Heartfelt Help: Unseen Needs - Script

Introduction (5 minutes)

"Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Today, we're going to talk about something really important: helping others and understanding how they feel. We're going to explore how we can offer 'Heartfelt Help' in our community."

(Display Slide 1: Heartfelt Help: Unseen Needs)

"First, let's think about our community. What are some things you see people doing to help each other?" (Allow a few student responses)

What is Community Service? (5 minutes)

(Display Slide 2: What is Community Service?)

"So, when we talk about helping others in our community without expecting payment, that's called community service. It's about giving our time and effort to make our neighborhood, school, or town a better place for everyone."

"Can anyone share an example of community service they've seen or participated in? Maybe helping clean up a park, collecting food for a food drive, or visiting people in a nursing home?"

"These are wonderful examples! Community service is a powerful way to show we care."

What is Empathy? (5 minutes)

(Display Slide 3: What is Empathy?)

"Now, another big word we'll be talking about is empathy. Empathy is when you truly try to understand and share the feelings of another person. It's not just feeling sorry for someone, but trying to imagine what it's like to be them and feel what they feel."

"Why do you think it's important to try and understand how someone else feels?"

"Exactly! When we understand how others feel, we can better connect with them and offer the right kind of help."

Visible vs. Unseen Needs (5 minutes)

(Display Slide 4: Visible vs. Unseen Needs)

"When we look for ways to help, some needs are very easy to see. For example, if someone is shivering outside in the cold, their need for warmth is pretty visible, right? If someone drops their books, their need for help picking them up is visible."

"But here's a challenge: sometimes, people have needs that aren't so easy to spot. These are called unseen needs. Can you think of any needs that might be 'unseen'?"

"Great ideas! Someone might be feeling lonely even if they're surrounded by people. Someone might be struggling with a school project but too shy to ask for help. Or maybe someone is feeling sad inside, but they're trying to act brave on the outside."

How Can We Find Unseen Needs? (5 minutes)

(Display Slide 5: How Can We Find Unseen Needs?)

"So, how can we be detectives of kindness and find these unseen needs? It takes a bit of empathy!"

"We can:"

• Observe: Look closely at people's body language or changes in their routine.
• Listen: Really hear what people are saying, and sometimes, what they aren't saying.
• Ask with Kindness: Sometimes, the best way to find out is to gently ask, 'Are you doing okay?' or 'Do you need a hand with anything?'"

"What's one way you could try to notice if a friend or family member has an unseen need this week?"

How Can We Help? (5 minutes)

(Display Slide 6: How Can We Help?)

"Once we spot a need, whether it's visible or unseen, what can we do? We can help! Our help doesn't always have to be a big, grand gesture. Small acts of kindness can make a huge difference."

"Brainstorm with a partner for 30 seconds: What are some simple ways you could help someone in your community or at school, especially with an unseen need?"

"Excellent ideas! Remember, every little bit of heartfelt help makes our community stronger and kinder. We'll be exploring more ways to do this in our activities today."

Warm Up: Empathy Check-in

Take a moment to think about how you are feeling right now.

1. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being 'not great' and 5 being 'fantastic', how are you feeling today? (No need to share your number out loud, just think about it.)

2. Think about a time someone showed you kindness when you really needed it, even if you didn't ask for help. How did that make you feel?

   
   
   
   

3. How can you sometimes tell how someone else is feeling without them telling you directly? What clues do you look for?

   
   
   
   

Discussion: Seeing Beyond

Let's put our empathy skills to the test! Read each scenario and discuss the questions with your group or as a class. Remember to think about both visible and unseen needs.

Scenario 1: The Quiet Corner

There's a student in your class who always sits by themselves during free play or at lunch. They never talk much and often look down at their hands.

1. What might be some visible signs that this student has a need?
   
   
   
2. What might be some unseen needs this student could have?
   
   
   
3. If you noticed this, what is one empathetic thing you could do or say?
   
   
   
   
   
   

Scenario 2: The Messy Yard

You notice that your elderly neighbor, who used to keep their yard very neat, now has a very overgrown garden and their mail is piling up. You haven't seen them outside as much as usual.

1. What are the visible needs in this situation?
   
   
   
2. What unseen needs might your neighbor have?
   
   
   
3. How could you or your family offer "Heartfelt Help" to your neighbor?
   
   
   
   
   
   

Scenario 3: The Frustrated Friend

Your friend usually loves drawing, but lately, they've been crumpling up their papers and sighing a lot during art class. When you ask if they're okay, they just say, "It's fine," but they still look upset.

