Discussion:
It has been said that “a picture paints a thousand words”. In this craft lesson, the key point is to show children that communication does not always have to be verbal. In fact, in many cases another person’s facial expressions and actions reveal that individual’s true feelings. In this lesson, we will use Janet Wong’s picture book, “Apple Pie 4th of July” to illustrate non-verbal communication.
How To Teach It:
The teacher explains to children that non-verbal expressions and actions are a large part of actual communication. They may not realize it, but even though something is not verbally communicated their facial reactions or physical actions show their true feelings. The teacher can then make verbal comments, and then show facial reactions to express a totally different thought. For instance, the teacher can say, “I am very happy”, but then shows a facial expression that indicates a totally different emotion. The teacher can then show different facial expressions of anger, sadness, and happiness to further illustrate non-verbal communication. The teacher will prompt the children to voice their opinion for each facial expression.
At this point, the teacher introduces the picture book, “Apple Pie 4th of July”. The teacher explains that a story will not always give all the details. Sometimes, you have to look at the pictures to figure out the tone or actual feelings of the characters. The opening page of this picture book is a great illustration of non-verbal communication. The story line simply mentions that a market is open throughout the whole year, even holidays. Nothing is mentioned about the little girl’s emotions, but the picture shows otherwise. The teacher then continues reading the book and allows the children to voice their opinions of the main character’s emotions throughout the reading. The teacher can then have her students express different emotions for fun.
Resource Material:
“Apple Pie 4th of July”, by Janet Wong
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1 comment:
I thought this was such an interesting take on a lesson from the book. I never would have thought about non-verbal communication but that is so important for children to learn about and this is a really great way to introduce this concept.
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