Curated OER
The Body Talks
Young historians examine the gestures of human subjects represented in Mannerist, Baroque and Renaissance paintings. After they play charades and attempt to match dialogue with body language, learners create a drawing that includes...
PBS
Robot Body Language
Don't be so emotional! Scholars take part in an activity where they consider how future robots will be able to show emotions. They place paper bags over their heads, act out emotions through body movements, and have others guess the...
Curated OER
Bodies In Motion: Shapes and Gestures
Students use geometric shapes to describe body parts. In this geometry lesson, students use geometry vocabulary as they discuss body parts. They practice drawing bodies using shapes based on a wooden model that is poised to show specific...
Curated OER
Body Language
The power of signs and signals. Viewers use various body parts to illustrate how gestures convey meaning and how the meaning of these gestures may differ among racial and cultural groups, between men and women, or have meaning to...
US Institute of Peace
Nonverbal Communication
What is your body saying that maybe your words aren't? Scholars explore the vast world of the subtle, and not-so-subtle, nonverbal communication cues through group and individual work. Lesson seven in a series of peacebuilding exercises...
Curated OER
Dance - Kindergarten Body Awareness and Space
Students practice locomotor and axial movements. For this body awareness lesson, students discover freeze movement, axial movements, and locomotor movements. Students practice the movements as they maintain personal space.
Curated OER
Enough to Make Your Head Spin
Students investigate the world of nonverbal communication by analyzing body language around the world. In this cultural communication instructional activity, students research the Bulgarian language and how we could easily misinterpret...
Overcoming Obstacles
Understanding Nonverbal Messages
The Overcoming Obstacles course for middle schoolers continues with a unit module on communication. In the first instructional activity, participants engage in a series of activities that help them recognize nonverbal clues and the...
Curated OER
Sign a Map
In this geography worksheet, students think and identify the different features and landforms that an explorer would come across the continent of Antarctica. They use body gestures to communicate their list of items to a partner and...
Curated OER
Rhythm and Art: Gesture Drawing
Students explore connections between non-verbal language and art. In this visual and auditory art lesson, students investigate the science of sound and principles of drawing. They then use various genres of music to directly apply that...
Curated OER
Pantomime vs. Abstract Gesture
Students explain dance as a way to create and communicate meaning and demonstrate the difference between pantomiming and abstracting a gesture.
Curated OER
Expressive Body Part Identification
Students participate in activities with Mr. Potato Head and Inspector Gadget. During the activity, they must request the body part they want to add to the body. They must state their request in a complete sentence and point to the body...
Nancy Fetzer's Literacy Connections
Expository Paragraph
Upper elementary and middle school writers learn how to craft an expository paragraph by following the six steps detailed in a 48-page instructional guide. Learners learn how to write six different types of informational paragraphs: to...
Curated OER
Celebration
Students identify the different ways in which different countries celebrate and why, including story, dance, music, and exchanging gifts. Then they develop a basic standard of non-verbal communication through either dance, mime,...
Curated OER
Rhythm and Art: Gesture Drawing
Learners make connection between music and art. In this integrated arts lesson, students complete gesture drawing activities as they listen to Cuban, flamenco, classical, jazz, and contemporary music.
Curated OER
Communication, Day 2: Assertiveness
Having social skills and being able to assert yourself in a positive way is so important. Students with mild to moderate disabilities engage in a series of activities to practice assertive communication and social skills. Perfect for a...
Overcoming Obstacles
Understanding Nonverbal Communication
People communicate in all sorts of ways. As part of a study of nonverbal communication, teams of three must complete a puzzle without speaking to one another. After debriefing the activity and analyzing the messages nonverbal cues...
Curated OER
Pantomime Exercise
Learners of any age can learn to communicate using gestures and their bodies. They create a pantomime of a specific activity without using any words. This resource includes a link to an Off-Broadway Workshop for kids.
Curated OER
The Human Animal
Students explore non-verbal communication. In this animal communication lesson, students study body language and other forms of non-verbal communication. Students write a summary of their findings to discuss with the class. This lesson...
Curated OER
Mask Project
Students discuss "mime" before playing a game in which they make the body movement and gestures of a large animal while a classmate guesses what they are imitating. Next, they design and make masks of an animal face while studying the...
Curated OER
More Body Parts
Fourth graders, using Total Physical Response strategies, learn additional body parts in Spanish.
Curated OER
Looking at Body Language
Students examine Dorothea Lange's photograph of a migrant mother and consider how artists express emotions, ideas, and physical conditions through gesture, pose, clothing, and expression.
Curated OER
Posture and Pantomime: Total Body Movement
Learners analyze posture and pantomime in an analysis of total body movement. In this body movement lesson, students read a chart of movements and the mood or attitude they convey. Learners complete several space and observation...