Introduction

As educators, we strive to teach our students not only academic skills but also valuable life lessons. One essential skill for navigating social interactions is understanding that everyone has different thoughts and feelings. When problems or disagreements arise, it’s crucial to consider both sides: how you feel about it and how the other person feels. This blog post will introduce a no-prep activity for middle school students to practice this skill, followed by discussion questions, related skills, and next steps for further exploration.

No-Prep Activity

This activity, called “Two Sides of the Story,” encourages students to consider different perspectives in a conflict. Here’s how it works:

1. Divide students into pairs or small groups.
2. Present the scenario involving Mike and Kate (provided in the user prompt) to the class.
3. Ask each pair or group to discuss what Mike and Kate could have done differently to better understand each other’s perspectives.
4. After a few minutes of discussion, invite pairs or groups to share their ideas with the class.
5. Conclude the activity by emphasizing the importance of empathy and understanding in resolving conflicts and maintaining healthy relationships.

This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator, making it an easy and effective way to incorporate social-emotional learning into the classroom.

Discussion Questions

After completing the “Two Sides of the Story” activity, use these questions to stimulate further discussion among your students:

• Why is it important to consider the other person’s feelings in a conflict?
• How might understanding the other person’s perspective help in resolving disagreements?
• Can you think of a time when you didn’t see the other person’s side in a conflict? How did it affect the outcome?
• What strategies can we use to better understand others’ feelings and perspectives in future conflicts?

Related Skills

Understanding different perspectives is just one aspect of social-emotional learning. Here are some other relevant skills that can help students navigate social interactions and build healthy relationships:

• Active listening
• Empathy
• Conflict resolution
• Effective communication
• Self-awareness

Next Steps

Now that you’ve learned about this no-prep activity and its benefits, you may be interested in exploring more social-emotional learning resources for your students. To get started, we encourage you to sign up for free samples of the discussed skill and other related materials at Everyday Speech. These resources can help you introduce and reinforce essential social-emotional learning skills in your classroom, setting your students up for success in their academic and personal lives.