Expected vs Unexpected Conversations

Name:

Date:

📚 Part 1: Identifying Expected vs Unexpected

1. Which conversation topic would be EXPECTED in a school hallway?

"Did you finish the math homework?"

"My parents are getting divorced."

"I hate this stupid school!"

"What time does lunch start?"

2. Your friend says "I got a B+ on my science test!" An EXPECTED response would be:

"Nice job! You studied really hard."

"Whatever, I don't care about your grades."

"My cousin lives in Texas."

"Tests are dumb anyway."

3. Check ALL the topics that would be UNEXPECTED in a classroom before the lesson starts:

Asking about today's assignment

Complaining loudly about family problems

Borrowing a pencil from a classmate

Talking about inappropriate videos you watched

Discussing weekend plans for a school project

4. A classmate asks "Can you help me understand this problem?" An UNEXPECTED response would be:

"Sure, which part is confusing?"

"You're so stupid, figure it out yourself."

"I'm not sure either, but let's try together."

"Maybe ask the teacher for help."

✏️ Part 2: Conversation Analysis

5. Read this conversation and identify what makes it unexpected:

Student A: "Hey, are you going to the basketball game Friday?"
Student B: "Basketball is for losers. My dad says all athletes are dumb. Why don't you do something useful instead?"

What made Student B's response unexpected?

6. Rewrite Student B's response to make it more expected and appropriate:

7. You're in the cafeteria and someone starts talking about a very personal family problem loudly. How could you respond appropriately?

8. Fill in the blanks with appropriate responses:

Classmate: "I'm really nervous about the presentation today."

Expected response: "___________________________________"

Classmate: "Did you see what happened in the news last night?"

Expected response: "___________________________________"

🎭 Part 3: Success Criteria Check

9. Rate yourself on these "I can..." statements (Circle: Always, Sometimes, Need Practice):

I can recognize which topics are expected in school conversations:
Always Sometimes Need Practice

I can explain why some responses are more appropriate than others:
Always Sometimes Need Practice

I can use respectful language during conversations with peers:
Always Sometimes Need Practice

10. Extension Challenge: Write a short dialogue (4-6 lines) showing how to redirect an unexpected conversation topic back to something more appropriate for school: