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The Empathy Game

Lesson Plan

Empathy Challenge Game Plan

Students will be able to identify a variety of emotional expressions and respond appropriately to build empathy and understanding of others' feelings.

Understanding emotions and responding with empathy are crucial social-emotional skills that help students navigate relationships, resolve conflicts, and build a positive classroom community.

Audience

3rd Grade Class

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Interactive game-based learning and discussion.

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

15 minutes

Step 1

Introduction and Hook

5 minutes

Step 2

Understanding Emotions

10 minutes

  • Continue with the Introduction to Empathy Slide Deck to explore different emotions and their physical cues.
  • Facilitate a brief discussion on how students might feel in various situations.

Step 3

The Empathy Scenario Game

20 minutes

  • Introduce The Empathy Scenario Game Board.
  • Divide students into small groups (3-4 students per group).
  • Explain the rules of the game: Students will pick a scenario card, discuss how the person in the scenario might feel, and brainstorm empathetic responses.
  • Circulate among groups to facilitate discussion and provide guidance.

Step 4

Group Share and Discussion

5 minutes

  • Bring the class back together.
  • Ask a few groups to share one scenario and their empathetic responses.
  • Facilitate a brief whole-class discussion on what they learned from the game.

Step 5

Cool Down Activity

5 minutes

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Slide Deck

Welcome to The Empathy Game!

Let's learn about feelings and how to understand each other better!

Welcome students and introduce the concept of the lesson. Ask students if they know what feelings are and why they are important.

What is Empathy?

Empathy is when you try to understand how someone else is feeling.

It's like putting yourself in their shoes!

Define empathy in simple terms for 3rd graders. Emphasize that it's about trying to understand how someone else feels, even if you don't feel the same way. Ask for examples of when they might have felt empathy.

Reading Feelings

How can we tell how someone is feeling?

  • Look at their face!
  • Listen to their voice!
  • Notice their body!

Show various emotion emojis or pictures. Ask students to identify each emotion and share what cues (facial expressions, body language) help them know what the emotion is. Discuss that we can 'read' people's feelings.

Many Different Feelings

People can feel many different emotions.

Some feelings are: Happy, Sad, Angry, Scared, Surprised.

All feelings are okay!

Introduce the idea of different emotions and that all feelings are okay. Briefly mention a few key emotions: Happy, Sad, Angry, Scared, Surprised. Ask students to share a time they felt one of these emotions.

Why is this important?

When we understand feelings, we can be:

  • Better friends
  • Better classmates
  • Kinder to everyone

Explain that understanding feelings helps us be good friends and classmates. This leads into the game where they'll practice this skill.

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Game

The Empathy Scenario Game Board

Instructions:

  1. Divide into small groups of 3-4 students.
  2. Take turns picking a scenario card.
  3. Read the scenario aloud to your group.
  4. Discuss: "How do you think this person is feeling? Why?"
  5. Discuss: "What could you say or do to show empathy?"
  6. Be ready to share your ideas with the class!

Scenario Cards

Card 1: New Kid Nerves

It’s the first day of school, and a new student walks into the classroom. They look down at their shoes, and their shoulders are hunched. They haven't said a word yet.











Card 2: Lost Toy Trouble

Your friend brought their favorite small toy to school, but now they can’t find it anywhere. They are frantically looking through their backpack, and their eyes are starting to water.











Card 3: Unfair Turn

During recess, you see two classmates playing a game. One classmate accidentally trips the other, and the tripped classmate falls down, scuffing their knee. They sit up and look really mad, almost like they want to cry.











Card 4: Exciting News!

Your classmate just ran up to you with a huge smile on their face. They just got a perfect score on a really hard math test and can’t wait to tell someone!











Card 5: Sharing Sadness

A friend tells you that their pet dog is sick and had to go to the vet. They look very sad and are speaking in a quiet voice.











Card 6: Frustrated with a Task

You see a classmate struggling with a drawing project. They keep erasing and sighing loudly, and you can see their shoulders are getting tense. They crumple up their paper and throw it down gently.











Card 7: Left Out Feeling

During group work, you notice a classmate sitting by themselves, looking at their textbook while other groups are laughing and working together. They keep glancing over at the other groups.











Card 8: Big Accomplishment

Your teacher just announced that a classmate won first place in the school art contest! The classmate looks very happy and a little bit surprised.











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Cool Down

One Thing I Learned About Feelings

Instructions: On the lines below, write down one important thing you learned today about feelings or empathy. This is your exit ticket!













Bonus Challenge: How can you use what you learned today to be a better friend or classmate?













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The Empathy Game • Lenny Learning