Introduction
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is essential in helping young students develop the skills they need to navigate various social situations. In this blog post, we will introduce an engaging activity called “Guess What Happens Next,” designed for kindergarten students. This activity focuses on understanding people’s reactions to different situations, specifically in a school setting. By participating in this activity, students will learn how their actions can impact others and the importance of making positive choices to create a supportive and inclusive classroom environment.
No-Prep Activity: Guess What Happens Next
This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator. To begin, gather your kindergarten students in a circle or an area where they can comfortably view a screen. Explain that they will watch a series of short videos depicting various school situations. After each video, pause to give students three possible choices for what might happen next. Encourage the students to guess which outcome is most likely based on the characters’ actions and feelings.
As the students watch the videos, remind them to focus on the characters’ actions in school and consider how these actions make the rest of the class feel. Were the outcomes positive, or did they make others feel uncomfortable or upset? Use the provided icon in the corner of each video to indicate when it’s time to pause and discuss the situation.
Discussion Questions
After watching the videos and discussing the possible outcomes, use these questions to further stimulate discussion among your students:
- Why is it essential to consider how our actions might make others feel in the classroom?
- Can you think of a time when you made a positive choice that helped someone else feel better or more comfortable at school? What happened?
- How can we learn from the characters’ actions in the videos to make better choices in our classroom?
- What can we do if we notice someone else feeling uncomfortable or upset at school?
Related Skills
While participating in the “Guess What Happens Next” activity, students are also developing other essential skills that contribute to their overall social-emotional growth. These skills include:
- Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
- Active Listening: Paying close attention to what others are saying and showing genuine interest in their thoughts and feelings.
- Problem-Solving: Identifying problems and working together to find solutions.
- Decision-Making: Evaluating different options and choosing the best course of action.
Next Steps
If you found this activity helpful and would like to explore more resources to support your kindergarten students’ social-emotional learning journey, we encourage you to sign up for free samples of our skill-based materials at Everyday Speech. Discover a wide range of engaging activities, videos, and lesson plans designed to help students develop essential social-emotional skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.
