Switch Story Script

Introduction: What is Empathy? (5 minutes)

(Display Walk in Shoes Slides - Slide 1: "Walk in Someone Else's Shoes?")

"Good morning, everyone! Look at this question: Walk in Someone Else's Shoes? What do you think that means? (Pause for student responses). That's a great way to put it! Today, we're going to talk about something really important called empathy.

(Display Walk in Shoes Slides - Slide 2: "What is Empathy?")

"Empathy means understanding and sharing the feelings of another person. It's like putting yourself in their place and trying to imagine how they feel or what they are thinking. Why do you think it's important to understand how other people feel? (Allow a few student responses).

(Display Walk in Shoes Slides - Slide 3: "What is Perspective?")

"Closely related to empathy is perspective. Perspective is simply how someone sees and understands a situation or a story. We all have our own unique perspectives, which means we might see the same thing very differently! Today, we're going to practice 'flipping our empathy switch' by imagining a story from different characters' points of view."

Story Read-Aloud & Initial Discussion (10 minutes)

(Display Walk in Shoes Slides - Slide 4: "Our Story: [Book Title Here]")

"I have a special story for us today: [Insert Book Title and Author Here]. As I read, I want you to pay close attention not just to what happens, but to how different characters might be feeling or thinking."

(Read the chosen picture book aloud. After reading, ask initial comprehension questions from the main character's viewpoint. For example:)

• "What was [Main Character's Name] trying to do in the story?"
• "How did [Main Character's Name] feel when [event happened]?"

"Now, here's where it gets interesting! We're going to hear parts of this story again, but this time, through another character's eyes. We're going to 'flip our empathy switch'!

Model Viewpoint Switch & Group Retell Practice (10 minutes)

(Display Walk in Shoes Slides - Slide 5: "Flipping the Empathy Switch: A New Viewpoint!")

"I'm going to show you how to do this. Let's think about [specific character from the story, e.g., The Big Bad Wolf from The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!]. In the original story, he seemed pretty bad, right? But what if we 'flip our empathy switch' and try to understand his perspective?"

(Model retelling a key event from the story from a different character's perspective. For example:)

"Okay, so I'm the Wolf. I was just trying to borrow a cup of sugar for my grandma's birthday cake. My nose was itching, and I had a terrible sneeze! When I sneezed, those little pig houses just... fell down. It wasn't my fault! I was just hungry, and when I saw all that delicious ham inside, well, what would you do? I certainly didn't mean any harm!"

(Display Walk in Shoes Slides - Slide 6: "Your Turn: Group Perspective Practice")

"See how different that sounds? Now it's your turn! I'm going to divide you into small groups. Each group will get a character from our story (or think about an event) and you will discuss how that character might have felt or what they might have thought during a particular part of the story."

"(Optional: If using, distribute Character Hat Props Activity). You can wear your character hat to help you get into character!"

"In your groups, talk about these questions:

• What did your character see or hear?
• How did they feel? What emotions were they experiencing?
• What did they think? What was going through their mind?

"I'll walk around to help you out. Remember, there's no right or wrong answer, just different ways of looking at things!"

(Circulate among groups, providing prompts and support.)

Share & Feelings Check-Out (5 minutes)

(Display Walk in Shoes Slides - Slide 7: "Let's Share Our Perspectives!")

"Alright, class, let's hear some of your amazing perspective retellings! Who would like to share how their character experienced the story? (Call on a few groups to share their retellings.)"

(Display Walk in Shoes Slides - Slide 8: "Keep Flipping Your Empathy Switch!")

"Fantastic job, everyone! You truly 'flipped your empathy switch' today. Remember, understanding different perspectives is a superpower. It helps us understand characters in books better, and it helps us understand our friends, family, and everyone around us in real life. Keep practicing your empathy switch!"

Character Hat Props Activity

These simple character hat props are designed to help students physically embody the character whose perspective they are taking during the group retelling activity. This can enhance engagement and creative thinking.

Materials Needed:

• Construction paper or cardstock (various colors)
• Scissors
• Glue sticks or tape
• Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
• Stapler (optional, for securing bands)

Instructions:

Preparation (Teacher):

1. Identify Key Characters: Before class, identify the main characters from your chosen story whose perspectives students will be taking. (e.g., The Wolf, Pig #1, Pig #2, Pig #3 for The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!).
2. Pre-cut Paper Strips: Cut strips of construction paper, approximately 2 inches wide and long enough to fit around a student's head (you may need to combine two strips for a full head circumference).
3. Optional: Pre-draw/Print Character Elements: For younger students or to save time, you can pre-draw or print simple elements associated with each character (e.g., wolf ears, pig snout, straw/stick/brick shapes for the pigs). You can also just have blank paper ready for students to draw their own.

In-Class Activity (Students):

1. Distribute Materials: When it's time for the group retelling practice (Flip the Empathy Switch Lesson Plan -