Lesson Plan
Stepping into Their Shoes: Perspective Taking Lesson Plan
Students will learn to consider situations from different viewpoints, improving their ability to navigate social interactions and resolve conflicts more constructively, thereby enhancing social-emotional literacy and fostering a more inclusive mindset.
Understanding different perspectives is crucial for building empathy, resolving conflicts peacefully, and fostering a truly inclusive community where everyone feels understood and valued.
Audience
Elementary School Students (Grades 4-6)
Time
60 minutes
Approach
Story analysis, role-playing, and guided discussion.
Materials
Perspective Taking Slide Deck, Perspective Power Activity, The Empathy Exchange Discussion, and What Would You Do? Worksheet
Prep
Prepare Materials
15 minutes
- Review the Perspective Taking Lesson Plan, Perspective Taking Slide Deck, Perspective Power Activity, The Empathy Exchange Discussion, and What Would You Do? Worksheet.
- Ensure projector/screen is set up for the Perspective Taking Slide Deck.
- Print copies of the What Would You Do? Worksheet for each student.
- Prepare small slips of paper for the 'Role-Play Scenarios' section of the Perspective Power Activity.
Step 1
Introduction: What's Your View?
10 minutes
- Begin with a brief discussion using Slide 1 and Slide 2 from the Perspective Taking Slide Deck to introduce the concept of perspective. Ask students to share examples of how two people might see the same thing differently.
- Introduce the lesson's objective using Slide 3.
Step 2
Story Time: A Tale of Two Sides
15 minutes
- Present a short story or scenario (provided on Slide 4 and Slide 5) where different characters have distinct perspectives.
- Lead a discussion using questions on Slide 6 to help students identify the perspectives of each character and why they might feel or act the way they do.
- Transition to the Perspective Power Activity.
Step 3
Activity: Perspective Power
20 minutes
- Distribute the What Would You Do? Worksheet.
- Explain the 'Role-Play Scenarios' part of the Perspective Power Activity using Slide 7.
- Divide students into small groups and assign each group a scenario from the worksheet or pre-written slips of paper.
- Instruct groups to role-play the scenario, focusing on acting out different perspectives. Circulate to provide guidance and encourage deep thinking.
- After role-playing, have each group briefly share their scenario and the different perspectives they explored with the class, as guided by Slide 8.
- Discuss key takeaways from the activity using Slide 9.
Step 4
Discussion: The Empathy Exchange
10 minutes
- Facilitate a whole-class discussion using the prompts from The Empathy Exchange Discussion and Slide 10.
- Encourage students to share how understanding different perspectives can help in real-life situations, such as solving conflicts or making new friends.
- Emphasize the importance of empathy and active listening.
Step 5
Conclusion: Your New Lens
5 minutes
- Review the key concepts of perspective-taking and empathy using Slide 11.
- Encourage students to practice perspective-taking in their daily lives.
- Distribute the What Would You Do? Worksheet for independent reflection or as homework, if not completed during class.
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Slide Deck
What's Your View?
Have you ever looked at something and someone else saw it totally differently?
Like...
- A cloud shape
- A drawing
- A situation with friends
Today, we're going to explore how we all see the world a little differently – and why that's super important!
Welcome students and introduce the concept of 'seeing things differently.' Ask them for quick examples from their own lives (e.g., disagreeing with a friend about a game, seeing a picture differently than someone else).
What is Perspective?
Perspective is your way of looking at the world, a situation, or an idea.
It's shaped by:
- Your experiences
- Your feelings
- What you know
Why do you think it's important to understand that people have different perspectives?
Explain that 'perspective' is how someone sees and understands the world, influenced by their experiences, feelings, and beliefs. Use the image as a visual aid to prompt discussion.
Our Goal Today
Today, we're going to learn how to 'step into someone else's shoes' to:
- Understand why people feel and act the way they do.
- Solve problems and disagreements more easily.
- Be kinder and more understanding friends!
Clearly state the objective of the lesson to the students.
Scenario: The Lost Ball
Maya and Leo are playing soccer in the park. Maya kicks the ball a little too hard, and it rolls into a thorny bush.
Maya says, 'Oh no! Now we can't play anymore!'
Leo replies, 'Don't worry, I'll get it!' and starts heading towards the bush.
Introduce the first part of the story/scenario. Read it aloud or have students read it. This is a common situation that can lead to misunderstandings.
Scenario: The Lost Ball (Part 2)
As Leo gets closer, he sees a small bird's nest with tiny eggs in the bush. He stops.
Maya, from a distance, yells, 'What are you waiting for, Leo? Just get the ball!' She sounds a bit impatient.
Leo hesitates. He knows they need the ball, but he also doesn't want to disturb the nest.
