What is the situation?

A principal learned some new information about cell production through a documentary she watched on the weekend. She is about to share this new learning. How she delivers her information will change depending on the situation she is in.

How might she deliver her information differently in both situations for one of the following?

• A small conversation among friends vs. a formal engagement with scientists
• A large auditorium (a space where an audience sits) vs. a classroom
• In the school yard vs. a planned speech at a podium
• At a science convention vs. in drama class

Share your ideas with a partner or record your thoughts using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.

Different situations

In the Minds On situation, did you discuss how the principal’s information may be delivered differently? Did you discuss her communication strategies (her tone of voice, her facial expressions)?

In this learning activity we are going to analyze and practice different communication behaviour strategies, depending on the situation we are in.

We all use different communication strategies depending on the group situation we find ourselves.

Press ‘Formal/Informal’ to learn about Formal and Informal situations.

In the Minds On, we discovered the different ways that the principal would communicate what she learned in different situations. Let’s return to those situations in this matching activity, matching each option to either formal or informal situations.

Determine whether each scenario is a formal situation or an informal situation.

If you were to communicate information in a formal situation, and that same information in an informal situation, how would the following change?

• the words you use
• your vocal strategies such as voice, tone, pitch (this can also be communicated in a script through punctuation and text features such as bold, italics, underline, and cases)
• the non-verbal strategies, such as facial expressions and body gestures (this can also be communicated in a script through stage direction, or be emphasized through text features as well)

Complete the Strategies Chart in your notebook or by using the following fillable and printable document. You can also record your ideas using a method of your choice.

Groupings

We are often asked to work with others during a school day or in various other situations. It may be a partner discussion, a small group activity or task, a whole class, team, or club discussion, or a read aloud.

Just like with formal and informal situations, we would communicate our ideas and information differently depending on which of these situations we find ourselves in.

How would each of the following change in a partner discussion, small group, large group or very large group situation:

• the words you use
• your vocal strategies such as voice, tone, pitch (this can also be communicated in a script through punctuation and text features such as bolding, italics, underline, and cases)
• the non-verbal strategies, such as facial expressions and body gestures (this can also be communicated in a script through stage direction or be emphasized through text features as well)

Complete the Groupings Chart in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. You can also record your responses using the method of your choice.

Be ready to share your responses with a partner, if possible.

Bringing it together

You will now have an opportunity to create two different communication messages in the form of an oral recording, small script, or presentation.

Choose a topic that you are comfortable discussing. It could be a topic you are passionate about or interested in, information you have, or a review of a movie, novel, non-fiction piece, article, movie, new album, or art presentation or exhibition you explored.

You will deliver two versions of this communication message. One for a formal situation, and one for an informal situation. Use the checklist below as you consider the following:

Record your messages when you have practiced and are prepared!

Reflection

As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.