Activity: Silence and sounds
Knowing ourselves: Adolescents practice their listening skills and manage their stress by listening to sounds in a peaceful environment
Activity overview
Energy level: 1/5
Literacy level: 1/5
Complexity level: 1/5
Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Purpose: Develop awareness and listening skills to cope with stress.
Objectives
Adolescents will be able to:
- Listen and relax quietly.
- Express thoughts with others.
Competency domains
- Coping with stress and managing emotions
- Communication and expression
Works well for
Adolescents who could benefit from quiet and rest.
Phase
Knowing ourselves
Before
No activities required before this one.
After
No activities required after this one.
Preparation
None needed.
Activity steps
Step 1
Warm up: Ask the adolescents to find a comfortable place on the ground or floor, and to lie down with their eyes closed. They can cover their eyes with their hands or a piece of clothing if they find this restful.
Step 2
Facilitator says: “Now we are going to practice listening and remembering. First, take a minute to listen to the sounds that you hear around you.” Give the adolescents a minute to become quiet and relax.
Step 3
Facilitator says: “As you listen, try to let your breathing become slow and easy. You might be able to hear your own breathing, or even your heart beating.”
Step 4
Facilitator says: “Now I’m going to make a few sounds. Try to listen and remember what you
hear.”
Make a sequence of five or six sounds using your hands, feet, voice, or another part of your body. Choose sounds that are not too loud or startling. A sample sequence could be:
- Snap fingers three times.
- Clap once.
- Snap fingers three times again.
- Shuffle one foot on the ground, shuffle the other foot on the ground.
- Click your tongue four times.
- Whistle.
Step 5
Facilitator says: “Now I am going to repeat the sequence.” Repeat the sequence once or twice.
Step 6
Facilitator says: “Don’t open your eyes, but raise your hands if you think you remember the sequence of sounds.” Ask adolescents who have their hands raised to repeat the sequence of sounds.
Step 7
Facilitator says: “Now let’s all do the sequence together.” Repeat the sound sequence with the entire circle.
Step 8
Make a longer sequence of eight or nine sounds for the circle and repeat it at least once. Ask adolescent volunteers to try to remember and repeat the sequence.
Step 9
Optional: Ask an adolescent to invent a sequence of sounds and encourage the rest of the circle to remember and repeat the sequence.
Step 10
Facilitator says: “Now let’s just listen to the sounds around us again.” Wait for a period of silence as adolescents listen quietly to the sounds they hear.
Say quietly: ”Before you were listening to just one person. Now, try to see if you can hear many sounds happening at the same time.” Wait again in silence.
Step 11
Facilitator says: “Open your eyes slowly. Stretch your arms over your head and stretch your feet down. Sit up slowly.” If any adolescent has fallen asleep, help them to wake up gently.
Step 12
Sharing and Take away:
Discuss:
- What did you hear?
- Are these sounds that you normally hear and notice? Why or why not?
- How did it feel when you were trying to hear many different sounds at the same time? Did it feel different to listening to the sounds of just one person?
Step 13
Explain: Trying to focus and hear many sounds at the same time can strengthen listening and concentration skills. It can also help adolescents to relax and reduce their stress.
Do and don't
Do
- Give adolescents enough time to become quiet and comfortable at the beginning of the activity. They may joke or laugh at first as they adjust to resting silently.
- Make a shorter sequence of sounds if adolescents find them difficult to remember and repeat, or a longer sequence if they find it too easy.
- Use rhythm or music in the sound sequence.
- Allow adolescents to fall asleep, as it will help them to release some stress.
Don't
- Make loud noises.
- Scold or correct adolescents if they have trouble remembering the sequence of sounds.
Adaptation
Instead of sound, use movement. Ask adolescents to sit quietly and demonstrate steps of hand or arm movements.
Environment
Indoor or outdoor space
Supplies
None needed
Improvise
This activity gives adolescents an opportunity to practice awareness using their hearing abilities. Improvise using their sense of sight:
- Ask adolescents to make rectangular frames out of paper, or to make a frame using their hands. They should focus their eyes on a central point within their frame and explore what they can see without moving their focus.
- Discuss how it feels different to focus on one particular point rather than their whole range of sight.
- Ask the adolescents to try to draw what they see in their frame, or to recreate it in another way.
Continue
Repeat the activity regularly if adolescents find it relaxing and use the second part (where adolescents listen to the sounds around them), to help them to manage their stress.
Highlights
Develop awareness and listening skills to cope with stress. Works well for adolescents who could benefit from quiet and rest.
