Home›Lesson Plans›Social-Emotional Learning›Social Awareness · Grade 10

Active Listening

Tenth graders build social awareness through active listening — fully focusing on the speaker, not interrupting, asking questions, and reflecting back what they heard. It makes people feel understood and prevents misunderstandings. They sort good listening from poor, then practice with a partner.

Grade 10Active Listening45 minutes1 class periodCASELExplicit teaching4 StandardsCASEL
Start the Lesson
Assign or share this lesson
Share to Google Classroom Share to Microsoft Teams

Copy link works with Canvas, Schoology, Moodle and any other LMS — paste it in as a resource or assignment.

Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Define active listening.
  • ✓Tell it from poor listening.
  • ✓Reflect back & ask.
  • ✓Make others feel heard.
Essential Question

What does it really mean to listen — not just wait to talk?

0
Lesson Phases
0
Vocabulary Terms
0
Standards Aligned
0
Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Active, or Poor Listening?

Project this and sort each into Active listening or Poor listening.

👂 Sort each — active listening, or poor?Try it
👂 Active listening
👎 Poor listening
Tap one, then tap a box.
The Lesson · Explicit teaching

45 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Check-In — Heard vs Understood

4 min

When has someone really listened to you? How did it feel?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Reflect quietly.
  • Share if you like.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Reflect.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — Active Listening

11 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Active or Poor Listening?
  • Sort each one.
  • Note reflect back what you heard.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Say.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

14 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Listen to a partner.
  • Do not interrupt.
  • Reflect back their point.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Wait.
  • Reflect.
4

Apply — Apply

11 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Have a 2-minute listen.
  • Ask a follow-up.
  • Summarize what you heard.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Ask.
  • Summarize.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name an active-listening move.
  • Name a poor one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Name one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the CASEL Framework for Social and Emotional Learning across its five core competencies.

CASEL
Social Awareness

Listen actively and take perspective.

CASEL
Relationship Skills

Communicate effectively.

CASEL
Social Awareness

Show understanding and empathy.

CASEL
Self-Management

Focus attention on others.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Active/poor listening cards.
  • Frame: "active listening means ___."
  • Practice in pairs.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Sort active vs poor only.
  • Use 4 behaviors.
  • Practice one skill.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Practice reflective statements.
  • Listen across a disagreement.
  • Give listening feedback.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 👂Listening cards
  • 💻Active or Poor Listening?
  • 📋Practice prompts
  • 📓Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

active listeningfully focusing on the speakerreflect backrestate what you heardfollow-upa question to learn moreinterruptcut someone offempathyunderstanding others’ feelingsnonverbalbody language & eye contactattentionfull focusunderstandingtruly getting the point
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
Name an active-listening move.
Eye contact, not interrupting, asking questions, reflecting back.
QUESTION 2
Name a poor-listening habit.
Planning your reply, checking your phone, or interrupting.
QUESTION 3
Why does active listening matter?
It makes people feel understood and prevents misunderstandings.

Reflect: active listening.

Have students practice active listening with a partner. A printable prompt sheet is in the SEL library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Social Awareness: Active ListeningFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
0

Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Social Awareness: Active ListeningQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Social Awareness: Active ListeningPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: active listening, attention, empathy, follow-up, interrupt, nonverbal, reflect back, understanding
  1. restate what you heard
  2. cut someone off
  3. full focus
  4. understanding others’ feelings
  5. fully focusing on the speaker
  6. a question to learn more
  7. body language & eye contact
  8. truly getting the point

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Name an active-listening move.
  2. Name a poor-listening habit.
  3. Why does active listening matter?
Answer key — Part A: 1) reflect back · 2) interrupt · 3) attention · 4) empathy · 5) active listening · 6) follow-up · 7) nonverbal · 8) understanding
Part B: 1) Eye contact, not interrupting, asking questions, reflecting back. 2) Planning your reply, checking your phone, or interrupting. 3) It makes people feel understood and prevents misunderstandings.