Continue the scenario, adding more details that create different perspectives.
Whose Shoes Are You In?
Let's think about Maya and Leo:
- How do you think Maya is feeling? Why?
- How do you think Leo is feeling? Why?
- What might Maya be thinking when Leo stops?
- What might Leo be thinking when he sees the nest?
- How would the situation be different if Maya knew about the nest?
Lead a discussion about the scenario. Ask open-ended questions to encourage students to think about each character's viewpoint. Guide them to consider feelings and motivations.
Activity: Perspective Power!
Now, it's your turn to step into different shoes!
In groups, you will:
- Get a scenario.
- Read it carefully.
- Act out the situation, showing how different characters might feel and what they might do.
- Be ready to share your scenario and the different perspectives you explored!
Explain the upcoming activity. Emphasize that students will be working in groups to act out different roles and perspectives.
Sharing Our Scenarios
Each group will share:
- What was your scenario about?
- Who were the different characters?
- What was each character's perspective?
- How did understanding their perspective change how you saw the situation?
- What did you learn from this activity?
After groups have role-played, use this slide to guide their sharing and discussion with the whole class.
What Did We Discover?
When we stop and think about why someone might be doing or saying something, what happens?
- We might understand them better.
- We might not get as upset.
- We might find a better solution.
- We build empathy!
Debrief the activity, reinforcing the key learning points. Connect it back to the 'why' of the lesson.
The Empathy Exchange
Let's talk about how we can use perspective-taking every day:
- How can understanding different perspectives help us with friends?
- How can it help us with family?
- How can it help us at school?
- What does it mean to be a good listener when someone has a different view?
Facilitate a whole-class discussion, encouraging students to apply perspective-taking to real-life situations. Refer to the 'The Empathy Exchange Discussion' material for more detailed prompts.
Keep Stepping Into Their Shoes!
Remember, trying to understand someone else's perspective is like having a superpower!
It helps us:
- Be more empathetic.
- Solve problems.
- Create a kinder community.
Practice it every day!
Conclude the lesson by summarizing the main ideas and encouraging continued practice.
Activity
Perspective Power Activity
Objective: To practice understanding different viewpoints in various situations.
Instructions:
- Form Your Group: Your teacher will divide you into small groups.
- Get Your Scenario: Your group will receive a short scenario. Read it carefully together.
- Identify Characters: Figure out who the main characters are in your scenario.
- Discuss Perspectives: Talk about how each character might feel, what they might be thinking, and why they might act the way they do.
- Consider: What experiences might make them see things this way?
- Consider: What are their goals or fears?
- Role-Play Time!
- Choose who will play each character.
- Act out the scenario, showing the different perspectives.
- Try to really become your character and express their feelings and thoughts.
- You can act out the scenario multiple times, trying different ways the characters might react given their perspectives.
- Prepare to Share: Be ready to share with the class:
- What your scenario was about.
- The different perspectives you explored.
- What you learned about understanding others.
Discussion
The Empathy Exchange: Discussion Prompts
Use these questions to guide a rich classroom discussion about perspective taking and empathy.
-
Connecting to Our Activity:
- During our role-playing activity, was there a character whose perspective surprised you? Why?
- How did trying to act out a different character's feelings change how you understood the scenario?
-
Everyday Empathy:
- Can you think of a time when someone misunderstood you? How did that feel?
- How might trying to understand their perspective have helped in that situation?
- What are some ways we can show others that we are trying to understand their perspective?
- Can you think of a time when someone misunderstood you? How did that feel?
-
Building a Better Community:
- Why is it important for a classroom or school community to have students who understand different perspectives?
- How can understanding different viewpoints help us solve disagreements with friends or siblings?
- What does it mean to be a good listener when someone is sharing a perspective different from your own?
- Why is it important for a classroom or school community to have students who understand different perspectives?
-
Challenging Situations:
- Is it always easy to take someone else's perspective? When might it be hard?
- What should you do if you try to understand someone's perspective but still disagree with them?
- Is it always easy to take someone else's perspective? When might it be hard?
-
Looking Ahead:
- How will you try to use perspective-taking in your own life this week? Think about home, school, or with friends.
- How will you try to use perspective-taking in your own life this week? Think about home, school, or with friends.
Worksheet
What Would You Do? Worksheet
Name: _________________________
Date: _________________________
Instructions: Read each scenario. Then, answer the questions by thinking about different characters' perspectives.
Scenario 1: The Broken Toy
Story: Sarah accidentally tripped and broke a toy that belonged to her younger brother, Alex. Alex is now crying loudly.
- Sarah's Perspective: How might Sarah be feeling? What might she be thinking? (e.g.,