Needs printing

Lesson on empathy
Purpose:
- To get students to consider when they are being sympathetic and when they are
being empathetic.
- To get students to consider the emotions of others and how they should respond.
-To consider how empathy is about being kind and compassionate.
Notes to teacher:
- You need to create a safe space and emphasise maturity and respect.
- During the reflections, you could get them to share some of their ideas but stress
that this is about 'how someone else might feel'.
- Select what questions you may want to ask your group for the game activity
(slide 5).
- Questions can be paired or group discussions. You may want to use whiteboards.
- Use the extension activities if you are finding that the activities don't take long.
 Title – ???
Title: Empathy
Moral/Definition: The
Starter: Guess the title for
ability to understand
Struggling? Use the
and
summaries
share
to work
the
out the
feelings morals
today’s lesson based on these of another.
(lessons) that these characters teach us.
Idiom: To put yourself in someone else’s shoes.
characters…
Extension: In your planners, journal about a time
that you had to be like these characters? How did
Reflect: How do these characters
you feel?show empathy?
What zones were you in?

Tanjiro- kills demons to Naruto- can look into an

Tohru- looks after other protect people, but he will enemy's heart and speak with
people and supports them, also get to know and comfort them to try to understand or
even if they push her away. those demons as they die. make the them do better.
 Support: Empathy: The ability to
We are going to play a game to build our empathy. understand and share the
First, we must agree on some class rules… feelings of another.

Game: Example rules:

• A statement is going to be read: if the statement or 1. Show respect to people who
are sharing information
experience applies to you – that is, you have experienced 2. Different feelings may arise as
it, you stand up. experiences are remembered –
• Once you have stood up turn around and face the people it is important that empathy is
standing up too. shown to all people
• Stop and notice how many people have personal 3. Care must be shown to people
who may be divulging personal
experiences – think about how they must have felt. experiences or feelings
• The group who stood up will sit down. 4. Other perspectives should be
• The next statement is read, and the same process considered
followed. 5. The activity is completed in
silence – opinions are not given

Extension: What do we do is
someone doesn’t want to answer?
Questions that might be included in this activity:
• Cross the line if you have been left out of group activities?
• Cross the line if you have experienced bullying?
• Cross the line if you have been made fun of because of your gender?
• Cross the line if you have been made fun of because of your culture or skin colour?
• Cross the line if sometimes you don’t understand yourself?
• Cross the line if sometimes you don’t feel good enough?
• Cross the line if you have a friend who has been teased because they are different?
• Cross the line if you’ve ever felt pressure from your friends or a parent to do something
you didn’t want to do?
• Cross the line if you have been ridiculed because of your weight or shape of your body?
• Cross the line if you ever feel ashamed about something you have done?
• Cross the line if you have ever stood by and watched while someone is hurt, and you have
been too afraid to speak up?
• Cross the line if the future scares you?
• Cross the line if you feel different from your friends?
Silent reflection:
• What emotions did you feel doing this activity?
• How did it feel to stand up?
• How did it feel to see other people stand up?
Struggling: Use
the zones of
regulation. Accept
the positive and
negative emotions
and consider how
someone else
might have felt
too.

Extension: Why
is it important
that we are
empathetic?
 • What’s the difference between empathy and Extension: Which of these are
empathetic or sympathic:
sympathy? 1. Saying, “I’m sorry to hear that.”
2. Saying, “You are having a tough
• What is better - empathy or sympathy? Why? time.”
3. Saying, “Thank you for sharing.”
4. Be present in the moment with
someone, without judging their
feelings or reactions.
5. Telling a story about when you
lost your cat too and how sad you
were when it happened.
6. Saying, “I am here for you.”
7. Validating someone’s feelings by
saying, “That sounds really
challenging.”
8. Offering advice.
9. Saying, “At least you can still
bring your grade up,” if your
friend failed a test.
10. Saying, “I know how you feel.”
Struggling? What is the difference between the verbs “feel” 11. Show interest by asking, “What
and “know”? has this been like for you?”
12. Just listening.
 • How can we be more empathetic? Struggling? Use the empathy map and the
• How could we use the empathy sentence stem to come up with ideas: “We
can be more empathetic by (verb)ing…”
mat below to be more
empathetic? Extension: Role-play the following
scenarios, considering how you would
Empathy mat: respond:
Think & feel See • “My friends are being really horrible to
• About what matters • The setting
• Past, future or present • Who is around me. They are picking on me.”
problems • The condition of the • “I have been having a really tough time
• Worries and goals person with my mum. We argue everyday about
Hear Say & Do something different.”
- Friends - Attitude and tone • “My sister borrowed my cell phone and
- Family - Appearance dropped it. Now the screen is cracked but I
- Others - Behaviour towards
others can’t afford a new one.”
• “My little brother is really sick, he is in
hospital.”
Challenge: Over the next week:
- I want you to be more empathetic to
others using your kindness.
- You need to put the name of the
person who you were kind to in the
boxes.

We will share our acts of kindness

next Tuesday.

Extension: Consider how it makes you feel

to be kind to others.