Seeing Other Perspectives: Discussion Guide

This guide provides prompts for the warm-up discussion.

Warm-Up Discussion: What is Empathy? (5 minutes)

Prompt: "When someone says 'empathy,' what comes to mind? How is it different from sympathy?"

Guiding Questions:

• What are some situations where you've felt empathy for someone?
  
  
  
• Can you describe a time when you saw someone show empathy towards another person?
  
  
  
• Why do you think it's important to distinguish between empathy and sympathy?
  
  
  

Empathy Map Scenario

Instructions: Read the scenario below. Then, use the Empathy Map to consider the situation from the perspective of the person described. What do they Say, Think, Feel, Do, Hear, and See?

Scenario: The Overwhelmed New Student

Sarah just moved to a new town and started at your school last week. She seems quiet and a bit withdrawn in class, often eating lunch by herself. You notice she frequently checks her phone and sometimes sighs quietly. Other students in your friend group have started to comment that she seems unfriendly or uninterested in making friends. Today, she accidentally dropped all her books in the hallway, and no one immediately helped her pick them up.

Empathy Map for Sarah

SAYS:

(What might Sarah say? Think about her words, tone, and any phrases she might use or avoid.)

THINKS:

(What might Sarah be thinking? Consider her thoughts, beliefs, worries, and aspirations related to her new school and making friends.)

FEELS:

(What emotions might Sarah be experiencing? Consider her feelings about her new environment, making friends, and the incident with her books.)

DOES:

(What actions or behaviors might Sarah exhibit? Think about her body language, habits, or interactions.)

HEARS:

(What might Sarah hear from others? Consider direct comments, whispers, or even tones of voice from her new classmates or teachers.)

SEES:

(What might Sarah see around her? Think about what she observes in the classroom, from her classmates, or in her new environment.)

I Used to Think... Now I Think...

Instructions: Reflect on today's lesson about empathy and perspective-taking. Complete the statements below to show how your understanding has evolved.

My Reflection

I used to think that empathy was...

Now I think that empathy is...

Perspective Puzzles Activity Guide

This activity helps students develop perspective-taking skills by analyzing a situation from multiple viewpoints and understanding different interpretations of events.

Materials Needed:

• Copies of the "Perspective Puzzles Scenarios" (one per student or pair) - This will be a new worksheet I will create after this step.
• Pens/pencils
• Timer

Instructions:

1. Introduce the Activity (2 minutes):

   • Explain that this activity, "Perspective Puzzles," will challenge them to think about situations from different angles.
   • Each student or pair will receive a scenario and will need to consider how different characters involved might perceive the situation.
   • Direct their attention to the corresponding slide in The Empathy Advantage Slides.

2. Distribute Scenarios (1 minute):

   • Hand out the "Perspective Puzzles Scenarios" worksheet (which will be created next) to each student or pair.

3. Individual/Pair Work (8 minutes):

   • Instruct students to read their assigned scenario carefully.
   • Their task is to answer the questions on the worksheet, detailing how each character involved might see, think, and feel about the situation.
   • Encourage them to consider motivations, past experiences (implied or explicit), and potential misunderstandings.
   • Circulate to provide support and prompt deeper thinking.

4. Group Share and Discussion (Optional - If time allows):

   • If time permits, have students share their analyses within small groups or with the whole class.
   • Discuss the differences in perspectives and how these differences can lead to various outcomes or conflicts.

Debrief Questions:

• What did you learn about the power of different perspectives through this activity?
  
  
  
• How did considering multiple viewpoints change your initial understanding of the scenario?
  
  
  
• In what real-life situations could practicing "perspective puzzles" be beneficial?
  
  
  
• How does this activity connect to our earlier discussion about social awareness and empathy?
  
  
  

Perspective Puzzles Scenarios

Instructions: Read the scenario below. Then, on a separate sheet of paper or in your journal, answer the questions that follow, considering the perspectives of the different individuals involved.

