Empathy

Topic: Empathy

Objectives:

1. Students will be able to define empathy and explain why it is important in building positive relationships.

2. Students will demonstrate empathy by identifying and expressing their feelings and understanding the feelings of others.

National Standards:

• CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) Social and Emotional Learning Core Competencies
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation

Materials:

• The Good Egg by Jory John and Pete Oswald (book)
• Chart paper
• Markers
• Crayons
• Emotion cards (happy, sad, angry, etc.)

Warm-up:

Begin the lesson by asking students, "Have you ever felt sad or upset about something? How did it make you feel? How do you think your friend felt when they were sad or upset?" Allow students to share their thoughts and feelings.

Direct Instruction:

Read The Good Egg aloud to the class, stopping to discuss the main character's feelings and actions throughout the story. Define empathy as understanding and sharing the feelings of others. Discuss why empathy is important in building positive relationships with friends and classmates.

Guided Practice:

For the guided practice activity, have students participate in an empathy activity. Have students partner up and take turns expressing their feelings using the emotion cards. Encourage students to listen actively and show empathy towards their partner by acknowledging their feelings and offering support or comfort.

Independent Practice:

For independent practice, have students create a project based on empathy. This could include drawing a picture about a time they showed empathy towards someone else, writing a short story about a character who shows empathy, or creating a poster that promotes empathy within the classroom.

Closure:

To wrap up the lesson, have students reflect on what they learned about empathy and share one way they can show empathy towards others. Ask students to share how they will use empathy in their interactions with classmates and friends.

Assessment:

Assess students' understanding of empathy by observing their participation in the guided practice activity, reviewing their independent practice projects, and listening to their reflections during closure.

Differentiation:

For students with special needs, provide visual aids, simplified language, and additional support during the guided practice activity. Offer alternative ways for students to demonstrate their understanding, such as using role-playing or drawing instead of writing for the independent practice project. Provide extra time and support as needed for students to complete the tasks.