In November, our 2nd and 3rd graders learned an important social skill: how to respect personal space. Using a fun outer-space theme, students explored what it means to be a space protector (someone who respects boundaries) instead of a space invader (someone who gets too close or makes others uncomfortable).
We began by watching a read-aloud of Harrison P. Spader, Personal Space Invader. Students connected quickly to examples of characters who stood too close, crowded others, or didn’t notice when someone looked uncomfortable.
After the story, we discussed the difference:
Space Protector:
Someone who keeps a comfortable distance, asks before entering someone’s space, and notices how others feel.
Space Invader:
Someone who stands too close, touches without permission, or doesn’t notice clues that someone needs more room.
Students practiced identifying these behaviors using classroom examples and the visual poster.
We introduced the idea that everyone has invisible “bubble spaces” around their bodies. Students learned about the three bubbles:
This is the closest space, like a tiny bubble right around your body.
Only people who are very close to you, family, pets, or best friends, are invited into this space.
Others must ask first.
This bubble is for classmates and people we know well.
They can be near us, but they still need to keep a respectful distance and not crowd our space.
This is the largest bubble.
People you don’t know well should stay further away until you feel comfortable and safe.
To help students apply what they learned, each student received a small alien spaceship.
They wrote the name of a person, friend, family member, teacher, etc. on their spaceship and placed it in the correct bubble on the poster.
We discussed each choice as a group to make sure students understood:
Who belongs in which bubble
Why certain people need to stay further away
When and how to ask for permission to enter someone’s personal space
This helped students visualize boundaries in a fun and memorable way.
To finish the lesson, students reviewed a handout titled:
“Am I being a personal space invader?”
It included clues to watch for, such as:
Is someone stepping back?
Are they turning their body away?
Do they look uncomfortable?
Did they ask for more space?
Each student received a copy to keep as a reminder of how to be a space protector.
Students practiced:
Understanding different types of personal space
Respecting boundaries with friends, teachers, and others
Reading social clues
Making thoughtful choices about how close to stand or sit
Being responsible for their own bubble and respecting others’
Ask your child:
“What bubble would our family, friends, or neighbors belong in?”
or
“How do you know if someone needs more space?”
These conversations help reinforce respectful boundaries at home and school.