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Empathy Action Plan

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Lesson Plan

Empathy Action Plan

Guide a 5th grade boy through a 7-week individualized plan to build empathy skills, practice perspective-taking, monitor unkind behavior, and learn conflict resolution strategies with clear goals for identifying peers’ emotions, responding kindly, and reflecting on actions.

Empathy fosters positive peer relationships, reduces conflicts, and improves self-regulation. This plan equips the student with tools to pause, understand others’ feelings, choose kind responses, and resolve disagreements effectively, enhancing his social success and classroom climate.

Audience

5th Grade

Time

7 weeks, 30 minutes per session

Approach

Weekly targeted sessions with scenarios, journaling, monitoring, and conflict resolution practice.

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

20 minutes

Step 1

Session 1: Understanding Empathy

30 minutes

  • Introduce the concept of empathy and its importance.
  • Use Empathy Scenario Cards for guided discussion: identify how characters feel.
  • Model empathetic vs. unkind responses.
  • Student completes first entry in Empathy Journal Template.
  • Set a personalized empathy goal for Week 1.

Step 2

Session 2: Perspective Taking

30 minutes

Step 3

Session 3: Emotion Identification

30 minutes

  • Discuss common emotional cues (facial expressions, tone).
  • Sort Empathy Scenario Cards by emotions shown.
  • Student creates one original scenario illustrating empathy or unkindness.
  • Complete next journal entry.
  • Track real incidents in Behavior Monitoring Chart.

Step 4

Session 4: Kindness in Action

30 minutes

  • Review Behavior Monitoring Chart for Week 4.
  • Brainstorm kind actions the student can take in group settings.
  • Student develops a kindness action plan and records it in the journal.
  • Practice executing one small act of kindness through role-play.
  • Add reflections to Empathy Journal Template.

Step 5

Session 5: Real-Life Application

30 minutes

  • Analyze entries in Behavior Monitoring Chart and journal.
  • Identify patterns of unkind behavior and triggers.
  • Discuss strategies for pausing before reacting.
  • Student practices self-talk techniques in mini role-plays.
  • Update empathy journal and set a goal for Week 6.

Step 6

Session 6: Reflection and Next Steps

30 minutes

  • Conduct a full review of the six-week journey using Weekly Reflection Worksheet.
  • Compare initial goals to current progress in journal and chart.
  • Celebrate successes and identify remaining challenges.
  • Co-create a long-term self-regulation and empathy plan.
  • Plan check-in dates for continued support.

Step 7

Session 7: Conflict Resolution Strategies

30 minutes

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Slide Deck

Empathy Action Plan

Tier 3 Individual Plan for a 5th Grade Student
• 7 weekly sessions, 30 minutes each
• Build empathy skills, practice perspective-taking, reduce unkind behaviors, and learn conflict resolution
• Tools: Scenario cards, journal, monitoring chart, reflection worksheet, conflict resolution tools

Welcome everyone! Today we kick off our 6-week Empathy Action Plan. Explain the purpose of the plan and set a positive tone.

Session 1: Understanding Empathy

Objective: Define empathy and explore why it matters
Materials:
• Empathy Scenario Cards
• Empathy Journal Template

Introduce Session 1 focus: understanding empathy.

What Is Empathy?

• Empathy is noticing and understanding others’ feelings
• Helps us build friendships and solve conflicts
• We “walk in someone else’s shoes” before we act

Discuss what empathy means vs. sympathy and why we need it.

Scenario Practice

  1. Choose a card from Empathy Scenario Cards
  2. Identify how the character feels and why
  3. Suggest an empathetic response vs. an unkind response

Use two example scenario cards to guide discussion.

Journal Prompt

Using Empathy Journal Template:
• Describe a recent time you noticed a friend’s feelings
• How did you respond? Was it kind or unkind?
• Set your Week 1 empathy goal

Have the student complete first journal entry.

Session 2: Perspective Taking

Objective: Practice seeing situations from others’ viewpoints
Materials:
• The Empathy Interview: Stepping into Their Shoes
• Empathy Journal Template

Introduce Session 2 focus: understanding perspective-taking through a deeper dive. We'll be using a new activity today.

