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Lesson 4: Grossed

Psychological Corollary

A person who lacks certain personal characteristics can still succeed by being friendly and pleasant.

Lesson Objective

Students will be able to identify and model ways a person can behave to compensate for not being innately good-looking. For example, a person can make the most of his looks, use appropriate facial expressions and body language, refrain from exhibiting offensive habits, and be friendly and pleasant.

Social Behaviors

This lesson shows students that successful people:

  • use appropriate facial expressions and body language
  • appreciate improvements in social conducts
  • are polite
  • present a neat and clean appearance
  • are polite
  • use good posture
  • behave with self-confidence

Social Vocabulary

  • belching
  • sniffle/snuffle

Other Vocabulary

  • knuckles

Suggested Lesson Plans

Introduction

  • Without explaining what you are doing, begin the class by demonstrating a number of unpleasant behaviors:
  • Talk loudly.
  • Interrupt students who are talking.
  • Take things without asking to see them.
  • Eavesdrop on conversations.
  • Ask students to describe what you did. Ask the following:
  • How did you feel about me when I was behaving this way?
  • Would you want to be around a person who acted that way all the time? Why or why not?
  • Introduce vocabulary.

Group Use of Student Workbook

  • Ask a pair of students (who are outgoing and comfortable with public performances) to play the roles of Stan and Fred and act out the dialogue entitled "Grossed Out." These students may benefit from a few minutes of preparation time to "get into" their roles.
  • Ask students:
  • What kinds of things did Stan do that made him unpleasant to be around? (He picked his nose, belched, was dirty, etc.)
  • How could Stan have behaved differently to be more attractive?
  • Ask students to read what happened a few weeks later.
  • Ask students to fill in the empty balloons with conversation showing that Stan is now a more attractive and pleasant person.
  • Have students share what they wrote in the empty conversation balloons to show how Stan improved the impression he made on others.

Behavior Development Activity

To encourage students to use appropriate facial expressions and body language:

  • Briefly review the Behavior Development Activity in Unit 1, Lesson 1, on presenting a positive image.

Give students the following list of feelings:

  • Happiness
  • Nervousness
  • Sadness
  • Fatigue
  • Boredom
  • Excitement
  • Anger
  • Interest
  • Impatience
  • Laziness

Have students demonstrate these feelings. Tell them that they are to do so without using any spoken or written language (i.e., by using facial expressions and body language).

Discuss how the expression on a person's face and the way a person carries himself affects how others perceive that person (e.g., a person who never smiles seems unhappy, and a person who slouches when she or he walks might appear tired and lazy).

Discuss which facial expressions and body language would present a good image.

Have students demonstrate walking into the room using facial expressions and body language to present the best possible image. If appropriate, have classmates share feedback on how students can improve facial expressions and body language.

Repeat demonstrations several times so that students can "polish" their body language. NOTE: If possible, use videos to record students' first and final demonstrations of the above activity.

Review

  • Ask students to identify and model three specific behaviors one can use to compensate for whatever deficits the person might have. For example, people can make the most of what they have by:
    • presenting a neat and clean appearance.
    • using appropriate facial expressions and body language.
    • refraining from exhibiting offensive habits (e.g., belching).
    • being polite and friendly.