COMMUNICATION
Early Forms
A cave dweller sees fire for the first time, experiments with it and finds that it hurts when touched, makes meat taste better when cooked in it and wild animals are afraid of it.
The cave dweller tries to explain what he or she has seen to a partner who has never seen fire. Grunts and gestures are allowed, but no words.
A cave dweller accidentally makes fire when rubbing two sticks together and demonstrates what was done to a friend.
Using only grunts and gestures, individuals show a variety of emotions. Class members attempt to ascertain which emotions are being represented. (Anger, fear, joy, hatred, sadness hostility, gratitude, relief etc.)
As above, but children show what their response would be in specific situations. (E.g. A savage beast is approaching the cave. How would you explain this to others? Someone has just eaten your share of the meat of a fierce animal that you killed single-handedly. What would you do? You have managed to kill a wild animal that has already taken the lives of many of your friends. How would you tell the other cave dwellers and what do you think their response would be?)
Cave dwellers attempt to drag a heavy animal back to their cave. They are unable to do so. Together they experiment with better ways of transporting the load. Discuss the validity of each group's attempt.
The chief of a tribe of cave dwellers delegates tasks. How would each job be explained, bearing in mind the fact that no words are to be used? How would a lazy cave dweller who doesn't feel like sharing the work load be treated?
General Communication
Mime
Pass simple messages to partners without speaking.
Begin with pre-determined messages and then introduce simple messages chosen by individuals.
Guess what the original message was on the basis of mimed instructions provided by a partner.
Stereotyped Speech Patterns
Speak like a Queen, monster, witch, Prime Minister, comedian etc. using only the word," Rhubarb!" Discuss how we can tell a lot about people and what they are saying by their speech patterns, voice intonations etc. Then repeat the activity substituting "rhubarb" for real words.
Situations Might Include
Politicians making speeches to an audience, with some listeners in agreement with what has been said and others in disagreement.
A comedian mistakenly addresses a gathering in place of a politician and vice versa.
Making Friends
What might we do to become acquainted with someone who is new to the class or school. Discuss the kind of thing that might be said to the newcomer to make him or her feel more at home. What kinds of questions might be asked? What kinds of body language would reinforce what is said and done?
Children imagine that they are new to a class, school, club or district. How might they introduce themselves to others?
Discuss the difficulties that might be faced by someone whose customs are different. Introduce someone from another country to your friends. Tell the visitor about local customs, places of interest.
Falling Out
Two friends have argued and won't speak to one another. How might we bring them together again?
Act out a situation in which two friends fall out. Discuss what caused each argument and how each argument might have been avoided. Act out the situation again but this time one of the pair applies tact to prevent an argument.
Three friends play together. One of them falls out with the other two. Discuss the importance of give and take where an imbalance of numbers is concerned.
Discuss situations in which no one is willing to admit that they were in the wrong and the futility of such a situation.
One of the children decides that he or she was in the wrong and makes friends with the other. One of the children realises that it was his or her friend who caused the argument, but decides to accept the blame in order to make friends again. Alternatively, the two friends decide to make friends with the one who has fallen out, being willing to make allowances for the fact that it was the other one who was in the wrong.
Telephone Conversations
Telephone a friend who is ill, having a birthday, or to say, "Thank you for sending a present."
A friendly chat on the phone ends in an almighty row.
Apologise to a friend on the telephone, after an argument.
Radio
Interpret an imaginary or real news item using newscasters, interviewers etc.
An inventor or explorer is interviewed. What facts would we need to extract from him or her and what kinds of questions might be asked in relation to those facts?
Communicate with a space capsule. Let the astronauts describe exactly what is happening and what they see. Ask them appropriate questions to focus their answers.
Describe a scene of your choice exactly to a listening audience. Describe happenings, too. Describing what people, things and places look like.
Narrate a series of incidents or events. (E.g. a Sports report.) In pairs, describe what your friend is doing. Describe someone making a cup of tea, boiling an egg etc.
Television
Chat Shows
What kinds of questions would we ask personalities in order to find out specific details about them?
Fantasy or real news items. How would newsreaders introduce the situations?
On the spot interviews with witnesses to major events.
Current affairs: Interviews with passers by in the street. What are their opinions?
Discuss good and bad points about television programmes that children have seen.
Advertisements
Which adverts do we prefer? What is it about them that makes them appeal to us? What methods have been employed in order to capture our interest and imagination.
In groups, plan and make our own advertisements to promote specific products.
Hobbies and Interests
Children take turns to communicate facts about hobbies or interests which they are able to speak in some depth about. Other members of the group take turns to ask questions appropriate to what has been said.
© Andrew McCann