Learning about taking turns

General

Create a caring classroom community by teaching students about taking turns with this lesson. Students learn when they should take turns and why it’s important. They will reflect on various situations in which taking turns might be necessary and come up with ways to effectively take turns in a given scenario.

Learning objective

Students will be able to explain the importance of taking turns and demonstrate how to do so politely and patiently.

Introduction

Discuss what students already know about taking turns. Share some examples of instances in which we might take turns, like playing games or using scissors or glue sticks in class. Ask if students can brainstorm some more examples.

Instruction

Discuss why taking turns is important and explain that sometimes you get to go first, but other times, someone else goes first. Ask students to share what feeling impatient means to them. Read some scenarios, then have students reflect on the situation. How do they think the people in the scenario feel? What might they do differently? Discuss the importance of being patient and being polite. Model how to do this with your students by saying things like “Can I have a turn please?”

Closing

Pretend that there is some slime for the class to play with, but there is not enough for each student. Students should determine the order in which turns will be taken, how they can know when a person’s turn is over, and what they can do while they wait for their turn.

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