Social Awareness – Grade 6 – Lesson 2
Objectives:
- Identify Emotions Linked to Inappropriate Actions: Students will recognize specific emotions that may lead individuals to exhibit rude and inappropriate behaviors.
- Explore Social Etiquette Rules through Counter Examples: Students will investigate scenarios of bad manners in various contexts and understand the importance of distinguishing between manners and etiquette.
Introduction:
In this lesson, we examine common examples of bad manners and explore the emotions that may drive individuals to behave rudely and inconsiderately. It is essential to differentiate between manners and etiquette while discussing these topics, as it can influence adolescents’ behavior in social situations.
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Activity 1: How Rude!
Prompt Discussion:
Begin by asking students about the last time they felt anger due to someone’s rude behavior. Challenge them to define the word “rude” within small groups and discuss why people may act rudely. Share a few groups’ responses with the class.
Understand the Role of Emotions:
Help students understand that people’s behavior is often influenced by their emotions. Distribute the handout “How Rude!,” which contains common situations and examples of rude behaviors. Have students generate a list of emotions that may cause rude behavior.
Students may tend to attribute bad behavior to inherent qualities of the individuals who were rude, such as labeling them as “jerks” or “annoying.” It is crucial to help students distinguish between a person’s inherent qualities and their actions or behaviors.
Class Discussion:
Lead a class discussion on the emotions that might lead to rude behaviors, using the list generated previously and any additional ideas from students. Encourage multiple interpretations for each answer and explore various reasons behind each behavior.
Small Group Activity:
Divide students into groups, assigning each group one situation from the handout. Have them discuss and complete the activity, providing reasons to support their answers. Each group will share their responses and engage in a class discussion to compare different opinions and vote on the most plausible answer.
Highlight that there are some emotions that cause rude behaviors, but there are other emotions that can result in rude behavior.
Complete the first exercise as a class, asking students what would cause someone to do this, and why? Encourage more than one answer and more than one interpretation for each answer. For example:
- “It could be anger, because the bus driver was rude first.”
- “It’s attitude, because they had a bad day at school.”
- “I think it’s because they want to be at the center of attention, and that’s vanity.”
Have students work within their groups to complete the remainder of the activity. Ensure students offer reasons to back up their answers.
Closing:
Discuss Good Manners:
Reflect on the lesson and discuss how good manners relate to controlling negative emotions. Help students realize that exhibiting good manners involves managing emotions positively.
Recognize the Common Element:
Identify the common element in all the identified bad behaviors: a lack of respect for others. Emphasize the importance of treating others with respect and consideration in social interactions.
Identify the Second Key:
Guide students to discover the second key to having good manners, which is showing respect for others. By controlling negative emotions and treating others with respect, individuals can navigate social etiquette and foster positive interactions.
Lesson adapted from:
Social and Emotional Learning in Middle School: Essential Lessons for Student Success: Engaging Lessons, Strategies, and Tips That Help Students … Navigate Middle School and Focus on Academics