Lesson Plan

Empathy Role-Play Guide

Students will practice stepping into others’ shoes through structured role-play scenarios to identify and respond to emotions empathetically, using the Empathy Performance Rubric to guide their interactions.

Building empathy strengthens peer relationships, reduces conflict, and promotes a supportive classroom culture by helping students recognize and validate each other’s feelings.

Audience

Time

Approach

Materials

Prep

Teacher Preparation

10 minutes

Step 1

Introduction to Empathy

5 minutes

Step 2

Teacher Modeling

10 minutes

Step 3

Pair Role-Play Practice

25 minutes

Step 4

Group Debrief Discussion

15 minutes

Step 5

Differentiation Strategies

Ongoing

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Slide Deck

Walk in Their Shoes

What Is Empathy?

Why Empathy Matters

Empathy in Action: Example Dialogue

Empathy Performance Rubric

Role-Play Instructions

Reflection Questions

Next Steps

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Activity

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Discussion

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Rubric

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Empathy in Action

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Deedrea Herrera

Tier 2
For Schools
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