I Understand Personal Space! Read slide with students. Introduce topic and ask students what they think “personal space” means.

adapted from www.guidance-group.com What is Personal Space? the distance between two people the space around your body that helps you feel comfortable near other people and helps them feel comfortable around you Read slide with students. Define “personal space”. image: lonerwolf.com adapted from www.guidance-group.com

What happens if I’m too close? people feel uncomfortable people feel scared people walk away no one wants to hang out with me www.everydayspeech.com Read slide with students. Talk about the impact being too close has on other people. Ask students if this has ever happened to them and how did it feel. adapted from www.livingwellwithautism.com

Too close or just right? sheknows.com dailymail.co.uk sweetyhigh.com Read title with students. Talk about each picture – is it too close or just right? How can they tell? Point out distance – or lack of – between the characters. Also point out facial expressions if necessary.

Too close or just right? google images pinsdaddy.com Read title with students. Talk about each picture – is it too close or just right? How can they tell? Point out distance – or lack of – between the characters. Also point out facial expressions if necessary. google images

How close should I be to other people? depends on your relationship with them we can think about the right distance in zones like “circles” Read slide with students. Talk about how your relationship with someone determines how close you should be to them. Explain that this is easier if we think about appropriate distance as different colored circles.

4 Zones of Personal Space Family Friends Acquaintances Strangers me Read slide with students. Talk about each colored circle and its distance from the middle, which represents the student. Review each color and the people that fall within that circle. Ask students for their input as to who might be included in those different circles. Define “acquaintance” if necessary. Write their answers on a whiteboard or large piece of paper under each heading.

1. Family mom dad sisters brothers grandparents aunts and uncles cousins clipartpanda.com Read slide with students. See if there were any people from the students’ list on the board that doesn’t appear on this slide. Remind students that the people in the BLUE circle are the people who are closest to you and to whom you can be closer to physically because you know them very well. It’s probably okay to hug and kiss people in the BLUE circle as long as they want you to. Emphasize that the students have known them for a long time and that there is a trusting relationship between them.

2. Friends friends at school friends in the neighborhood friends at my place of worship friends at my club Read slide with students. See if there were any people from the students’ list on the board that doesn’t appear on this slide. Remind students that the people in the GREEN circle are the people that you know pretty well but don’t have the same close relationship that you do with your family members. These are people who you can probably sit closer to and hang out with, but you probably wouldn’t hug and kiss them.

3. Acquaintances adults at school (teachers, principal, custodians, etc.) my parents’ friends my friends’ parents other people I know a little (like neighbors down the street) experiencelife.com Read slide with students and define “acquaintance” again. See if there were any people from the students’ list on the board that doesn’t appear on this slide. Remind students that people in the YELLOW circle are people you don’t know only a little because you’re in their school, you’ve seen them around the neighborhood, or you’ve met them when visiting your friend’s house. These are people that you would probably not hug or kiss, unless you knew them very well. Ask students for ways that it would be appropriate to interact with people in the YELLOW circle (i.e. wave to, say “hi”, smile at, etc.)

4. Strangers anyone you don’t know personally anyone you haven’t met anyone you’re not familiar with Read slide with students. See if there were any people from the students’ list on the board that doesn’t appear on this slide. Explain that people in the RED circle are people that you don’t know at all. Also explain that while these people might be strangers, it doesn’t mean that you have to be afraid of every stranger. Point out that students may not know a police officer, for example, which would make him a stranger BUT that police are there to help people so you needn’t be afraid. However, there are other strangers that might be harmful so we need to keep safe around people we don’t know. People in the RED zone are people we would never hug and kiss – unless at some point they become friends and move into the GREEN zone, but this takes time. 123rf.com

Remember: This is how close I should be! acquaintances strangers friends family me! Read slide with students. Use a measuring tape to show and explain that with the: BLUE/FAMILY zone, you can usually be about 18 inches away – or an arms-length. GREEN/FRIEND ZONE, you can usually be about 18 inches to 4 feet away YELLOW/ACQUAINTANCE zone, you can usually be from 4 to 12 feet away RED/STRANGER zone starts at 12 feet away *NOTE: Using a measuring tape is a great way to demonstrate the abstract concept of distance for students!

When I give people personal space people will feel more comfortable I will feel more comfortable people may talk to me more people may hang out with me more I might make more friends I will be safer with strangers Read slide with students. Point out that standing/sitting/being at the right distance from people can lead to good things. Ask students what else might happen when they give people personal space. google images

So…what do YOU think? You’ve never met your relatives from Florida, but they’re coming for a visit this week. What should you do when you meet them? Hug? Shake hands? Kiss? What?? Read slide with students. Let students give their responses before discussing. Point out that some people will feel differently about this – it depends on you own comfort level as well as your relatives’ comfort level. Discuss how things might be different at the beginning of the visit and how they might change by the end of the visit. google images

This is how close I should be! acquaintances strangers friends family me! Read slide with students. Summarize the lesson by reviewing each zone and seeing if they can remember who is in each zone and the “rules” for interacting with people in each circle.