lenny

Seeing Through Others' Eyes: Building Social Awareness

user image

Lesson Plan

Seeing Through Others' Eyes: Building Social Awareness

Enhance students' social awareness by exploring empathy, recognizing emotions, and understanding perspectives in social interactions.

This lesson supports students on the spectrum to better interpret social cues, build empathy, and engage successfully with peers.

Audience

9th Grade Special Education

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Guided discussions, interactive activities, and reflective practice.

Materials

Mindfulness

Prep

Lesson Preparation

10 minutes

  • Review discussion prompts and interactive activities to ensure they are suitable for students on the spectrum.
  • Familiarize yourself with strategies for engaging students in deep discussions on empathy and social awareness.
  • Prepare additional discussion questions and real-life examples relevant to social interactions, using insights from Mindfulness.

Step 1

Introduction and Group Discussion

15 minutes

  • Introduce the concept of social awareness and empathy, emphasizing the importance of understanding others' emotions and perspectives.
  • Start with an open discussion: Ask students what empathy means to them and how they recognize emotions in others.
  • Use prompts such as:
    • 'What does it mean to truly listen to someone's feelings?'
    • 'Can you recall a time when you understood how a friend was feeling even without words?'
  • Reference relevant parts of Mindfulness to discuss how taking a moment to reflect can help understand emotions.

Step 2

Expanded Guided Discussion

10 minutes

  • Lead an expanded discussion with additional prompts and questions:
    • 'How do you think recognizing someone else's feelings can help build stronger friendships?'
    • 'What are some ways to show support when a friend is upset?'
    • 'How do you feel when someone listens carefully to you?'
  • Encourage students to share personal stories or examples where understanding others’ feelings made a positive difference.
  • Ensure the discussion remains respectful and supportive, giving each student an opportunity to speak.

Step 3

Interactive Role-Playing Activity

5 minutes

  • Divide students into small groups and assign simple role-playing scenarios focused on social interactions and empathy (e.g., comforting a friend who is sad or celebrating another's success).
  • After each role-play, ask the groups to discuss what emotions they observed and how they could improve their responses.
  • Summarize and reinforce key takeaways about social awareness and empathy.

Step 4

Reflection and Wrap-Up

5 minutes

  • Ask students to reflect individually on what they learned about empathy and social awareness during the lesson.
  • Encourage them to write or share one personal insight or a real-life example of how they can apply these ideas to improve their social interactions.
  • Facilitate a brief sharing session where students can express their thoughts and further consolidate their learning.
lenny
0 educators
use Lenny to create lessons.

No credit card needed

Discussion

Guided Discussion on Social Awareness

This discussion is designed to help you engage deeply with the video and activities related to social awareness. The goal is to explore emotions, understand different perspectives, and build empathy through sharing and reflection.

Discussion Guidelines

  • Respect and Listen: When someone is speaking, give them your full attention. Everyone's feelings and opinions are important.
  • Be Honest and Kind: Share your thoughts honestly, but remember to be kind to others.
  • Take Your Time: It's okay to think before answering a question. There’s no rush.

Discussion Prompts and Questions

  1. Reflect on the Video:

    • What emotions did you notice in the video How to Break the Ice?


    • Can you share a time when you felt a similar emotion? What happened?

  2. Understanding Perspectives:

    • Think about a moment when you saw things differently from someone else. How did that feel?


    • What did you learn from that experience?

  3. Empathy in Action:

    • What does empathy mean to you? Can you think of a way to show empathy to someone who is feeling sad or left out?


    • Describe a simple act of kindness you could do to help a friend feel understood.

  4. Applying Mindfulness:

    • Refer back to the Mindfulness video: How can taking a moment to breathe help you understand your own feelings better?


    • How might it help you respond to someone who is upset?

Follow-Up Points

  • Personal Reflection: After answering, take a moment to reflect on how your feelings may change when you start to see things from someone else’s perspective.


  • Group Sharing: Consider sharing one personal story related to these prompts. How did learning about social awareness change your view on that situation?

  • Practical Strategies: Discuss practical ways you can use empathy in your daily interactions at school. What small steps can you take to make a friend feel better?


Remember, this is a safe space to share and learn from one another. Your insights are valuable and help build a supportive classroom environment.

Happy discussing!

lenny
lenny