INDUCTION SESSION: FIRST IMPRESSIONS
SESSION: INDUCTION ACTIVITY – FIRST IMPRESSIONSExpected Progress:
Young people understand that first impressions matter but may not always be accurate. / Description: To help young people to understand that first impressions (for example, the first time they meet someone new, walk into an interview room or meet the boss during work experience) really count. But are our first impressions always right and do we sometimes make value judgements too soon?
Resources required:
è First Impressions Images worksheet, or choose your own images from newspaper and magazines. Make sure you include different ages, genders and ethnicities. / LLN Opportunities:
N/A / STEM Opportunities:
è Communicating complex topics with limited resources
è Teamwork
è Design
è Investigation, Curiosity
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY / RESOURCES / LEARNING OUTCOME / EVIDENCE OPPORTUNITY
Icebreaker
A group of Martians has just landed at your Centre. They do not understand any Earth languages, only graphic symbols. They want to know all about Earth. As the facilitator, you can represent the aliens.
1. YP work in teams to prepare a short speech composed of graphic symbols to welcome them and explain a bit about Earth living. They choose the topics: how we cook, leisure activities, what we wear, etc. Tape the speeches on the walls. Have participants review each other’s speeches
2. As a group, select the one speech you would present to the Martians and attempt to present it via body language and interpretive movement
Discuss the following with the young people: How can we link this to first impressions? Are they always correct? How can we communicate important things to someone new who might not have our perspective in life? What are the most important things to tell someone new? Sometimes we meet someone totally different than us in most ways. Have young people think of a time this happened to them. Were there any ways in which they were similar to each other, however? Sometimes it can be nerve-wracking to make a first impression, but it can help to remember no matter how different the other person is, we all have things in common. / â Flip chart and pens
â Tape
Talking Points
The First Time I Met
Ask the young people if they can remember the first time they met someone new or significant. This might be a good friend, a teacher, a celebrity or anyone who made an impression. What do they remember about this person? Can they remember what they said, what they were wearing, what they did?
How accurate do they think their first impressions were?
It Only Takes 20 Seconds
First impressions happen really quickly. It’s said that interviewers make up their minds about a candidate in the first 10 to 20 seconds.
What kind of things do the young people think will be making that impression? For example, looking smart, facial expressions, friendly greeting, the way people walk or sit or make eye contact.
Development
Using the First Impressions images or your own images showing a diverse range of people:
è Ask the young people to comment on which images they think show the person who is most and least friendly
è What are they basing their opinion on?
è Reflect: how similar and different were their first impressions? Did everyone in the group agree?
è How do we know if our first impressions are right?
First Impression Cards
Hand out the First Impressions cards or write the words on the board and ask the young people to match the images to the words, for example: rich, successful, cool or scary.
Reflect on the consensus and difference. Do the young people all feel the same way about these characters?
What gave them their first impressions? For example, did they think the well-dressed woman was successful, or the young man in the hoodie was cool or a criminal? Now ask the young people to think of a job for each person. Then compare choices and ask the young people to explain their reasons.
Discuss the implications of first impressions. How do they affect your behaviour towards the person, or your assumptions or stereotypes about them?
Discuss the importance of judging people fairly and treating everyone equally.
Extension Ideas
Set a first impressions team challenge: Give groups of four young people a set of about five images and ask them to create a story (verbal, written or acted out) around them. Include images of people and places. They could: create murder mystery scenarios, do ‘a day in the life of’ or make ‘what just happened’ or ‘what happened next’ predictions.
1 (August 2016)