Scenario: The Group Project Deadline

Four students—Alex, Ben, Chloe, and David—are working on a major group project due tomorrow. Alex has completed their section and submitted it days ago. Ben has been struggling with a family emergency and hasn't been able to contribute much, which he hasn't communicated to the group. Chloe is a perfectionist and has spent extra time refining her part, but is now worried about the final presentation not being cohesive. David has been busy with sports commitments and assumed others would pick up the slack, believing it wasn't a big deal to contribute last minute.

Consider the following perspectives:

Alex's Perspective:

(What might Alex be thinking, feeling, and saying? How do they see the situation?)

Ben's Perspective:

(What might Ben be thinking, feeling, and saying? How do they see the situation?)

Chloe's Perspective:

(What might Chloe be thinking, feeling, and saying? How do they see the situation?)

David's Perspective:

(What might David be thinking, feeling, and saying? How do they see the situation?)

Scenario: The Misunderstood Email at Work

Maya is a new intern at a marketing company. Her manager, Mr. Harrison, sent an email to the entire team about a crucial project deadline, emphasizing the importance of clear communication and immediate responses. Maya, eager to do well, spent an extra hour carefully drafting a detailed response to the team with several questions. Meanwhile, her colleague, Sarah, who has been with the company for years, quickly replied with a brief "Got it!" email. Mr. Harrison then sent a follow-up email to Maya, privately, expressing concern about her "lack of efficiency" and the "unnecessary length" of her email, while praising Sarah's "conciseness."

Consider the following perspectives:

Maya's Perspective:

(What might Maya be thinking, feeling, and saying? How do they see the situation?)

Mr. Harrison's Perspective:

(What might Mr. Harrison be thinking, feeling, and saying? How do they see the situation?)

Sarah's Perspective:

(What might Sarah be thinking, feeling, and saying? How do they see the situation?)

The Empathy Advantage: Teacher Script

This script provides detailed guidance for facilitating the lesson, including suggested wording, prompts, and instructions for each activity.

Warm-Up Discussion: What is Empathy? (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning, everyone! Today, we're diving into a really important topic: empathy. To get us started, I want you to turn to a partner or a small group. When someone says 'empathy,' what immediately comes to your mind? And how do you think it's different from sympathy? Take about three minutes to chat about this, and then we'll share with the whole class."

(Allow students to discuss. Circulate and listen to their conversations. After 3 minutes, bring the class back together.)

Teacher: "Alright, let's hear some of your initial thoughts. Who would like to share what came to mind for them when they thought about empathy? And what distinctions did you make between empathy and sympathy?"

(Facilitate a brief class discussion, noting key ideas on the board if desired. Refer to the Seeing Other Perspectives Discussion Guide for additional guiding questions.)

Core Concepts & Video: The Empathy Lens (10 minutes)

Teacher: "Excellent start! Now, let's build on those ideas and look at some core concepts that will help us understand empathy even better. We'll be using The Empathy Advantage Slides for this next part."

(Advance to the 'The Empathy Advantage' slide.)

Teacher: "As you can see, our lesson today, 'The Empathy Advantage,' will help us understand social awareness, empathy, perspective-taking, active listening, and group dynamics. These are all crucial for navigating our world and building stronger connections. Let's start by defining some of these terms more clearly."

(Advance to the 'Key Concept: Social Awareness' slide.)

Teacher: "First, Social Awareness. This is our ability to accurately understand social and ethical norms, and to recognize diverse perspectives. It's about understanding how others feel and think, even if their experiences are different from our own. It also means being aware of the unspoken rules and dynamics within a group. You can see an example on the slide. Why do you think social awareness is important in our daily lives? Can anyone give another example?"

(Allow 1-2 minutes for student responses and facilitate a brief discussion. Acknowledge and affirm student contributions.)

(Advance to the 'Empathy vs. Sympathy' slide.)

Teacher: "Now, let's clarify empathy itself, and how it's different from sympathy. This often gets confused! To help us understand this better, we're going to watch a short animated video by Brené Brown, embedded right here on our slides. Pay close attention to the distinctions she makes between empathy and sympathy."

(Play the video: 'Brené Brown on Empathy' from the 'Empathy vs. Sympathy' slide. After the video finishes.)