What Is Perspective Taking?

• Imagining how someone else thinks or feels
• Key to choosing kind, helpful actions
• Helps us pause and avoid unkind outbursts

Review last week’s work and introduce perspective taking.

The Empathy Interview

• Understand feelings by interviewing a trusted adult
• Use The Empathy Interview: Stepping into Their Shoes to guide your questions
• Plan who you will interview and when

Introduce the Empathy Interview activity. Explain its purpose and how it differs from scenario cards by providing a real-life connection. Discuss who the student might interview (a trusted adult) and how to approach them. Provide the student with the Empathy Interview worksheet to plan.

Reflection

In your Empathy Journal Template:
• How does interviewing someone help you understand their feelings?
• What do you hope to learn from your interview?

Guide the student in reflecting on the Empathy Interview. Prompt them to consider what they expect to learn and how this activity will deepen their understanding of empathy. Have them record these initial thoughts in their journal.

Session 3: Emotion Identification

Objective: Recognize emotional cues and practice categorizing feelings
Materials:
• Empathy Scenario Cards
• Behavior Monitoring Chart

Session 3 intro.

Reading Emotional Cues

• Facial expressions (smile, frown, raised eyebrows)
• Tone (soft vs. loud)
• Body posture (slumped vs. open)

Discuss facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language.

Sorting & Creation

  1. Sort Empathy Scenario Cards by emotion shown
  2. Write one original scenario showing kindness or unkindness

Have student sort cards by emotion and create a new scenario.

Monitoring Behavior

Use the Behavior Monitoring Chart:
• Log any unkind incidents
• Note triggers and feelings before and after

Introduce behavior tracking.

Session 4: Kindness in Action

Objective: Brainstorm and plan kind actions
Materials:
• Empathy Journal Template
• Behavior Monitoring Chart

Session 4 intro.

Brainstorming Kindness

• Look at Week 3 incidents on chart
• Generate 5 simple kindness ideas for group settings
• Choose one to practice

Review tracked incidents and brainstorm solutions.

Role-Play Kindness

  1. Act out your chosen kind action
  2. Discuss how it might make others feel
  3. Record reflections in your journal

Practice the chosen act through role-play.

Session 5: Real-Life Application

Objective: Identify patterns and practice self-regulation
Materials:
• Behavior Monitoring Chart
• Empathy Journal Template

Session 5 intro.

Pattern Analysis

• Review your chart and journal entries
• What situations trigger unkind behavior?
• How can you pause and choose a better response?

Analyze patterns and triggers.

Self-Talk Strategies

Examples:
• “I can take a deep breath before I speak.”
• “What would a good friend say?”
Role-play these before real interactions.

Teach self-talk techniques and practice.

Session 6: Reflection & Next Steps

Objective: Review progress and plan for the future
Materials:
• Weekly Reflection Worksheet
• Journal & Chart

Session 6 intro.

Reflect & Celebrate

• Compare initial goals to current progress
• Highlight successes and challenges
• Complete Weekly Reflection Worksheet

Lead full review and celebrate.

Long-Term Empathy Plan

• Decide on ongoing check-in dates
• Set new empathy goals for the next month
• Identify support strategies and resources

Co-create a long-term plan and schedule check-ins.

Session 7: Conflict Resolution

Objective: Learn and practice steps for resolving conflicts peacefully.
Materials:
• Conflict Resolution Steps Worksheet
• Conflict Scenario Cards
• Empathy Journal Template

Introduce the new session focused on conflict resolution strategies. Emphasize that resolving conflicts peacefully is another way to show empathy.

Understanding Conflict

• Conflicts are disagreements – they happen to everyone!
• We can learn to solve them peacefully.
• Our goal: understand, communicate, and find fair solutions.

Today we will learn the steps from our Conflict Resolution Steps Worksheet.

Discuss common types of conflicts (e.g., disagreements over toys, unfair turns, misunderstandings). Emphasize that conflicts are normal but how we handle them matters. Introduce the Conflict Resolution Steps Worksheet and go through each step, ensuring understanding.

