Introduction

Communication is vital in our daily lives, and helping middle school students develop strong conversation skills is essential. One concept that can facilitate this learning is the Conversation Measuring Cup. Like a real measuring cup used in cooking, the Conversation Measuring Cup helps students gauge the appropriate amount of talking for various conversational situations. This blog post will detail an easy-to-implement, no-prep activity that educators can use to help their students practice and understand the Conversation Measuring Cup concept.

No-Prep Activity: Conversation Recipe Cards

This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator. Simply divide your students into pairs, and give them a series of imaginary conversation scenarios. In each scenario, ask one student to be the initiator and the other to respond as they see fit. Encourage the students to focus on the length and depth of their response, using the Conversation Measuring Cup as a guide. After each scenario, have the students switch roles and provide a new scenario. Here are some example scenarios to use:

• Person A asks Person B how their weekend was.
• Person A greets Person B with “Hey, what’s up?”
• Person A asks Person B about their favorite movie and why they like it.

After completing several scenarios, bring the class together and discuss the students’ experiences using the Conversation Measuring Cup concept in their responses.

Discussion Questions

1. How did using the Conversation Measuring Cup help you determine the appropriate length and depth of your responses?
2. Can you think of a time when you might have used the Conversation Measuring Cup in a real-life conversation? How would it have helped you?
3. Why is it important to adjust our conversation length and depth based on the situation and the person we are talking to?
4. What are some challenges you faced while trying to use the Conversation Measuring Cup during the activity?
5. How can you continue to practice using the Conversation Measuring Cup in your everyday conversations?

Related Skills

Developing strong conversation skills using the Conversation Measuring Cup is just one aspect of Social-Emotional Learning. Other related skills that students can benefit from include:

• Active listening: Focusing on the speaker, showing interest, and understanding their message.
• Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others, which can help guide appropriate conversation responses.
• Non-verbal communication: Using facial expressions, body language, and gestures to convey meaning or emotions during a conversation.
• Turn-taking: Knowing when it’s your turn to speak and allowing others the opportunity to share their thoughts.

Next Steps

Now that you’ve learned about the Conversation Measuring Cup concept and how it can help your students improve their conversation skills, why not explore more Social-Emotional Learning resources? Sign up for free samples of various skills and activities at Everyday Speech, and discover new ways to engage your students and help them grow both socially and emotionally.