Subject – Communication Skills for 6-8th grade
Fiction book:
Wonder by R.J. Palacio, Published February 14, 2012 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
This book is a story about a young boy named August who was born with facial deformities and the hardships he goes through as he is integrated into the public school system at 5th grade. There are numerous parts of this book that can be used as prompts to discuss communication skills, which is why I think this is the best selection. I also think this is the best selection because it is an extremely enjoyable read that middle schoolers will have (or should have) no problem reading.
Excerpt from Wonder:
How’s your stomach?” I said, sitting next to him on the bed.
“I’m still nauseous.”
“You sure you’re not up for the Halloween Parade?”
“Positive.”
This surprised me. Usually August was such a trouper about his medical issues, whether it was skateboarding a few days after a surgery or sipping food through a straw when his mouth was practically bolted shut. This was a kid who’s gotten more shots, taken more medicines, put up with more procedures by the age of ten than most people would have to put up with in ten lifetimes, and he was sidelined from a little nausea?
“You want to tell me what’s up?” I said, sounding a bit like Mom.
“No.”
“Is it school?”
“Yes.”
“Teachers? Schoolwork? Friends?”
He didn’t answer.
“Did someone say something?” I asked.
“People always say something,” he answered bitterly. I could tell he was close to crying.
“Tell me what happened,” I said.
And he told me what happened. He had overheard some very mean things some boys were saying about him. He didn’t care about what the other boys had said, he expected that, but he was hurt that one of the boys was his “best friend” Jack Will. I remembered his mentioning Jack a couple of times over the past few months. I remembered Mom and Dad saying he seemed like a really nice kid, saying they were glad August had already made a friend like that.
“Sometimes kids are stupid,” I said softly, holding his hand. “I’m sure he didn’t mean it.”
“Then why would he say it? He’s been pretending to be my friend all along. Tushman probably bribed him with good grades or something. I bet you he was like, hey, Jack, if you make friends with the freak, you don’t have to take any tests this year.”
“You know that’s not true. And don’t call yourself a freak.”
“Whatever. I wish I’d never gone to school in the first place.”
“But I thought you were liking it.”
“I hate it!” He was angry all of a sudden, punching his pillow.
“I hate it! I hate it! I hate it!” He was shrieking at the top of his lungs.
I didn’t say anything. I didn’t know what to say. He was hurt. He was mad.
Core Integration:
This would be integrated via reading the book and having discussions along the way. The students would be assigned to read part of the book and fill out a worksheet with prompts related to the section they were reading. These prompts would be the basis for in class discussion over what happened in the sections that were read. For example in the excerpt above we could ask students things such as: why they though August was mad? Would you feel the same way? What would you do next? Should August confront Jack? These types of questions could spur a discussion amongst students – which would be doubling down on communication skills!
Standards
NHES 1: Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.
- 8.4 Explain appropriate ways to express needs, wants, emotions, and feelings
- HBO 1. Express feelings in a healthy way
- 8.6 Summarize the benefits of talking with parents and other trusted adults about feelings
- HBO 1. Express feelings in a healthy way
- HBO 8. Establish and maintain healthy relationships
- 8.8 Describe a variety of appropriate ways to respond to stress when angry or upset
- HBO 1. Express feelings in a healthy way
- HBO 3. Prevent and manage interpersonal conflict, in healthy ways.
- HBO 4. Prevent and manage emotional stress and anxiety in healthy ways.
- HBO 8. Establish and maintain healthy relationships
- 8.21 Describe ways to manage interpersonal conflict nonviolently
- HBO 3. Prevent and manage interpersonal conflict, in healthy ways.
- 8.22 Explain why it is important to understand the perspectives of others in resolving interpersonal conflicts
- HBO 3. Prevent and manage interpersonal conflict, in healthy ways.
NHES 4: Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks.
- 8.5 Demonstrate healthy ways to manage or resolve interpersonal conflict
- 8.6 Demonstrate how to effectively ask for assistance to improve personal mental and emotional health
Nonfiction book:
Relationship Skills 101 for teens: Your Guide to Dealing with Daily Drama, Stess, and Difficult Emotions Using DBT by Sheri Can Dijk, Published on March 1, 2015 by Instant Help
This is essentially a textbook on communication skills for teenagers. The book utilizes four main techniques for teens to improve their communication skills: core mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance. It tasks the reader with actually practicing what is written in the book instead of just reading it. The book has a lot of questionnaires that get the reader to think about their own personal situation, which I think is very useful:
Core Integration:
I would integrate this book much like the fiction book was integrated. The class would read a section at a time and then would return to class to share their findings and feelings. I would assign readings for this book either before or after we read/were reading Wonder. I would do this because I think the students would be able to apply what they learned from this book to the story they will read in Wonder. It would be a great practical application of what they learned and would also serve as a stepping stone to implementing some of these methods into their own lives.
