Showing Empathy

Curriculum	Transforming Conflict, p. 27
Lesson Name	Showing Empathy
Grade Band	Middle School (6-8) High School (9-12)

Curriculum

Transforming Conflict, p. 27

Lesson Name

Showing Empathy

Grade Band

Middle School (6-8)

High School (9-12)

Required Material/s	Chart paper Tape Internet access
Standards / Competencies	CASEL Core Competencies Relationship skills Responsible decision-making Self-awareness Self-management Social awareness Common Core ELA-Literacy Standards Speaking and listening Writing NCSS Social Studies Themes Culture Individuals, groups, and institutions Civic ideals and practices Individual development and identity Global connections
Recommended Time	45 minutes

Required Material/s

Chart paper
Tape
Internet access

Standards / Competencies

CASEL Core Competencies

Relationship skills
Responsible decision-making
Self-awareness
Self-management

Social awareness

Common Core ELA-Literacy Standards

Speaking and listening
Writing

NCSS Social Studies Themes

Culture
Individuals, groups, and institutions

Civic ideals and practices
Individual development and identity
Global connections

Recommended Time

45 minutes

Essential Question	How does showing empathy help us communicate respect?
Learning Objectives	Students will: Learn how to define empathy. Recognize the importance of being able to show empathy. Connect the definition of empathy with actions or behaviors that demonstrate empathy.
Important Vocabulary	Empathy: The ability to recognize and understand another person’s feelings, even if we have not experienced the same situation.

Essential Question

How does showing empathy help us communicate respect?

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Learn how to define empathy.
Recognize the importance of being able to show empathy.
Connect the definition of empathy with actions or behaviors that demonstrate empathy.

Important Vocabulary

Empathy: The ability to recognize and understand another person’s feelings, even if we have not experienced the same situation.

Activating Prior Knowledge	Show students the video “EMPATHY demonstrated in INSIDE OUT,” an exploration of what empathy means from Michael D. Nelson, CMHC. Ask: What do you think Dr. Nelson means when he says: “Rarely can a response make something better. What makes something better is connection.”?
Core Instruction	Review the definition of empathy with students. Ask: What behaviors do we use to show empathy? Record student responses. Ask: Based on this definition and your ideas about behaviors that demonstrate empathy, how do you think we can learn how to show empathy? Display the two quotes listed under Preparation. Say: Let’s look at some quotes about empathy. What can these quotes teach us? Say: One way I began to recognize what empathy is was when I learned we use empathy to understand fictional characters. How many of you have recognized, understood, or shared experiences or emotions of a character in a story? Ask: What are examples of a character from a book or show that you have empathized with? Ask: What information do writers share with us about characters so that we can connect in a way that helps us empathize? Ask: Why is it sometimes difficult to empathize with another person? Say: Share with a partner at least one time you used empathy to let another person know that you cared about them.

Activating Prior Knowledge

Show students the video “EMPATHY
demonstrated in INSIDE OUT,” an exploration of what empathy means from Michael D. Nelson, CMHC.

Ask: What do you think Dr. Nelson means when he says: “Rarely can
a response make something better. What makes something better is
connection.”?

Core Instruction

Review the definition of empathy with students. Ask: What behaviors do we use to show empathy? Record student responses.

Ask: Based on this definition and your ideas about behaviors that
demonstrate empathy, how do you think we can learn how to show
empathy?

Display the two quotes listed under Preparation. Say: Let’s look at some quotes about empathy. What can these quotes teach us?

Say: One way I began to recognize what empathy is was when I
learned we use empathy to understand fictional characters. How many of
you have recognized, understood, or shared experiences or emotions of a
character in a story?

Ask: What are examples of a character from a book or show that
you have empathized with?

Ask: What information do writers share with us about characters
so that we can connect in a way that helps us empathize?

Ask: Why is it sometimes difficult to empathize with another
person?

Say: Share with a partner at least one time you used empathy to
let another person know that you cared about them.

Wrap-up	Ask: How do you think showing empathy can help us relate to other people?
Assessment	Taking Informed Action: Watch “Empathy” a short video from Sesame Workshop. Take turns explaining to a partner how each of you would want to teach about the concept of empathy to someone who has had different life experiences from you. (For example, because they are older or younger than you are.) – How would you demonstrate ways to show empathy? – How would your approach be different from the way we learned about empathy in class?

Wrap-up

Ask: How do you think showing empathy can help us relate to
other people?

Assessment

Taking Informed Action:

Watch “Empathy” a short video from Sesame
Workshop. Take turns explaining to a partner how each of you would want to teach about the concept of empathy to someone who has had different life experiences from you. (For example, because they are older or younger than you are.)

– How would you demonstrate ways to show empathy?

– How would your approach be different from the way we learned about empathy in class?

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