Personal & social development // Self-Awareness

Questioning First Impressions

Notice when your first reading of a social situation might be wrong — your assumptions about why someone acted a certain way are not always facts

Ages
9 to 10
Type
Thinking skill
Builds on
4 topics
Leads to
3 topics

Quick check

If the learner felt sure someone was being unfair or unkind, could they pause and consider whether there might be another explanation for what happened?

Ask this to see whether the topic is secure.

Topic // Mastery

What mastery looks like

What a learner can do once this topic is secure.
  • Pause before reacting to a classmate's behaviour and consider an alternative explanation — e.g. 'Maybe they bumped me by accident, not on purpose'
  • Describe a time they assumed the worst about someone's intention and later found out they were wrong
  • When told about an ambiguous social situation, suggest at least two possible reasons for the other person's behaviour instead of jumping to one conclusion

Topic // Map

Where this fits

What to learn first and what this topic opens up, with the reason for each link. Required links come first.
  • RequiredMust come first
  • HelpfulHelps, but not essential

Before this

4 topics
  • Vocabulary: selfRequired

    Self-Awareness // Ages 5 to 10

    Questioning own assumptions requires precise vocabulary of 'assumption', 'bias', and 'perspective'

  • Your Impact on OthersRequired

    Self-Awareness // Ages 8 to 9

    Questioning your assumptions about social situations requires first having practised the harder skill of seeing yourself from another person's perspective

  • Patterns in Your Own ReactionsHelpful

    Self-Awareness // Ages 7 to 9

    Noticing that your first read of a situation might be wrong requires awareness of your own patterns of assumption and reaction

  • Understanding WhyHelpful

    Learning to Learn // Learning to Learn // Ages 8 to 9

    Questioning your assumptions about why someone acted a certain way is elaborative interrogation applied to social cognition — asking 'why do I think this?' rather than accepting the first explanation

You are here

Questioning First Impressions

Ages 9 to 10 // Thinking skill

Leads to

3 topics
  • Personal Growth Over TimeRequired

    Self-Awareness // Ages 10 to 11

    Reflecting on your own growth requires first having developed honest self-awareness of your assumptions and reactions — growth reflection is hollow without prior self-scrutiny

  • Questioning Your Own BiasesHelpful

    Empathy & Social Awareness // Ages 9 to 11

    Reflecting on unconscious assumptions and biases towards others builds on the foundational habit of questioning your first reading of social situations

  • Ethics in Real-World IssuesHelpful

    Responsible Decision-Making // Ages 9 to 11

    Evaluating ethical dimensions of real-world issues and forming reasoned positions requires the habit of questioning your own assumptions before accepting your first instinct

Personal & social development // Self-Awareness

More in Self-Awareness

All 7 topics