Leadership - day 1 communication

Mindfulness Activity:

Trivia question: Canada can be cold. What is the coldest temperature recorded in Canada?

a) -1000 degrees
b) -102 degrees
c) -63 degrees

Mindfulness Activity:

• Put your palms together at chest height.
• Push them against each other as hard as you can.
• Which muscle gets tired first?

Personal Mission Statement – The Leader in Me!

Supplies:

• Paper
• Pencil crayons
• Pencil or marker

A personal mission statement tells people what you value about yourself and what you believe in. It’s a great start to finding the leader in you!

• Have your child write their name in the middle of the page.
• Around your name write down words that best describe you. For example: I'm a good listener, I'm really good at following instructions, I’m a kind person, etc.
• Now think about what kid of person you WANT to be. Make a list. Some examples are: I want to be a hard worker, a good student, a talented artist, etc.
• Use the two lists to write your personal mission statement. This is a paragraph or sentence that answers the question: My mission is to… Some examples are: my mission is to: laugh a lot, learn as much as I can, help out at home more and be a good sister/brother.

Have your child practice saying their mission statement out loud every morning and share it with family and friends.

Picture Story Telling

Supplies:

• A magazine
• Scissors

Have your child cut out a few different objects, people, animals, etc. from an old magazine (or you can draw/create your own picture cards).

Ask your child to arrange the pictures in a line so they tell a story about a strong leader character. Or, you can pick just one picture and have them describe the things they see in the picture (e.g. the scenery, people, colors and other details).

Ask them to tell you the back story of the characters and see what they come up with!

Guess the Object

Supplies:

• Random object or toy
• A box or a blanket

This is a fun game for kids to practice the power of description.

• Cut a hole in a box or use a blanket that is large enough to cover their hands. Make sure your child understands that they shouldn’t peek into the hole or look under the blanket.
• Place an object in the box or under the blanket. Have the child describe what the object feels like and try to guess what the object is!

Review Questions:

Ask your child:

• What surprised you today while you were doing the activities? (Feel)
• Do you think strong communication skills are important for a leader? (Think)
• Besides speaking, what are some other ways to communicate with others? (Act)

Mindfulness Trivia Answer:

Answer: c) -63 degrees (BRRRRRR)

Mindfulness Activity:

Trivia Question: How many languages are spoken in the world?

Mindfulness Activity:

• Sit so you're comfortable. Be still.
• Imagine your favourite colour that helps you feel calm.
• Every time you take a breath, allow the colour to grow in your mind.
• Breathe it bigger 5 times.
• How much calmer or more awake are you? None? A little? Medium? A lot?

Me in a Box

Supplies:

• White paper
• Glue or tape
• Crayons, markers or pencil crayons

Communication is not only about using words. You can communicate with body language, art and facial expressions.

Have your child make a box about themselves and different ways they communicate. You can use words, images or abstract art.

Each side of the box will be about something different:

1. Self-portrait
2. When I am angry I…
3. When I am scared I…
4. When I am Happy I…
5. When I am calm I…
6. When I am excited I…

Complete the Story

Supplies:

• Paper
• Pen or pencil
• Cup

Have your child write down 10-20 topics. For example: Nature, Veggies, Animals, Space, Toys, Friends, etc.

• Cut out each topic and put it in a cup.
• Take turns pulling one topic from the cup.
• Set a timer for 15-30 seconds.
• Start telling a story about the topic you chose. When the timer goes off, the next person continues the story.
• Switch turns for at least 8 rounds or until you reach a good ending.
• Encourage your child to add to the story.

Let's debate!

Supplies:

• Paper
• Pen or pencil
• 2 cups
• 2 or more people in your household

Create cards with interesting topics for debates. For example: Eating vegetables, vanilla is better than chocolate, going to school is better than online learning, winter sports are better than summer sports, etc. Put the topics in one cup.

In the other cup, make one card that says "for" and one that says "against". One person will pull out a topic and the other pulls out a "for" or "against". Each person will have 30 seconds to defend their topics. Other family members can participate as spectators and decide at the end which person was more compelling. Remember to keep the debates friendly and respectful.

Review Questions:

Ask your child:

• How did you feel when you were debating? (Feel)
• Why do you think being able to communicate is important? (Think)
• What can you do in the future when you can't find the words to express your feelings? (Act)

Mindfulness Trivia Answer

Answer: About 6500 languages are spoken in the world.

Mindfulness Activity:

Trivia Question: How long is Canada’s coastline?

A: 243,000km
B: 351,000km
C: 425,000km

Mindfulness Activity:

• Pretend to be mad. Really, really mad.
• Put your hands on your jaw. Notice how it feels on the inside and outside.
• Now, slowly smile. Notice your muscles moving. Relax.

Communicating Mimes

Supplies:

• A list of prepared questions (see below).

Even though we are communicating most of the time, we don’t always think about how we are doing it. Knowing our own communication skills is an important part of leadership.

Many conflicts happen because of the way we perceive things. Sometimes we make judgments based on assumptions.

• Set up a virtual call with a friend. If you are at home, you can get another family member to join you as well.
• Each person will get a chance to ask a question. Rather than give a verbal answer, the person answering the question can only act out their answer.
• The asker can ask as many clarifying questions as they want to understand the other person's answer.
• Keep going until you guess the answer they are acting.

Here are some sample questions to get you started:

• What accomplishment are you most proud of?
• If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?
• What career are you interested in when you grow up?
• What is your favorite activity to do in your spare time?
• What is your favorite subject in school?
• Where is your favourite place to travel?

Spoken Word Communication

Supplies:

• Pencil
• Notebook

Spoken Word is writing that is meant to be read out loud. Some examples of spoken word you might be familiar with are stories, poems, monologues, slam poetry, rap and even stand-up comedy.

Spoken Word uses words and phrases that project onto the minds of the listeners like vivid images, sounds, actions and other sensations. If your poem is rich with imagery, your listeners will see, smell, feel and maybe even taste what you’re telling them.

• Use your notebook to start writing about a topic that interest you.
• You could try writing about something you want to change in the world, someone that inspires you, one thing you can’t live without or why friendship is important.
• Try using rhymes, repetition and metaphors to create the image you want your listeners to hear.
• Share your writing with family and friends, or on social media. Remember, there is no wrong way of writing Spoken Word. Write from the heart and explore topics you are passionate about.

See this video example of Marshall Soulful Jones sharing his slam poetry.

Public Speaking

Supplies:

• Paper
• Pencil

Watch the Public Speaking video

Public speaking is a useful skill for leaders, but it can often cause feelings of stress and anxiety. This activity examines the feelings related to public speaking. Understanding the issues that cause these feelings can help think of solutions to relieve these stressful feelings.

Write a short speech about your favourite leader. This individual can be local such as your teacher, parents, coaches or someone you have looked up to, like a celebrity or athlete. Make sure your speech includes:

• A brief history of this person (who are they, where are they from)
• What accomplishments have they achieved?
• What inspires you about this leader?
• What hardships has this leader overcome?
• Why is this leader so important to you?

Practice your speech a few times on your own to get comfortable with your lines. Once you are ready, use your family or video chat with your friends as your audience to share your speech. Try these tips for presenting your speech:

• Find a comfortable space to present
• Have good posture
• Try to give some eye contact to your audience
• Speak clearly and loud enough everyone can hear you

Review Questions:

• How do you feel about your listening skills? (Feel)
• Why do you think communication is important? (Think)
• How can you overcome nervousness when you speak out? (Act)

Mindfulness Trivia Answer

Answer: A: 243,000km