Empathy Role-Play Scenarios

Instructions: Listen carefully to each scenario. Think about how the person might be feeling. Then, show us with your face and body how you think they feel, and tell us what you could say or do to be a kind Empathy Explorer!

Scenario 1: The Broken Crayon

Your friend is coloring a beautiful picture, and their favorite crayon snap! breaks in half. They look down at the broken crayon with a frown.

• How do you think your friend feels? (Sad, disappointed, frustrated)
  
  
  
• What could you say or do to show you understand and be kind? (Possible answers: "Oh no! That looks sad. Do you want to share my crayons?" or "I'm sorry your crayon broke.")
  
  
  
  
  
  

Scenario 2: Happy Birthday!

It's your classmate's birthday, and everyone is singing to them. They have a big smile on their face and are clapping their hands.

• How do you think your classmate feels? (Happy, excited, joyful)
  
  
  
• What could you say or do to show you understand and be kind? (Possible answers: "Happy Birthday! I hope you have a great day!" or clapping along and smiling.)
  
  
  
  
  
  

Scenario 3: Lost Toy

A new student in your class looks upset. They tell you they can't find their special toy that they brought from home. They look like they are about to cry.

• How do you think the new student feels? (Sad, worried, scared, lonely)
  
  
  
• What could you say or do to show you understand and be kind? (Possible answers: "That sounds really sad. Maybe we can look for it together?" or "Don't worry, we'll help you find it.")
  
  
  
  
  
  

Scenario 4: Sharing the Swing

You are on the playground, and you see another child who really wants to go on the swing, but someone else is on it. The child looks a little frustrated and is sighing.

• How do you think the child waiting for the swing feels? (Impatient, frustrated, a little sad)
  
  
  
• What could you say or do to show you understand and be kind? (Possible answers: "It looks like you really want to go on the swing. Maybe we can ask when they will be done?" or offering to take turns if you are on the swing.)
  
  
  
  
  
  

Empathy Explorers Script

I. Welcome and Warm-Up (5 minutes)

(Teacher): Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Welcome, my amazing Empathy Explorers! Today, we are going on a special adventure to learn about something super important: empathy. But first, I want to hear from you. How are you feeling right now? Give me a thumbs up if you're happy, a little wiggle if you're excited, or a calm hand if you're feeling peaceful.

(Teacher): Wow, I see lots of different feelings! And that's wonderful because we all feel different things at different times, and that's totally okay. We're going to talk more about those feelings today!

II. Introducing Empathy (10 minutes) - Refer to Empathy Explorers Slide Deck (Slides 1-2)

(Teacher): Let's look at our first slide to kick off our exploration! (Advance to Slide 1: Welcome, Empathy Explorers!)

(Teacher): Our mission today is to become Empathy Explorers! That means we're going to learn how to understand how other people are feeling. (Advance to Slide 2: What is Empathy?)

(Teacher): Look at this picture! It shows someone literally stepping into someone else's shoes. This is a great way to think about empathy. Empathy means understanding what someone else is feeling, even if you're not feeling that way yourself. It's like you're trying to see the world from their point of view, from their shoes.

(Teacher): Why do you think it's important to understand how other people feel?

(Teacher): Exactly! When we understand, we can be better friends and helpers.

III. Feelings Exploration & Discussion (15 minutes) - Refer to Empathy Explorers Slide Deck (Slide 3-4) and Feelings Chart/Cards

(Teacher): Now, let's look at all the different feelings we can have! (Advance to Slide 3: Our Feeling Faces)

(Teacher): Look at these faces! What feeling do you see here? (Point to different faces on the slide or Feelings Chart/Cards)

(Teacher): What makes you feel happy?

(Teacher): What might make someone else feel sad?

(Teacher): It's important to remember that everyone feels these emotions, and sometimes we feel them for different reasons. (Advance to Slide 4: Story Time: Understanding Feelings)

(Teacher): Now, let's practice! I'm going to read a short story. As I read, I want you to be a super detective and look for clues about how the characters are feeling. (Read a simple story, pausing to ask questions like:)

(Teacher): How do you think [Character A] feels when [event happens]? What clues tell us that?

(Teacher): What about [Character B]? How do they feel?

IV. Empathy Role-Play Activity (10 minutes) - Refer to Empathy Role-Play Scenarios

(Teacher): You all did great being feeling detectives! Now it's time to become Empathy Actors! We're going to do some role-playing using our Empathy Role-Play Scenarios.

(Teacher): I will read a scenario, and I want some volunteers to show us with their faces and bodies how the person in the story might feel. Then, tell us what you could say or do to be a kind Empathy Explorer in that situation.

(Teacher): Let's try the first one: (Read Scenario 1: The Broken Crayon from Empathy Role-Play Scenarios)

(Teacher): Great job! Who wants to try Scenario 2? (Continue with 2-3 more scenarios, encouraging participation and discussion.)

V. Empathy Stars Worksheet (10 minutes) - Refer to Empathy Stars Worksheet

(Teacher): You are all showing amazing empathy superpowers! (Advance to Slide 6: You're an Empathy Superhero!)

(Teacher): Now it's time to create your own Empathy Star! I'm going to hand out this Empathy Stars Worksheet. On this worksheet, I want you to either draw a picture or write about a time you showed empathy, or when someone showed empathy to you. For my younger artists, you can draw a picture of a face showing an emotion and something that might make someone feel that way.

(Teacher): You can use your crayons or colored pencils to make your Empathy Star shine bright!

(Teacher): (Circulate, offer help, and encourage students to share their work with a partner if time permits.)

VI. Wrap-Up: Empathy Superheroes! (5 minutes) - Refer to Empathy Explorers Slide Deck (Slide 7)

(Teacher): Alright, Empathy Superheroes, bring your eyes up here for our final slide! (Advance to Slide 7: Keep Exploring Empathy!)

(Teacher): You all did a fantastic job today learning about empathy! Remember, practicing empathy makes our classroom a kinder, happier place, and it makes you wonderful friends. You help others feel understood and cared for.

(Teacher): Can one or two people share one new thing they learned today about feelings or empathy?

(Teacher): Excellent! Keep being those amazing Empathy Explorers every single day! Thank you, everyone!