1. What are the visible signs that your friend might have a need?
   
   
   
2. What unseen emotional needs might your friend be experiencing?
   
   
   
3. What could you do to show empathy and support your friend in this situation?
   
   
   
   
   
   

Differentiation:

• For younger students or those needing more support: Provide sentence starters for their responses (e.g., "I see...", "They might feel...", "I could..."). Focus on one or two scenarios.
• For advanced students: Encourage them to consider the long-term impact of unmet needs and brainstorm a wider range of solutions, including how to involve others in helping.

Activity: Community Care Cards

Objective: To identify various community needs (visible and unseen) and brainstorm empathetic ways to help.

Instructions:

1. You will each receive a "Community Care Card" (or work in pairs if directed).
2. Read the scenario on your card carefully.
3. Think about:
   • What are the visible needs in this scenario?
   • What are the unseen needs that might be present?
   • What is one empathetic and helpful action you could take?
4. Write your ideas in the space provided. Be creative and thoughtful!
5. We will share some of our ideas with the class.

Community Care Card 1

Scenario: You see a poster at the community center asking for donations of warm coats for children as winter is approaching, and many families cannot afford new ones.

Visible Need:



Unseen Need (if any):



Heartfelt Help Idea:

Community Care Card 2

Scenario: Your school librarian looks very tired and stressed. She mentions that many books are misplaced, and she's struggling to keep up with shelving them and organizing reading events.

Visible Need:



Unseen Need:



Heartfelt Help Idea:

Community Care Card 3

Scenario: A child in your class recently moved to a new town and seems very quiet and keeps to themselves during recess. They don't join any games and often just watch others.

Visible Need:



Unseen Need:



Heartfelt Help Idea:

Community Care Card 4

Scenario: You notice that the local park, where many families go to play, has a lot of litter scattered around, and some of the playground equipment is looking a bit rusty.

Visible Need:



Unseen Need:



Heartfelt Help Idea:

Community Care Card 5

Scenario: You hear that a classmate's pet dog is sick and they are very worried and upset. They seem distracted in class and are quieter than usual.

Visible Need:



Unseen Need:



Heartfelt Help Idea:

Differentiation:

• For students needing more support: Work in pairs or small groups. Provide a limited number of cards (1-2) and help them brainstorm by asking guiding questions.
• For advanced students: Challenge them to think of two different solutions for each card, or to consider how they could involve other people in their community to help.

Game: Empathy Scenarios

Objective: To practice identifying needs and generating empathetic solutions in a fun, fast-paced way.

Instructions:

1. Divide the class into small groups (3-4 students) or play as a whole class.
2. The teacher will read a scenario aloud.
3. Each group (or individual) will have 30-60 seconds to quickly discuss and decide on an empathetic action they would take to help. They should also identify if the need is visible or unseen.
4. Groups will share their ideas. Award points for creative, thoughtful, and empathetic solutions (optional).

Scenario Cards

Scenario 1:
Your classmate forgot their lunch at home. They look sad and are rubbing their stomach.

• Need Type (Visible/Unseen):
  
  
  
• Your Empathetic Action:
  
  
  
  
  
  

Scenario 2:
You notice a new student struggling to open their locker. They seem embarrassed and frustrated.

• Need Type (Visible/Unseen):
  
  
  
• Your Empathetic Action:
  
  
  
  
  
  

Scenario 3:
Your friend got a lower score than they hoped for on a test and is quietly tearing up at their desk.

• Need Type (Visible/Unseen):
  
  
  
• Your Empathetic Action:
  
  
  
  
  
  

Scenario 4:
The school custodian is trying to move a very heavy box of supplies by themselves.

• Need Type (Visible/Unseen):
  
  
  
• Your Empathetic Action:
  
  
  
  
  
  

Scenario 5:
You see a younger student on the playground who looks confused and lost, wandering by themselves.

• Need Type (Visible/Unseen):
  
  
  
• Your Empathetic Action:
  
  
  
  
  
  

Differentiation:

• For students needing more support: Provide choices for actions (e.g., "Would you offer to share your lunch or tell the teacher?"). Focus on identifying the need type.
• For advanced students: Ask them to consider the consequences of their actions or to brainstorm a solution that helps multiple people in the scenario.

Cool Down: My Helping Hand

Take a moment to reflect on what we've learned today about community service and empathy.

Think about one specific way you can offer "Heartfelt Help" to someone in your school or community this week. It could be for a visible need or an unseen need.

In the space below, either draw a picture of your helping hand in action or write down your idea in a sentence or two.

My Heartfelt Help Idea:

Is this a Visible Need or an Unseen Need?