Career Readiness · Communication · Lesson Plan
Body Language
A free lesson plan introducing body language as a form of communication in the workplace — facial expressions, gestures, posture, touch, distance, and dress. Students discover that words carry far less meaning than tone and non-verbal cues, then practice reading and projecting body language deliberately. Free to read and reproduce.
What Students Learn
Learning objectives
- What body language is and why it matters — it is the largest part of what we actually communicate
- The major components of non-verbal communication — facial expression, gestures (hands, arms, legs), posture, touch, distance, and dress
- Why proper body language is essential for success in today’s workplace and business settings
- How body language varies by culture — gestures that are polite in one context may be impolite in another
- How greetings differ by relationship — meeting someone for the first time vs. greeting a friend, family member, or older adult
- How to dress appropriately for a given role — dentist, bank manager, teacher, shop assistant, student — and what dress communicates
For Teachers
How to use this lesson
Procedure: Print out the lesson and have students read it themselves, or use the material to lead a class discussion. The lesson works equally well as independent reading or as the basis for a guided communication exercise.
Discussion prompts: Ask students how they greet someone they’re meeting for the first time. Does the greeting change for someone of the same vs. opposite sex? For different family members? For older adults? Have students describe three gestures they use frequently and what each one means. Then ask which gestures are impolite in their culture — the cultural-norms moment is the most surprising for most students, especially in diverse classrooms.
Best taught alongside the Job Interview Skills bridge — interviews are where body language matters most early in a career. Pair with How to Be Assertive, Difficult People, and Giving and Receiving Criticism as a workplace-communication sequence.
Free Lesson
Body Language — Lesson + Discussion Activity
The complete lesson plan, comprehension passage, and discussion questions are free to read and reproduce on the legacy resources site.
The lesson plan and worksheet are free to read.
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