Nature Nurture: Outdoor Empathy Exploration

Lori Valiquette

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Nature Nurture: Outdoor Empathy Exploration

Explore nature to deepen empathy

In this lesson, students will explore the outdoors to observe the interconnectedness of ecosystems. By drawing parallels to human interactions, students will deepen their understanding of empathy and relatedness within the group. This lesson is important as it helps young students develop social-emotional skills by connecting with nature and each other.

Audience

Grades 1 and 2

Time

35 minutes

Approach

Explore nature to deepen empathy

Materials

Clipboards, Paper, Pencils, Discussion Questions, and Reflection Worksheet

Step 1

Introduction

5 minutes

Gather students in a circle outside.
Briefly explain the purpose of the lesson: exploring nature to understand how everything is connected, just like people are connected.
Discuss what empathy means and why it's important.

Step 2

Nature Exploration

15 minutes

Divide students into small groups.
Provide each group with a clipboard, paper, and pencil.
Instruct students to explore a designated area and observe different elements of nature (plants, insects, etc.).
Ask them to note down their observations and think about how these elements might be connected.

Step 3

Group Discussion

10 minutes

Reconvene the students and sit in a circle.
Use the discussion questions to guide a conversation about their observations and how they relate to human interactions.
Encourage students to share their thoughts and listen to others.

Step 4

Reflection

5 minutes

Hand out the reflection worksheet.
Ask students to write or draw one thing they learned about empathy from the lesson.
Collect the worksheets for review.

Step 5

Closure

5 minutes

Summarize the key points discussed.
Reinforce the importance of empathy in everyday life.
Thank students for their participation and encourage them to practice empathy in their daily interactions.

Discussion

Discussion Questions

Questions to guide the group discussion on nature observations and empathy.

What did you observe in nature today?

Encourage students to share specific observations and details.

How do you think the elements you observed are connected?

Guide students to think about relationships and dependencies in nature.

Can you think of a way people are connected like the elements in nature?

Help students draw parallels between natural connections and human interactions.

Worksheet

Reflection Worksheet

A worksheet for students to reflect on what they learned about empathy during the lesson.

Draw or write one thing you learned about empathy today.

Think about how nature shows us connections and how we can be connected too.