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Lesson 4: Untitled Play

Psychological Corollary

Good social relationships often develop slowly as people discover each other's positive qualities.

Lesson Objective

Students will identify two reasons people maintain a distance in initial stages of a relationship. For example, it takes time to become a close friend-people are uneasy when pushed into relationships, and confrontations that arise from pushing too fast can result in embarrassment.

Social Behaviors

This lesson shows students that successful people:

  • cope with embarrassment
  • apologize
  • maintain appropriate physical distance
  • accept feedback
  • want others to like them
  • observe others and perceive cues

Social Vocabulary

  • "flew off the handle"

Other Vocabulary

  • jerk

Suggested Lesson Plans

  • Have students brainstorm a list of ways to complete the statement, "What bugs me most is…
  • Introduce vocabulary.

Group Use Of Student Workbook

Explain that this is an untitled play; at the end of the play, students will be asked to think of a title for the play and write it on the line marked "title."

Part I: Select students for parts and read Scene 1 of the play aloud.

  • Have students answer the questions that follow Scene 1. Discuss responses.
  • Discuss how the two people view what is going on very differently. (Dave sees himself being friendly to the new guy; Juan sees someone pushing him to do something he's not sure he wants to do
  • Discuss why Dave calls Juan a jerk (because Dave felt hurt and embarrassed). Can you think of a time when you called someone a name because you were really hurt?
  • Discuss how Jim helps Dave understand Juan's anger. (Jim says Dave is trying to be too friendly too fast.)
    • Do you think he's right?
    • Would you feel like Juan does if someone you met a week ago kept asking you to do things with him/her?
    • Would you wonder what he or she wanted from you?
  • Discuss the statement, "It takes time to get to know people."

Do you agree? Why or why not?

Part II: Ask students to select parts and read Scene 2 of the play aloud.

  • Ask students to summarize what happens in this scene.
  • Discuss the reason presented in this scene for Dave's acting extra friendly. (He might have felt lonely since his best friend got a new job.)
  • Discuss the reason for Juan's hypersensitivity to Dave's acting too friendly. (He didn't want the boss to think he was at work to joke around. He was new on the job.)
  • Discuss reasons why Juan asked Dave if he was going to bowl on the company team. (It was a way to make up, to make it possible for the two to talk about what had happened.)
  • Ask students to complete the play either orally or in writing;
  • have students share their statements.
  • Ask students to answer the question after Scene 2 of the play; note that all three answers may be considered correct.
  • Have students devise and share titles for this play.

Behavior Development Activity

To encourage students to cope with embarrassment:

  • Ask students to describe what it means to be embarrassed. Ask students to discuss ways to deal with embarrassing situations and overcome feelings of embarrassment (e.g., make a joke of the situation, apologize, or relay a story).
  • Have students think of embarrassing situations they have experienced or can imagine (e.g., having pants rip, knocking over a mannequin in a store, or finding you have no money when you go to pay the check in a restaurant).
  • Ask students to brainstorm ways to deal with each situation and think of remarks to make that would relieve their embarrassment.
  • Discuss the merits of the various suggestions made.
  • Have students imagine how they might handle embarrassment caused by
    • spilling food in a fancy restaurant;
    • calling their date by the name of a former boyfriend or girlfriend;
    • slipping and falling down in public;
    • knocking down a few cans in a grocery store, causing an avalanche of cans; and
    • having spinach caught in their teeth while dining out.

Review

  • Ask students to describe appropriate behaviors and attitudes for people who have just met (take time and keep an appropriate distance)
  • Ask students to identify one thing they could do to cope with an embarrassing situation:
  • Your pants rip-tell people that wearing your jacket around your waist is the latest style.
  • You knock over a mannequin - apologize to the mannequin for your clumsiness as you pick it up.

Homework (Optional)

Ask students to observe how others handle embarrassing situations and identify additional ways of handling those situations