Mic Check - Social Inferencing & Perspective - Taking

🎙️ Mic Check (Grades 9–10)

Build Emotional Insight, Flexible Thinking, and Communication Skills One Scene at a Time 💬 💭

🧠 What It Is:

Bring social-emotional learning to life with this high-interest, interactive resource where students step into the role of a podcast host or commentator, narrating real-time peer interactions. Instead of reading about emotions, students analyze them in action using tone, body language, and perspective-taking to build empathy and inference skills.

Perfect for:

• SEL lessons
• Speech-language therapy
• ELA dialogue/narrative writing
• Counseling groups
• Advisory & social skills instruction

💡 What’s Inside:

✓ 10 ready-made scenes with real-life peer scenarios (digital exclusion, subtle peer tension, social missteps, group dynamics, and more)

✓ Integrated “Commentator” narration helps students identify emotional shifts in real time

✓ 10 matching reflection sheets to reinforce emotional insight and flexible thinking

✓ Podcast Project Extension – Students record their own audio scene

✓ Create-Your-Own Scene Template – Scaffolded tool to write original stories

✓ Teacher Guide with implementation tips, pacing suggestions, and discussion strategies

✓ SEL + ELA Standards Alignment for easy integration into your curriculum

🖨️ What You’ll Get:

• Printable blackline PDF
• Clean, student-friendly formatting
• Digital Google Doc for student-facing activity

💫 Skill Focus:

• Emotional Inference
• Theory of Mind & Perspective-Taking
• Verbal Expression & Storytelling
• Social Awareness & Relationship Skills
• Flexible Thinking & Repair Strategies

🏫 Aligns With:

• CASEL Core Competencies (Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision-Making)
• Common Core Standards:
• RL.9-10.3 (Character development & interaction)
• SL.9-10.1 (Collaborative discussion)
• W.9-10.3 (Narrative techniques)

💡 Why It Works:

This resource transforms everyday social tension into teachable moments through story and roleplay. With built-in narration, students learn to notice subtle cues, pause for reflection, and practice interpreting social dynamics in a safe, creative way.

✨ Ready to turn social awareness into a podcast-worthy skill set?

Download this engaging SEL-meets-literacy packet and bring your classroom conversations to life!