Humans are constantly communicating. We're sending messages all the time, whether we know it or not. When we smile, when we cross our arms, when we turn our backs or walk away - we're showing people how we feel, and giving clues to our emotions.

When we speak, our words have meaning. Some of us talk too much - and take up too much space. Similarly, some of us could stand to speak up a little bit more. It's important to understand the difference between verbal and written communication. When we use our voices, our body language contains contextual clues as to the intent behind the message we're choosing to communicate. When we write things down - say, in the form of a text message - some of that context is lost, and it becomes difficult to determine how a person really feels about the problem at-hand.

Below are some sample activities to help students nurture these skills.