Lesson Plan
Empathy in Action Plan
Students will practice empathy by identifying emotions, role-playing diverse perspectives, and reflecting on active listening to strengthen peer connections.
Empathy builds essential relationship skills, enhances social understanding, and fosters a supportive classroom community, reducing conflicts and boosting cooperation.
Audience
6th Grade Group
Time
60 minutes
Approach
Role-play, games, and reflection.
Prep
Preparation
10 minutes
- Review the Empathy in Action Plan
- Print and cut out the Emotion Charades Cards
- Familiarize yourself with the Walk in Their Shoes Slides and Facilitator Role-Play Prompts
- Arrange seating for small-group role-plays
- Queue up slides and test any AV equipment
Step 1
Introduction & Ground Rules
5 minutes
- Welcome students and state the session’s purpose: deepening empathy through activities
- Establish norms: active listening, respect, confidentiality
- Briefly introduce CASEL’s relationship skills framework
- Show slide 1 of Walk in Their Shoes Slides to visualize empathy concepts
Step 2
Emotion Charades Activity
15 minutes
- Distribute Emotion Charades Cards to each student
- Students take turns acting out the emotion while peers guess
- After each turn, ask: “How could you tell which emotion was being shown?”
- Highlight the importance of observing nonverbal cues for empathy
Step 3
Walk in Their Shoes Role-Play
20 minutes
- Divide students into pairs or trios
- Assign each group a scenario from Walk in Their Shoes Slides
- Provide Facilitator Role-Play Prompts to guide each role-play
- Encourage students to switch roles and practice active listening
- Circulate and offer feedback on empathetic responses
Step 4
Reflective Share-Out
15 minutes
- Reconvene as a whole group
- Use the Reflective Share-Out Discussion Guide to prompt reflections:
- What did you notice about your partner’s emotions?
- How did it feel to switch perspectives?
- Which listening strategies were most helpful?
- Encourage students to link experiences to real-life situations
Step 5
Wrap-Up & Next Steps
5 minutes
- Summarize key takeaways on empathy and listening
- Preview next session’s focus or homework: observe one empathetic interaction at home or school
- Thank students for participation and remind them of group norms for future sessions
Slide Deck
Walk in Their Shoes
Exploring empathy through perspective-taking and active listening.
Today we’ll learn how to notice emotions, step into others’ experiences, and respond with care.
Welcome students and introduce the slide deck. Explain that “walking in someone’s shoes” means understanding how others feel and why. Set expectations for respectful participation.
What Is Empathy?
• Empathy is understanding and sharing another person’s feelings.
• Cognitive empathy: knowing how someone feels.
• Affective empathy: feeling what they feel.
Define empathy. Emphasize it’s different from sympathy—empathy is feeling with someone, not just feeling for them.
Why Empathy Matters
• Builds trust and stronger relationships
• Reduces conflicts and misunderstandings
• Creates a supportive environment where everyone feels heard
Discuss why empathy matters for our classroom community, friendships, and conflict resolution.
Observing Nonverbal Cues
• Facial expressions (smiles, frowns)
• Tone of voice (soft, loud, hesitant)
• Body posture (open vs. closed)
• Gestures (shrugs, crossed arms)
Highlight nonverbal cues like facial expressions and body language. Show examples or mimic expressions.
Scenario 1: Lost Lunch
Alex can’t find their lunch in the cafeteria and feels embarrassed.
Jamie finds the lunch and doesn’t know what to do.
Role-play: Alex and Jamie discuss what happened.
Introduce Scenario 1. Ask students to read roles and imagine how each person might feel.
Scenario 2: Friendship Conflict
Morgan overheard Riley saying something mean about them.
Riley thought it was just a joke.
Role-play: Morgan and Riley talk through the disagreement.
Present Scenario 2 and encourage students to consider both sides before role-playing.
Scenario 3: New Student
Taylor just moved to this school and feels left out.
Chris wants to help but isn’t sure how.
Role-play: Chris invites Taylor to join an activity.
Outline Scenario 3. Ask students to think how a new student might feel on the first day.
How to Listen Actively
- Make eye contact and give your full attention.
- Ask open-ended questions:
• “How did that make you feel?” - Reflect back what you hear:
• “It sounds like you were upset when…”
Explain active listening steps: focus fully, clarify, reflect back feelings.
Practicing Empathy
- Divide into small groups and assign roles.
- Use active listening steps during each role-play.
- Switch roles so everyone practices different perspectives.
- Offer kind feedback to each other.
Guide students through the role-play instructions: assign roles, practice, switch roles.
Reflection Questions
• What did you notice about your partner’s feelings?
• How did it feel to step into someone else’s shoes?
• Which listening skill was most helpful?
• How can you use empathy in real life?
Wrap up with reflection questions. Encourage specific examples from the role-plays.
Script
Facilitator Role-Play Prompts
Use these prompts to guide your small‐group role-plays. Read the teacher lines exactly, pause for your students to respond, then use the follow-up lines to deepen their empathy and listening skills.
Before You Begin
Teacher: “All right, everyone! We’re about to practice three different scenarios in small groups. Each person will have a role to play. First, take one minute to read your scenario and decide who will be which character. Then we’ll run the scene twice so everyone practices. Remember our active listening steps: make eye contact, ask open-ended questions, and reflect back what you hear.”
