their sibling.
Start a conversation with someone in this group based on something that you know about them
Answers vary
Keep this conversation going: I saw on the news that we are going to have a really hot summer.
I plan to do a lot of swimming!
Do you have any trips planned?
Do you like the heat?
What will the temperatures be?
You get up from your seat at the lunch table to go to the bathroom. When you get back, someone is sitting in your seat. There are no more open seats at the table. What could you do?
Tell them your were sitting there.
Find another friend and sit someone where.
Ask a friend to sit somewhere else with you.
Stand/share a seat.
You left your pencil on your desk right before lunch. Your teacher stops you and says, "Don't forget your pen!"
You say: "It's a pencil."
What was the teachers intention?
What did your response show?
That you were focused on a detail that wasn't important.
You want to talk to the group about summer plans, but another kid keeps changing the topic to something that's not related. How are you feeling? What are you thinking? What could you say?
Frustrated.
I wish they would stop changing the subject!
Wait- I wanted to hear about your summer plans first!