Standards:
NHES 1: Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.
- 8.4 Explain appropriate ways to express needs, wants, emotions, and feelings
- HBO 1. Express feelings in a healthy way
- HBO 2. Engage in activities that are mentally and emotionally healthy
- HBO 3. Prevent and manage interpersonal conflict, in healthy ways.
- HBO 4. Prevent and manage emotional stress and anxiety in healthy ways.
- HBO 5. Use self-control and impulse-control strategies to promote health.
- 8.6 Summarize the benefits of talking with parents and other trusted adults about feelings
- HBO 1. Express feelings in a healthy way
- HBO 2. Engage in activities that are mentally and emotionally healthy
- HBO 8. Establish and maintain healthy relationships
- 8.7 Describe healthy ways to express affection, love, friendship and concern
- HBO 1. Express feelings in a healthy way
- HBO 2. Engage in activities that are mentally and emotionally healthy
- HBO 8. Establish and maintain healthy relationships
- 8.8 Describe a variety of appropriate ways to respond to stress when angry or upset
- HBO 1. Express feelings in a healthy way
- HBO 3. Prevent and manage interpersonal conflict, in healthy ways.
- HBO 4. Prevent and manage emotional stress and anxiety in healthy ways.
- HBO 8. Establish and maintain healthy relationships
- 8.12 Describe how sharing or posting personal information electronically about self or others on social media sites (e.g., chat groups, e-mail, websites, phone and tablet apps) can negatively impact mental and emotional health
- HBO 2. Engage in activities that are mentally and emotionally healthy
- HBO 3. Prevent and manage interpersonal conflict, in healthy ways.
- HBO 7 Show tolerance and acceptance of differences in others
- 8.16 Describe pro-social behaviors that help prevent violence.
- HBO 2. Engage in activities that are mentally and emotionally healthy
- HBO 7 Show tolerance and acceptance of differences in others
- HBO 8. Establish and maintain healthy relationships
- 8.20 Describe how power and control differences in relationships can contribute to aggression and violence
- HBO 3. Prevent and manage interpersonal conflict, in healthy ways.
- HBO 5. Use self-control and impulse-control strategies to promote health.
- HBO 6 Get help for troublesome thoughts, feelings, or actions for oneself or others
- HBO 8. Establish and maintain healthy relationships
- 8.21 Describe ways to manage interpersonal conflict nonviolently
- HBO 3. Prevent and manage interpersonal conflict, in healthy ways.
- HBO 5. Use self-control and impulse-control strategies to promote health.
- HBO 7 Show tolerance and acceptance of differences in others
- 8.22 Explain why it is important to understand the perspectives of others in resolving interpersonal conflicts
- HBO 3. Prevent and manage interpersonal conflict, in healthy ways.
- HBO 7 Show tolerance and acceptance of differences in others
- 8.27 Explain how the expression of emotions or feelings can help or hurt oneself and others
- HBO 5. Use self-control and impulse-control strategies to promote health.
- HBO 6 Get help for troublesome thoughts, feelings, or actions for oneself or others
- 8.32 Explain why it is wrong to tease or bully others based on personal characteristics (such as body type, gender, appearance, mannerisms, and the way one dresses or acts)
- HBO 7 Show tolerance and acceptance of differences in others
NHES 4: Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks.
- MEH 4.8.1 Demonstrate the effective use of verbal and nonverbal communication skills to enhance mental and emotional health
- 8.2 Demonstrate how to manage personal information in electronic communications and when using social media to prevent interpersonal conflict
- 8.3 Demonstrate effective peer resistance skills to avoid or reduce mental and emotional health risks
- 8.4 Demonstrate effective negotiation skills to avoid or reduce mental and emotional health risk
- 8.5 Demonstrate healthy ways to manage or resolve interpersonal conflict
- 8.6 Demonstrate how to effectively ask for assistance to improve personal mental and emotional health
- 8.7 Demonstrate how to effectively communicate empathy and support for others.