Date: February 22, 1999

Grade Level(s): 9, 10, 11, 12, Higher Education

Subject(s):

• Language Arts/Listening Comprehension

Duration: 45 minutes

Description: Students team up with a partner. They set up their work area so they are sitting back to back and cannot see each other's work space. Each partner gets a bag of lego pieces (both partners have the identical pieces). They take turns building a structure and giving directions to their partners to build the identical structure. Compare and discuss. Do the activity at least twice per person.

Goals: Students will become aware of the pitfalls of communicating both orally and in written expression. They will realize the importance of transitional expression, specific details, order and clarity when attempting to communicate. Also, realizing the importance of audience--how this influences the language used. Use as an intro to writing a process analysis.

Objectives: Students will be able to improve on their skills as the lesson progresses. The better their partner does constructing the legos according to the instructions given, the better job the partner is doing giving the directions.

Materials: baggies of lego pieces---each team must have identical pieces in their bags.

Procedure:
1. Give each team materials.
2. Position themselves so they cannot see each other's work space---back to back works well.
3. One member builds a structure from his pieces.
4. He then gives the partner oral instructions on how to duplicate his structure.
5. Neither may look at each other's work until the end of the exercise.
6. The person building cannot ask questions---just must follow directions.
7. Compare structures and then switch roles.
8. Do the activity at least twice.