Practice: Solving Conflicts

  1. Pick a Conflict Scenario Card.
  2. Identify the conflict and feelings.
  3. Apply the steps from your Conflict Resolution Steps Worksheet.
  4. Let's role-play one solution!

Use 2-3 Conflict Scenario Cards to guide practice. For each card, have the student identify the conflict, how people might feel (linking back to empathy), and then walk through the steps on the Conflict Resolution Steps Worksheet to find a solution. Role-play one scenario, focusing on active listening and using "I" statements.

Journal & Goal Setting

In your Empathy Journal Template:
• What did you learn about resolving conflicts today?
• What is one conflict resolution step you will try this week?
• How will using these steps help you and others?

Have the student reflect on what they learned about conflict resolution and set a personal goal for practicing a specific step or using an "I" statement in a future conflict. Record this in their Empathy Journal Template.

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Worksheet

Empathy Scenario Cards

Print and cut along the dotted lines. On each card:

  1. Read the situation.
  2. Identify how the person might feel.
  3. Brainstorm an empathetic response and note an unkind response to avoid.

Scenario Card 1

Situation: Your classmate just got back a test with a grade lower than they hoped.

How might this person feel?



What could you say or do to show empathy?






What is an unkind response to avoid?





Scenario Card 2

Situation: A friend is left out when classmates form teams for a game.

How might this person feel?



What could you say or do to show empathy?






What is an unkind response to avoid?





Scenario Card 3

Situation: Someone’s carefully built class project accidentally breaks just before presenting.

How might this person feel?



What could you say or do to show empathy?






What is an unkind response to avoid?





Scenario Card 4

Situation: A peer realizes they forgot their lunch and are hungry at lunch period.

How might this person feel?



What could you say or do to show empathy?






What is an unkind response to avoid?





Scenario Card 5

Situation: A classmate looks nervous before speaking in front of the class.

How might this person feel?



What could you say or do to show empathy?






What is an unkind response to avoid?





Scenario Card 6

Situation: Someone is teased because of the clothes or shoes they’re wearing.

How might this person feel?



What could you say or do to show empathy?






What is an unkind response to avoid?





Scenario Card 7

Situation: A friend gets frustrated trying to finish difficult homework.

How might this person feel?



What could you say or do to show empathy?






What is an unkind response to avoid?





Scenario Card 8

Situation: A new student sits alone at recess and doesn’t know anyone yet.

How might this person feel?



What could you say or do to show empathy?






What is an unkind response to avoid?





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Worksheet

Empathy Journal Template

Date: ____________________

  1. Describe a situation today where you noticed someone’s feelings:





  2. How did you feel about this situation?





  3. What did you say or do in response? Was your response kind or unkind? Explain.








  4. How do you think the other person felt after your response?





  5. If you could do it again, what could you say or do differently to show more empathy?








  6. Reflect on your empathy goal for this week. Did you meet it? Why or why not?








  7. Set a new empathy goal for tomorrow:





Keep this journal for our weekly check-in to track your progress and celebrate successes!

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Worksheet

Behavior Monitoring Chart

Use this chart each time you notice an unkind or hurtful interaction. Record the details, track how you felt before and after, and reflect on what you can do differently next time.

DateSituation / What Happened?Trigger / What Led Up to It?My Response (What I Did / Said)Emotion BeforeEmotion AfterReflection / What Can I Do Differently?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
 
Tips:
  • Be honest about what happened and how you felt.
  • Use your reflections to set a goal for kind responses next time.
  • We will review this chart together each week to celebrate improvements and plan next steps.
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Worksheet

Weekly Reflection Worksheet

Week #: __________

  1. What was your empathy goal for this week?


  2. Did you meet your goal? Why or why not?





  3. Describe one moment this week when you showed empathy. How did it go?





  4. Describe a situation where you struggled to be empathetic. What happened?







  5. What triggered unkind behavior? How did you respond and how could you respond differently next time?







  6. Which strategies or tools helped you improve your empathy this week? Which will you focus on next week?





  7. Set your empathy goal(s) for next week:





  8. Teacher/Coach Comments:







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Activity

The Empathy Interview: Stepping into Their Shoes

Objective: To practice active listening and perspective-taking by interviewing a trusted adult about a significant emotional experience.