Pause 60 seconds while students prepare.
Scenario 1: Lost Lunch
Teacher: “Alex, you’ve just realized your lunch is missing and you feel embarrassed. Jamie, you find the lunch but aren’t sure what to do next. Alex, please start by telling Jamie how you feel.”
Pause for student role-play.
Teacher: “Jamie, can you reflect back what Alex just said using ‘It sounds like…’?”
Pause.
Teacher: “Alex, how did it feel hearing Jamie’s reflection? Share that with Jamie.”
Pause.
Teacher: “Great work! Now swap roles and try it again so everyone gets a turn.”
Scenario 2: Friendship Conflict
Teacher: “Morgan, you overheard Riley making a mean joke about you and feel hurt. Riley, you thought it was just a joke with no harm intended. Morgan, please tell Riley what you felt when you heard that comment.”
Pause.
Teacher: “Riley, what open-ended question could you ask to understand Morgan’s feelings better? Try starting with ‘How did…?’”
Pause.
Teacher: “Morgan, how do you feel about Riley’s question? Respond using an empathetic statement.”
Pause.
Teacher: “Excellent listening! Switch roles now and practice again.”
Scenario 3: New Student
Teacher: “Taylor, you’re the new student and you feel left out. Chris, you want to help but don’t know how. Chris, invite Taylor to join an activity and show empathy.”
Pause.
Teacher: “Taylor, reflect back what Chris just said to show you were listening.”
Pause.
Teacher: “Chris, ask Taylor an open-ended question about how they’re feeling at school today.”
Pause.
Teacher: “Taylor, let Chris know how hearing that question makes you feel.”
Pause.
Teacher: “Swap roles one more time and repeat!”
Throughout Every Role-Play
- Praise students for making eye contact and using ‘It sounds like…’ statements:
Teacher: “Nice job using a reflection!” - Remind them to notice nonverbal cues:
Teacher: “I saw you lean in and nod—wonderful active listening.” - Encourage kindness and respect at every step.
Use these prompts to keep your small groups on track, make empathy explicit, and help students build their relationship skills.
Activity
Emotion Charades Instructions
Purpose: Help students observe and express nonverbal cues to deepen empathy.
Materials Needed:
- Printed Emotion Charades Cards (one per student)
- Timer or stopwatch
Setup:
- Cut out each card and place them in a stack face down.
- Arrange students in a circle so everyone can view the actor.
How to Play:
- One student draws a card and quietly reads the emotion.
- Student acts out the emotion without words (using facial expressions, body language).
- The rest of the group guesses which emotion is being portrayed.
- After a correct guess, discuss:
- “What nonverbal cues gave it away?”
- “How did the actor’s posture or facial expression help you understand their feeling?”
- Rotate to the next student. Continue until each student has acted at least once.
Follow-Up Reflection:
- Ask: “Why is noticing nonverbal cues important for empathy?”
- Ask: “How can we use these cues in real conversations?”
Emotion Charades Cards
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Surprised
- Nervous
- Excited
- Frustrated
- Proud
- Shy
- Confused
- Embarrassed
- Worried
- Calm
- Hopeful
- Lonely
Discussion
Reflective Share-Out Discussion Guide
Purpose:
Facilitate a whole‐group reflection that helps students consolidate their role-play experiences, deepen understanding of empathy and active listening, and connect skills to real-life situations.
Setup & Norms (5 minutes):
- Arrange seats in a circle so everyone sees each other.
- Remind students of group norms:
- One speaker at a time
- Respectful listening (no interrupting)
- Confidentiality: what’s shared here stays here
- Use “I” statements and specific examples
Discussion Questions & Structure
- Noticing Emotions (5 minutes)
- Teacher Prompt: “What did you notice about your partner’s emotions during the role-play?”
- Student Think Time:
- Sample Follow-Up:
• “Can you point to a moment when you saw a change in their expression?”
• “Which nonverbal cue helped you understand how they were feeling?”
- Stepping into Their Shoes (5 minutes)
- Teacher Prompt: “How did it feel to switch perspectives and play the other person?”
- Student Think Time:
- Sample Follow-Up:
• “Was there anything surprising about how that character felt?”
• “How did this change the way you think about someone else’s experience?”
- Active Listening Skills (5 minutes)
- Teacher Prompt: “Which listening strategy (eye contact, open questions, reflection) was most helpful, and why?”
- Student Think Time:
- Sample Follow-Up:
• “Give an example of an open-ended question you used.”
• “How did reflecting back with ‘It sounds like…’ affect the conversation?”
- Real-World Connections (5 minutes)
- Teacher Prompt: “When and where could you use these empathy skills outside of class?”
- Student Think Time:
- Sample Follow-Up:
• “Describe a situation at home or in the hallway where you might try this.”
• “What cues would you look for in that setting?”
- Action Planning (5 minutes)
- Teacher Prompt: “What is one concrete step you will take this week to practice empathy or active listening?”
- Student Write/Share Time:
- Encourage volunteers to share their action plan.
Extension & Resources
- Reinforce nonverbal awareness using Emotion Charades Cards.
- Revisit examples on the Walk in Their Shoes Slides for additional scenarios.
- Collect anonymous reflections for teacher feedback.
Teacher Tip: Keep notes on each student’s insights to tailor the next session. Use their action plans to check progress and celebrate successes.