The Empathy Lens

Amy Santos

Tier 3

Lesson Plan

Individual Empathy Builder

Students will be able to analyze a character's motivations or a real-life situation from another's point of view, fostering critical thinking and emotional intelligence.

Understanding different perspectives is crucial for building stronger relationships, resolving conflicts, and navigating the complexities of the world around us. This lesson helps students develop empathy and become more thoughtful individuals.

Audience

6th Grade Student

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Individual reflection and analysis of character motivations or real-life scenarios.

Materials

Seeing Through New Eyes (slide-deck), and Character's Inner World (journal)

Prep

Review Materials

5 minutes

Review the Seeing Through New Eyes slide deck and Character's Inner World journal. Familiarize yourself with the prompts and discussion points to guide the student effectively.

Step 1

Introduction: The Empathy Lens

5 minutes

Begin by explaining the concept of perspective-taking using the "Empathy Lens" metaphor. Explain that everyone sees the world through their own unique lens, shaped by their experiences, feelings, and beliefs. Today, the student will practice looking through someone else's lens.

Show the student the Seeing Through New Eyes slide deck and go through the introductory slides.

Step 2

Explore a Character's Inner World

15 minutes

Present the student with a short story or a scenario (can be from a book they are currently reading or a hypothetical situation). Ask the student to choose one character from the story/scenario.

Introduce the Character's Inner World journal. Explain that they will use this journal to explore the chosen character's perspective. Guide them through the prompts, encouraging them to think deeply about the character's motivations, feelings, and thoughts.

Circulate and offer support, asking probing questions to deepen their analysis: "Why do you think the character felt that way?" or "What might have led them to make that decision?"

Step 3

Share and Discuss

10 minutes

After the student has completed their journal entry, facilitate a one-on-one discussion.

Ask the student to share what they discovered about the character's perspective. Discuss how understanding the character's point of view changes their own understanding of the story or situation.

Connect this back to real-life situations: "How can using an empathy lens help us understand people better in our own lives?"

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Slide Deck

Your Empathy Lens

Every person sees the world through their own unique 'lens.'
What shapes your lens? Your experiences, your feelings, your beliefs!

Introduce the idea of everyone having a unique perspective, like wearing special glasses. Ask students what might shape someone's perspective (experiences, feelings, beliefs).

What is Perspective Taking?

It's like stepping into someone else's shoes and seeing things from their point of view.
Why is this important? It helps us understand others and connect with them!

Explain that today's goal is to try on someone else's 'empathy lens' to understand their world better.

How Do We Use Our Empathy Lens?

Observe: What does the character say? What do they do?
2. Imagine: How might they feel? What might they think?
3. Connect: What experiences might have shaped them?

Introduce the idea of looking for clues to understand a character's perspective: what they say, do, and what happens to them. Prompt them to think about a specific character they'll analyze.

Time to Dive In!

Now, let's put on our Empathy Lens and explore!
We'll use our Character's Inner World journal to guide our thinking.

Transition to the journal activity. Explain that the journal will help them organize their thoughts.

Journal

Character's Inner World: An Empathy Journal

Character's Name:

Story/Situation:

Prompt 1: What does this character say or do that makes you curious about their perspective?

Think about a specific action or quote. What did it make you wonder?

Prompt 2: Imagine you are this character. How might you be feeling in this situation?

Describe the emotions you would experience and why.

Prompt 3: What might be some of this character's thoughts or beliefs that explain their actions or feelings?

Consider their past, their goals, or what they value most.

Prompt 4: How does understanding this character's perspective change your own understanding of the story or situation?

Did anything surprise you? Did your opinion of them change?