Instructions:

  1. Choose Your Interviewee: Think of a trusted adult (parent, guardian, teacher, older relative) you feel comfortable talking to. Ask them if they would be willing to share a story about a time they felt a strong emotion (like happiness, sadness, frustration, excitement, or pride). Explain that you're learning about empathy and want to understand their experience.
  2. Conduct the Interview: When you talk to them, ask these questions. Listen carefully to their answers and try to imagine how they felt.
    • "Can you tell me about a time you felt really [choose an emotion like happy, sad, frustrated]? What happened?"





    • "What were you thinking at that moment?"





    • "What did it feel like in your body when you were experiencing that emotion?"





    • "What did you do or say in response?"





    • "What did you learn from that experience?"





    • "If someone were trying to show you empathy in that situation, what would have been most helpful?"





  3. Reflect and Share: After your interview, think about what you learned. How did listening to their story help you understand their feelings? Be ready to share some of your reflections in our next session.
    • "What surprised you most about their experience?"





    • "How was imagining their feelings different from just guessing?"





    • "What did you learn about showing empathy from this interview?"





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Worksheet

Conflict Resolution Steps: Find Your Way to Peace

Learning to resolve conflicts peacefully helps everyone! Use these steps when you have a disagreement with someone.

Step 1: Stay Calm (Take a Breath!)

Before you do anything, take a few deep breaths. When you are calm, you can think more clearly and choose better words.

  • My plan for staying calm:


Step 2: Talk and Listen (Use "I" Statements)

Explain how you feel without blaming the other person. Listen carefully to what they say, even if you disagree. Try to understand their side.

  • When I feel upset, I can say: "I feel _________ when ________________________________________. I need ________________________________________."

Step 3: Find Solutions (Brainstorm Ideas)

Think of different ways to solve the problem that are fair to everyone. Don't worry if the ideas sound silly at first – just list them!

  • Some ideas for solving conflicts peacefully:





Step 4: Choose a Solution (Pick the Best Fit)

Discuss the solutions you brainstormed. Pick one that you both agree on and that seems fair.

  • My favorite conflict resolution strategy is:


Step 5: Try it Out & Review (Did it Work?)

Put your chosen solution into action. Later, check in with each other. Did it solve the problem? What could you do differently next time?

  • After solving a conflict, I will ask myself:


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Worksheet

Conflict Scenario Cards

Print and cut along the dotted lines. On each card:

  1. Read the situation.
  2. Identify the conflict and how each person might feel.
  3. Apply the Conflict Resolution Steps Worksheet to find a peaceful solution.

Conflict Scenario Card 1

Situation: You and a friend both want to play with the same toy at recess, but there's only one.

What's the conflict?



How might each person feel?



How can you use the Conflict Resolution Steps to solve this?








Conflict Scenario Card 2

Situation: Your classmate accidentally knocks over your carefully built block tower.

What's the conflict?



How might each person feel?



How can you use the Conflict Resolution Steps to solve this?








Conflict Scenario Card 3

Situation: You and your group members can't agree on who should do which part of a school project.

What's the conflict?



How might each person feel?



How can you use the Conflict Resolution Steps to solve this?








Conflict Scenario Card 4

Situation: Someone keeps interrupting you while you're trying to share an idea in class.

What's the conflict?



How might each person feel?



How can you use the Conflict Resolution Steps to solve this?








Conflict Scenario Card 5

Situation: A peer spreads a rumor about you that isn't true.

What's the conflict?



How might each person feel?



How can you use the Conflict Resolution Steps to solve this?








Conflict Scenario Card 6

Situation: You and a sibling disagree on what game to play, and neither wants to give in.

What's the conflict?



How might each person feel?



How can you use the Conflict Resolution Steps to solve this?








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