Gesture Meanings

This worksheet supports students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 as they build reading comprehension, cultural awareness, evidence extraction, and critical thinking skills through an exploration of nonverbal communication. Using an informational passage, students learn how common gestures such as eye contact, smiling, and hand signals can carry different meanings across cultures, helping them understand that communication norms vary around the world.

Learning Goals

• Reading Comprehension (Grades 4-6) – Students answer text-based questions using details and examples from an informational passage.
• Cultural Awareness – Learners examine how gestures and body language are interpreted differently depending on cultural context.
• Evidence Extraction – Students practice locating and explaining specific information from the text to support their answers.
• Comparing Cultural Norms – Encourages thoughtful comparison of familiar behaviors with global communication practices.

Educational Value

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators with age-appropriate language and clear instructional structure.
• Cross-Curricular Use – Integrates English Language Arts, social studies, and social-emotional learning seamlessly.
• Discussion-Ready Content – Ideal for sparking class conversations about culture, respect, and global understanding.
• Low-Prep Printable – Easy to use for independent work, small groups, or guided reading activities.
• Supports Global Competence – Helps students develop empathy and awareness in an increasingly connected world.

This printable worksheet helps students strengthen comprehension, cultural understanding, and critical thinking by examining how gestures and body language can have different meanings across cultures. By analyzing text evidence and reflecting on communication norms, learners build important skills in global awareness and respectful interaction. It’s a valuable, no-prep resource for both classroom and homeschool settings focused on reading, culture, and communication.

This worksheet is part of our Nonverbal Communication Worksheets collection.