In this blog post, we will explore a fun and engaging activity called Background Brief, which helps Elementary students develop effective communication skills. The game focuses on teaching students the importance of providing adequate background information when telling a story or engaging in conversation. As part of Social-Emotional Learning, this activity will help students become better communicators and listeners, fostering a strong foundation for their interpersonal relationships.
No-Prep Activity: Background Brief
Background Brief is a simple, no-prep activity that requires no additional materials from the educator. The game involves students listening to a story and determining if any background information is missing. The goal is to identify the missing pieces of information, thus helping students understand the importance of providing a complete context when communicating with others.
To play the game, follow these steps:
- Divide students into small groups or pairs.
- Have one student in each group tell a short story or recount an event. The story should include information about who, what, where, and when.
- Other students in the group should listen carefully and identify if any background information is missing from the story.
- After the story is told, the listeners should discuss what information was missing and how it affected their understanding of the story.
- Rotate roles, allowing each student to practice both storytelling and active listening.
Discussion Questions
After playing Background Brief, engage students in a discussion with the following questions:
- Why is it important to provide complete background information when telling a story or engaging in conversation?
- How does missing background information affect your understanding of a story or conversation?
- What strategies can you use to make sure you provide all the necessary background information when communicating with others?
- How can active listening help you identify missing information in a story or conversation?
- How does providing complete background information contribute to building strong interpersonal relationships?
Related Skills
In addition to effective communication, Background Brief also helps students develop the following related skills:
- Active listening
- Critical thinking
- Empathy
- Storytelling
- Group collaboration
Next Steps
Background Brief is just one of many activities that can help Elementary students develop strong communication skills and other essential Social-Emotional Learning competencies. To explore more activities and resources, we encourage you to sign up for free samples of our skill-building materials at Everyday Speech. These resources are designed to support educators in their efforts to foster students’ social-emotional growth and help them become successful, well-rounded individuals.