Teacher: "What a powerful explanation! Based on that video, and the examples on the slide, what are the key differences between empathy and sympathy? Why does Brené Brown emphasize the importance of empathy? Which one do you think helps us connect more deeply with others and build stronger relationships? Why?"

(Allow 2-3 minutes for student responses and discussion, guiding them to understand that empathy involves a deeper connection, shared feeling, and perspective-taking.)

(Advance to the 'Key Concept: Perspective-Taking' slide.)

Teacher: "Closely related to empathy is perspective-taking. This is the cognitive ability to understand a situation from another person's point of view. It's about actively trying to see the world through their eyes, even if you don't necessarily agree with their actions or feelings. It's incredibly powerful because it helps us predict responses and communicate more effectively. Look at the example on the slide. Can you think of another situation where taking someone else's perspective would be really helpful?"

(Allow students to offer examples.)

(Advance to the 'Key Concept: Active Listening' slide.)

Teacher: "Finally, active listening. This is more than just hearing words. It's about paying full attention to what someone is saying, both verbally and non-verbally. It means showing you're engaged through things like nodding or making eye contact, and reflecting what you hear back to confirm understanding. You can see a good example of this on the slide. Does anyone actively practice this? What's it like?"

(Allow for brief responses.)

Interactive Activity: Perspective Puzzles (10 minutes)

(Advance to the 'Activity: Perspective Puzzles' slide.)

Teacher: "That was a fantastic discussion! Now, let's put our perspective-taking skills to the test with our 'Perspective Puzzles' activity. You'll either work in small groups of 3-4 or individually/in pairs. I'm going to distribute the Perspective Puzzles Scenarios worksheet. Each scenario has multiple characters. Your task is to analyze the situation and consider each character's perspective: What are they thinking, feeling, and doing? Use the questions on the worksheet to guide your analysis. This activity will really help us uncover the different sides of every story!"

(Distribute the Perspective Puzzles Scenarios worksheet. Refer to the Perspective Puzzles Activity Guide for full instructions.)

Teacher: "You'll have about 8 minutes to analyze the scenario and answer the questions. Then, we'll spend about 2 minutes for a brief discussion or to clarify any points. Remember to really put yourselves in the shoes of each character!"

(Monitor groups as they work. After the activity, facilitate a brief debrief, using questions from the Perspective Puzzles Activity Guide such as: "What did you learn about the power of different perspectives through this activity? How did considering multiple viewpoints change your initial understanding of the scenario?")

Worksheet Application: Empathy Map Scenario (7 minutes)

(Advance to the 'Worksheet: Empathy Map Scenario' slide.)

Teacher: "Excellent job with the Perspective Puzzles! We've seen how valuable it is to consider multiple viewpoints. Now, let's apply our empathy and perspective-taking skills to a written scenario using an 'Empathy Map.' I'm distributing the Empathy Map Scenario Worksheet to everyone."

(Distribute the worksheets.)

Teacher: "On this worksheet, you'll find a scenario about a character named Sarah who is new to school. Your task is to work individually or with a partner to complete the empathy map for Sarah. Think about what Sarah might 'sees, hears, thinks, feels, says, and does' in that situation. This exercise helps us organize our understanding of her experience, moving beyond surface-level observations to truly consider her inner world. You'll have about 7 minutes for this. I'll be circulating to answer any questions."

(Circulate and provide support as students work. Encourage them to think deeply and consider various possibilities for Sarah's perspective.)

Exit Ticket & Reflection (5 minutes)

(Advance to the 'Cool Down: I Used to Think... Now I Think...' slide.)

Teacher: "Time is flying! To wrap up our lesson on 'The Empathy Advantage,' we're going to do a quick reflection using an exit ticket called 'I Used to Think... Now I Think...'. Please complete the two statements on the handout: 'I used to think that empathy was...' and 'Now I think that empathy is...'. This isn't a quiz; it's a chance for you to reflect on how your understanding has grown today. Please take about 5 minutes to complete these, and then I'll collect them as you leave. Thank you for your engagement and thoughtful participation today!"

*(Collect the cool-down slips as students finish.)"