Educational Activity

Title: How to say… in more than one-way.

Materials

* 1 print out of each activity sheet for every two students

* 2 pieces of blank paper for every two students

Activity Sheet 2

(clicking will open a word document)

Activity Sheet 2

(clicking will open a word document)

Objectives

The following activity can be integrated with a lesson on communication. During this activity students will:

* identify whether a form of communication is one-way or two-way

* analyze the shortcomings of a method of communication

* brainstorm and evaluate improvements to that method

* consider their own communication strategies and how to improve them

Activity Description

Ask the students to pair up in partners. Have each pair sit either on a chair or on the floor back to back (facing away from each other).

1. One student will be the sender, and the other will be the receiver. Give each sender the first handout, and each receiver a blank sheet of paper. Explain that the receivers cannot look at the handouts you gave to the senders. (Ensure that the receivers can’t peek at other groups as well!)

2. Ask the senders to describe what they see on the paper, using only spoken directions.

3. Ask the receivers to draw on their sheets of paper, what the senders are describing. Remind the receivers that they have to be absolutely silent during the entire description. They are not allowed to ask questions, or any other expressions like “what?”, “hold on!”, “huh?”, etc.

4. Once students all of the groups are finished, ask the receivers to show the senders what they drew. (Before continuing, wait for the laughter and arguments to settle!)

5. Facilitate a discussion about the students’ results. You may use the following suggestions: a. How accurate were the copies made by the receivers? b. Did you have any frustrations? Why? c. What would have made things easier for the senders? d. What would have made things easier for the receivers?

6. Continue leading the discussion to the topic of one-way versus two-way communication.

7. Repeat the same exercise but allow each pair of students to face each other, and be able to have two-way communication. Use the second activity sheet and allow the senders and receivers to switch roles. The receivers should not be able see the drawing itself.

8. Have another discussion, and list all of the techniques that the students used.

Note: This activity could also be executed in a fishbowl arrangement with two students performing the activity while the rest of the class watches and has discussion in between the two activity sheets.

Final Exercise

The following exercise has students consider various forms of communication on the research ship, and asks them to critically analyze the strong and weak characteristics of each. Ensure that students understand that there are both advantages and disadvantages to both one-way and two-way communication.

What form of communication is this? If it is one-way communication, how could it be turned into two-way? Likewise if it is two-way, how could it be turned into one-way communication? For each situation, list the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Also consider other aids to communication that could help the two parties to communicate.

* While retrieving a piston core, Rob giving Tony, the winch operator, hand signals from 200 feet away.

* The captain requesting over the intercom that the third officer come to the bridge.

* An able bodied seaman using a handheld two-way radio to communicate with the bridge while trying to fasten the ship’s stern line to a cleat.

* Patty Fryer, the chief scientist, sending a formal proposal to NSF to fund her next expedition.

* A fire alarm ringing throughout the ship.

Content Standards:

Language Arts: Listening and Speaking 4.A.2.1 Determine the purpose(s) for listening (e.g., to get information, to solve problems, for enjoyment).

Language Arts: Listening and Speaking 4.A.3.7 Use clear and specific vocabulary to communicate ideas.

Language Arts: Listening and Speaking 4.A.4.4 Give precise directions and instructions.

 

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