Animals communicate with each other in different ways, but we are the only ones of the animal species that can communicate with each other in the form of a language (we can write it and speak it).
- Can you think of ways in which animals communicate with each other? You can also find some videos of these different ways of communication.
There are many ways in which people can communicate with one another.
- You can whisper in your friend's ear
- You can speak to somebody on the phone
- You can listen to music on the radio
- You can read some stories that somebody wrote
- You can listen if somebody tells you a story
Some people are deaf and they can also not talk. For them to communicate, they have to use sign language. They use their hands to spell or show certain words. If you know sign language you will be able to understand them.
- Watch the video and see if you can remember some basic phrases in sign language.
We do not always have to use words to tell people how we feel. Our faces and body language will be able to tell them what we mean or feel.
- Look at the different expressions of the boy. Can you say what he is feeling or doing in each of the pictures?
- You are going to show your own body language for saying each of the following
- Be quiet
- That is good
- Come here
- There on the other side of the road
- Good bye
- Open your ears and listen
- No! I do not want to do it.
- Do not touch me!!
- I am very unhappy
- Jippee!!! It is holiday
The bushmen and Khoi-San people also communicated with each other through hand signals if they went out to hunt. Through their signals they would then show the other hunters what type of animals they see.
- think of a few hand signs that you will use for different types of animals
They could not write, but they made drawings against the walls of the caves that told a story of their day to day activities.
Reading and writing is another way in which we can communicate - You are reading this piece now and this is how I communicate information to you.
You can also write a story or a letter. Letters are not something we write a lot these day, since most people will type a message on their phones or send an email, but before we had those, we had to stay in touch with people that lived far from us through letters.
If you write a letter you have to put it in an envelope with a stamp on it and write the person's address on it and then post it at the Post Office.
What happens to the letter after you have posted it?
- You are going to write a letter to somebody you know. First of all you have to know the right address of the person you are writing to. Once you have written the letter you will put it in an envelope, buy a stamp at the Post Office and then post it. See how long it takes before the other person receives the letter. If you want to, you can even write a letter to yourself.
It is just so much easier to send an email and you can get a reply back instantly. Technology has made communication so much faster and easier. Now even if somebody stays very far from you, you can still communicate with them easily.
- For fun - You are going to make a telephone with some empty cans or paper cups and a string. Make the string long enough that you and your friend can stand quite a way from each other. You will not believe it, but you will be able to talk in the can and the other person will be able to hear you.
- Watch the video for instructions
- For enrichment: Since reading a story is also a way of communicating, you can read the story and answer the questions http://www.k5learning.com/sites/all/files/worksheets/K5_RC_Gr2_LJ2_SampleW.pdf
