lenny

Empathy: More Than A Feeling!

Lesson Plan

Empathy: More Than A Feeling! Lesson Plan

Students will be able to define empathy, distinguish it from sympathy, and create a three-step "Empathy Action Plan" for a common classroom problem.

Understanding and practicing empathy helps students build stronger relationships, resolve conflicts, and create a more supportive and inclusive classroom community.

Audience

2nd Grade

Time

20 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, video, and group activity.

Materials

Empathy Slide Deck, Short Video on Empathy Activity, Pencils or markers, and Empathy Action Plan Worksheet

Prep

Teacher Preparation

10 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: A Time Someone Helped Me (5 minutes)

5 minutes

  • Begin with a quick write or pair-share activity.
    - Ask students: "Think of a time someone helped you when you were feeling sad, frustrated, or upset. How did their help make you feel?"
    - Facilitate a brief class share-out. (Connect to Empathy Slide Deck - Slide 1)

Step 2

What is Empathy? Video and Discussion (7 minutes)

7 minutes

Step 3

Empathy Action Plan Group Activity (5 minutes)

5 minutes

  • Divide students into pre-assigned small groups.
    - Introduce a common classroom problem (e.g.,

Step 4

Group Presentations and Feedback (3 minutes)

3 minutes

  • Have each group quickly present their "Empathy Action Plan" to the class.
    - Encourage positive feedback and one actionable suggestion per group.
    - Conclude by reinforcing the idea that empathy is about understanding AND acting. (Connect to Empathy Slide Deck - Slide 7)
lenny
0 educators
use Lenny to create lessons.

No credit card needed

Slide Deck

Warm-Up: Helping Hands

Think of a time someone helped you when you were feeling sad, frustrated, or upset. How did their help make you feel? Share with a partner!

Welcome students. Begin with the warm-up activity. 'Think of a time someone helped you when you were feeling sad, frustrated, or upset. How did their help make you feel? Let's share a few ideas.'

What is Empathy?

Empathy is when you understand how someone else is feeling, as if you are in their shoes! It's not just feeling sorry for them, but really trying to 'get' what they are going through.

Introduce the term 'empathy.' Explain that it's more than just feeling sad for someone (sympathy); it's about trying to understand how they feel and why they feel that way. Use simple language and examples.

Empathy vs. Sympathy

Sympathy: Feeling sorry for someone.
Empathy: Understanding and sharing someone's feelings. You try to imagine what it's like to be them.

Explain the difference between empathy and sympathy. Sympathy is feeling for someone. Empathy is feeling with someone and understanding. Show the video to further illustrate.

What did you see in the video that showed empathy?

Play the 'Short Video on Empathy' now. After the video, ask students to share what they noticed about empathy in the video.

Discuss: Why Empathy Matters

  • Why is it important to understand how others feel?
    - How can understanding someone's feelings help you decide what to do?

Facilitate a short discussion to deepen understanding. Ask: 'Why is it important to understand how others feel? How can understanding help us?'

Your Empathy Action Plan!

  1. Identify the Feeling: What is the person feeling?
    2. Understand Why: Why might they be feeling that way?
    3. Choose an Action: What can you do to help or show you understand?

Introduce the 'Empathy Action Plan.' Explain that after understanding, the next step is to act. Give them the worksheet and guide them through the steps.

Group Work: Make a Plan

In your groups, create a 3-step 'Empathy Action Plan' for our classroom problem using your worksheet.

Guide students to work in groups on the worksheet. Circulate and assist. Afterwards, have groups present their plans.

Empathy: A Superpower!

Empathy helps us understand each other and makes our classroom a kinder, happier place. Keep practicing your empathy superpower!

Conclude the lesson by emphasizing that empathy is a superpower that helps everyone feel better.

lenny

Activity

Short Video on Empathy

Watch this short video to learn more about what empathy looks like!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP503yE9s_k

## Discussion Questions:
1. What did you notice about how the characters in the video showed they understood each other's feelings?



2. Can you think of a time when someone showed you empathy? How did it feel?



3. What's one new thing you learned about empathy from this video?

lenny
lenny

Worksheet

My Empathy Action Plan

Classroom Problem: Someone accidentally knocked over another student's tower of blocks, and the student is very upset.

---

## Step 1: Identify the Feeling
What do you think the student whose tower was knocked over is feeling?





## Step 2: Understand Why
Why do you think they might be feeling that way?





## Step 3: Choose an Action
What can you do or say to show you understand and help?
(Think of at least two ideas!)

1.



2.




Bonus Challenge: What is one kind thing you could say to both students involved?

lenny
lenny