Grade Level: 7-10

Areas of Study

Language Arts. (This is somewhat misleading: the unit does involve speech and writing but is aimed a subtle behavioral objectives that cannot be readily categorized.)

Student Objectives

• examine what is involved in knowing someone and begin to perceive that it is a challenge and a necessity;
• develop a profile of a classmate, and attempt to delve beneath the superficial and find out how and why each of us is a unique individual,
• write a brief, telling portrait about the person each student has come to know.

Suggested Time

3-4 class periods

Suggestions for the Teacher

This is a very light experience in sensitivity training! Please don't let that term create misapprehensions. Note that in the instructions to students there is nothing, to urge them into revealing more about themselves and their families than would fall well within the bounds of discretion.

Students react very positively to this simple exercise; so well, in fact, that their enthusiasm usually transfers to their other work and relationships with other class members.

There are only two things to do in advance:

1. Duplicate for each student two copies of the profile form (one for them to fill out on themselves, and the other to fill out on their partner) and one copy of the instructions in the Student Materials for the role-play activity.
2. Make a list pairing all the students in the class. Although it would be easier to have students pair off themselves, for the first part of the activity it is important they don't know who their partner is.) Partners can be assigned by writing one partner's name on the profile form before handing it to the other partner (and vice versa). If there is an odd number of students, pair yourself with the remaining student. Students should not talk to their partners or otherwise indicate who their partner is by giggles, pointing, or whispers.

Preliminary discussion should be brief and informal. The topic is. How well do we know others-even those with whom we live and study for large parts of every day? Let them estimate how long and how well they feel they know their classmates. You might want to discuss what kinds of personal trademarks (clothing, nervous habits, voices, etc.) would help them pick any member of the class out of a crowd. Touch briefly upon the natural processes involved in getting to know someone else. Ask them to consider silently who they think they know best and least.

Now explain that they are going to participate in an interesting and enjoy experiment on how well they know each other. Pass out the profile forms, one blank and the other with their partner's name on it. Tell them that they have been assigned a partner for this experiment and that they are to to fill our a profile form on that person. As the object is to discover how much they know about the person, they should not talk to that person or anyone else. Nor should there be any glancing around the room. Stress that they are to fill out as best they can strictly from memory. Be sure to collect this first sheet before the students leave the room. After they have completed this information, tell them to fill out the second form on themselves either in class or at home.

Give the first completed form to the student about whom it was written, for comparison with the second form completed by that student. Then ask partners to get together. Ask the students to correct the first forms and fill in any omissions. Ask them to consider the particular areas in which they went wrong. When students pair up, it is probably best to let them go pretty much on their own (unless of course, some pairs seem to be wasting time). The spirit of this experience lies partly in relaxed, informal exchange, filled with spontaneities and warmth.

Pass out copies of the student directions for the role-play situation. Students sometimes find a role-play experience awkward, but armed with the answers from the profile forms they should be able to take part easily in this activity. While it isn't wise to force a student to do this, do offer strong encouragement; this is an important exercise, although its importance cannot be measured by any formal means.

After the partners have finished role playing each other, ask the class to talk about the experience. How do they feel? Why is getting to know about "Others" important-especially as the world grows "smaller" To complete the experience and summarize the discussion, ask the students to write a brief paper about their partner. Tell them to stress what valuable or important things they learned about him or her as a result of this experience. You might also ask them whether and how this study made them better able to understand and interact with other people.

We suggest that this final paper not be graded. After looking them over, ask the students if anyone would object if you distributed the papers to the people about whom they were written; or, better yet, ask this before the papers are written.

For just a couple of minutes today, you are going to take on the identity of your partner. Not really, of course. Just in a role play situation that will test your understanding -- knowing--someone else to the point where you can pretend to be that person for a hundred seconds or so.

When the teacher nods in your direction, calling you by your partner's name, do the following, without snickering or blushing, if possible:

1. Stand directly behind your partner's chair. Address the class. Introduce yourself: "My name is . . . I live at . . . etc."
2. There are no rules for what follows. If you have done an honest job in learning about another human being, you will be able to go on for a bit giving the basic facts and talking about "your" interests, ambitions, likes and dislikes, and feelings about important issues.

Adapted from: Peter R. Stillman. Others, Intercom #88, Bridging Social Studies and Language Arts, Global Perspectives in Education, New York, NY, 1978.