Teaching Habits of Mind: Gathering Data through All the Senses

Lesson Objectives:

• Identify non-verbal forms of communication.

• Display open, appropriate, non-verbal communication.

• Use language to make others aware of their non-verbal communication.

Lesson Overview:

This lesson identifies types of information received through and presented to the five senses. It
highlights interpersonal communication, rather than other types of data collection. There are three
premises of this lesson:

• We can communicate without using any language or words at all.

• In other words, we cannot not communicate.

• Therefore, the more we pay attention to non-verbal signals, the more information and choices we
have.

Materials:

• Flipchart and markers or blackboard

Agenda:

1. Guided Group Discussion

2. Activity
3. Reflection

Key Vocabulary:

 Data
 Information
 Subjective
 Objective
 Nonverbal

Introduction: Guided Group Discussion (10 minutes)

Begin by asking students what “data” are. What are some kinds of data they have about what is going
on right at this moment? Ask them to close their eyes for a moment and call out what data they notice.
For the purposes of this lesson, “data” mean signals or messages. Data that can be interpreted become
information. (A list of number, names, or a series of sounds means nothing unless we know the code,
have a point of reference, etc.) Explain that, broadly speaking, we communicate in many ways. Our five
senses are designed to receive messages and we express ourselves (intentionally or not) in ways that are
received by the five senses.
Activity (20 minutes)

Display the shell of the following table. Write in the words of the top row in boldface. (Note that those
in italics are subjective). As a group, identify the five senses. Decide which of the following columns you
do as a large group, small group, or individually.

Table of Sensory Information

Sensory Receptive expressive Words Unappealing

Organ escribing
Appealing

Activity (30 minutes) (Non-Verbal Communication, i.e., visual)

****Before this activity begins, write on a flipchart a list of messages for groups to show and describe.
These might include:

1. I’m really upset with you.

2. I’m really interested in what you’re telling me.

3. I’m just going to ignore you now.

4. I’m very curious.

5. You’re trying to lecture me, so I’ll try to annoy you with my reaction.

6. Okay, we agree on this.

7. I’m getting very frustrated.

8. See you later.

Ask students to name all the kinds of non-verbal information they are right now getting from each other,
from you, and from the space they are in. Ask them what some of this information says or means. For
example, you might ask them to compare the messages they get from sitting in rows with the messages
they get from sitting in a circle. You might ask them to compare the “feel” of the spaces in their living
unit with the décor, lighting, etc., in this classroom.

Use the following list of the Forms of Non-Verbal Communication (or Body Language) to summarize the
students’ observations:

1. Body position and body motions

2. Paralanguage: um, oh, yeah, uh-huh

3. Silence

4. Personal space: closeness or distance

5. The spaces and décor around us

6. Eye contact

In small groups of two to or three, practice identifying non-verbal messages that your classmates
demonstrate.
References

Costa, A.L. and Kallick, B. Discovering and Exploring: Habits of Mind. Alexandria: ASCD. (2000).

Costa, A.L. and Kallick, B. Activating and Engaging: Habits of Mind. Alexandria: ASCD. (2000).

Johnson, Bethany, et al. A Curriculum for Community High School of Vermont Students .
www.chsvt.org/wdp/Habits_of_Mind_Curriculum_VT_WDP.pdf.