Get a partner (or two). Select a situation below (or create your own) and work out a role play to practice communicating. What is your message to communicate? How will you communicate it?
Situations:
1. You get a low grade on a research paper from your science
teacher. You think you followed all the instructions, and you
know you put a lot of time into the project. You don't under-
stand why you got this grade and certainly don't think you
deserve it. What will you tell your teacher?
2. Your best friend invites you to go canoeing over the week-
end. At the last minute, the friend calls and cancels telling
you vaguely that "something came up." You found out that
the friend did go canoeing—but with other friends. What
will you say to your friend?
3. Your parents invite the daughter of a new neighbor over and insist that you take her
out with your group of friends to a party you've been planning to go to. You thrilled
with the idea, especially after you see her! You don't think she's going to add to your
Image- as a popular, trendsetting person! What will you do?
4. You hear that someone has been telling everybody that you were drunk last
weekend and threw up in your friend's car. This is totally untrue, but your friend won't
stick up for you and deny it because he might get in trouble for taking his dad's car
without permission. Your parents hear about this and want to know what's going on.
How will you handle this?
5. Some older kids have been teasing your little brother stopping him on the streets,
chasing him, and really trying to scare him. You have decided to "discuss" this with
these kids to get them to stop and leave him alone. What's your approach?
6. Aunt Sadie gives you the ugliest sweater in the universe for your birthday. She wants
to know how you like it and hopes that you'll wear it on Sunday. She'll look for you at
Sunday dinner! What will we see you wearing on Sunday?
Part I: Learning Basic Social Skills