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Through Their Eyes

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Lesson Plan

Session 1 Lesson Plan

Guide the student to define empathy and begin recognizing others’ feelings by identifying emotions in picture cards. By session’s end, the student will correctly label at least four emotions and explain what empathy means.

Building empathy and emotion-recognition skills helps reduce self-centered thinking, strengthens friendships, and fosters a kinder classroom environment.

Audience

2nd Grade Students

Time

20 minutes

Approach

Interactive picture‐card discussion and anchor‐chart creation.

Materials

Prep

Prepare Session Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Introduction to Emotions

5 minutes

  • Display the Empathy Definition Chart.
  • Ask: “What do you think empathy means?”
  • Provide a simple definition: Empathy is understanding and caring about how someone else feels.
  • Note student ideas on chart paper.

Step 2

Emotion Recognition Activity

10 minutes

  • Spread out the Emotion Picture Cards face up.
  • Have the student pick a card, name the emotion, and describe how they’d feel.
  • Ask: “Why might someone feel this way?” to prompt perspective-taking.
  • Encourage relating each emotion to a real-life situation.

Step 3

Reflection and Wrap-Up

5 minutes

  • Review the identified emotions and discuss why recognizing feelings matters.
  • Ask the student to choose one emotion and explain how they could show empathy to someone feeling that way.
  • Add any new student ideas to the empathy chart as positive examples.
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Activity

Emotion Mirror Game

Objective:
Help the student recognize and reproduce facial expressions and body language, deepening awareness of others’ emotions and improving perspective-taking.

Materials:

Instructions:

  1. Shuffle the Emotion Picture Cards and place them face down.
  2. Teacher draws one card, shows it to the student, and names the emotion (e.g., “I’m feeling surprised!”).
  3. Teacher makes the facial expression and a matching body posture.
  4. Student “mirrors” the teacher’s expression and posture exactly.
  5. Ask the student: “How do you think someone feels when they make this face?”
  6. Switch roles: student draws a card, names and models the emotion, and teacher mirrors.
  7. Repeat for 6–8 cards, encouraging the student to notice subtle changes (eyebrows, mouth, posture).

Reflection:

  • After the game, discuss which expressions were easy or tricky to mirror.
  • Ask: “Why is it important to notice how someone’s face looks when they’re feeling that way?”


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Lesson Plan

Session 2 Lesson Plan

Enable the student to step into others’ shoes by acting out scenarios, identifying others’ feelings and reasons, and reflecting on alternative perspectives. By the end, the student will explain at least two motivations behind characters’ emotions and demonstrate empathy in a role-play.

Practicing perspective-taking through role-play helps students move beyond self-centered thinking, appreciate others’ viewpoints, and build stronger social connections.

Audience

2nd Grade Students

Time

20 minutes

Approach

Role-play with scenario cards and guided reflection.

Materials

Prep

Prepare Session Materials

10 minutes

  • Print and cut out Perspective Scenario Cards.
  • Print copies of the Perspective Reflection Sheet (one per student).
  • Gather any props for role-play (e.g., hats or puppets).
  • Review each scenario to understand characters’ feelings and motivations.
  • Set up a small open space for acting out scenes.

Step 1

Warm-Up Mirror Game

5 minutes

  • Play the Emotion Mirror Game briefly to reinforce recognizing and mirroring feelings.
  • After 4–5 rounds, ask: “How did you know what feeling I showed?”

Step 2

Introduce Role-Play Scenarios

2 minutes

  • Show the stack of Perspective Scenario Cards.
  • Explain: “We’ll pick cards, act out what’s happening, and talk about how each person feels and why.”

Step 3

Role-Play Activity

10 minutes

  • Student draws a scenario card and reads it (or teacher reads if needed).
  • Assign roles: student and teacher (or prop) act out the scene.
  • Pause after each act-out and ask:
    • “How do you think this character feels?”
    • “Why might they feel that way?”
  • Encourage the student to switch roles and replay from the other character’s viewpoint.
  • Repeat with 3–4 different scenarios.

Step 4

Reflection and Debrief

3 minutes

  • Hand the student the Perspective Reflection Sheet.
  • Ask them to pick one scenario and write/draw:
    • Who they were.
    • How that person felt.
    • Why they felt that way.
  • Discuss their responses and reinforce the idea that understanding why someone acts lets us respond with empathy.
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Activity

Perspective Role-Play

Objective:
Help the student practice stepping into someone else’s shoes by acting out real-life scenarios, identifying characters’ feelings and motivations, and reflecting on how to respond with empathy.

Materials:

1. Perspective Scenario Cards

Create 6–8 cards with simple situations. Examples:

  1. Forgotten Invitation
    “You planned a playdate, but your friend forgot to invite you. You feel left out.”
  2. Lost Lunchbox
    “A classmate’s lunchbox fell out in the hallway and spilled. They feel embarrassed.”
  3. New Student
    “A new student joins class and seems shy at recess. They feel nervous.”
  4. Accidental Bump
    “Someone bumps into you in line and your books fall. They feel sorry.”
  5. Winning the Game
    “You win a game and your friend doesn’t. They feel disappointed.”
  6. Rainy Recess
    “It’s raining on the day you planned to play outside. You feel upset.”

(Feel free to add more cards based on the student’s experiences.)

2. Perspective Reflection Sheet

Design a one-page sheet with these prompts:

ScenarioWho I WasHow They FeltWhy They Felt That WayHow I Can Show Empathy
(Write/Drawing Box)(Name role)(Emotion)(Reason in 1–2 sentences)(Action: what you could say/do)

3. Instructions for Use

  1. Shuffle the Perspective Scenario Cards and place them face down.
  2. Student draws one card and reads aloud (or teacher reads if needed).
  3. Assign roles: student and teacher (or a prop) act out the scene.
  4. Pause and ask:
    • “How do you think this character feels?”
    • “Why might they feel that way?”
  5. Switch roles and replay the scene, embodying the other character’s emotions and viewpoint.
  6. After 3–4 rounds, give the student the Perspective Reflection Sheet.
  7. Student picks one scenario to complete:
    • Who they were
    • How that person felt
    • Why they felt that way
    • How they can show empathy in real life
  8. Discuss their reflections, reinforcing that noticing others’ feelings helps us respond kindly.

Reflection Prompt: Why is it helpful to think about why someone feels a certain way, instead of only thinking about how it affects you?


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Lesson Plan

Session 3 Lesson Plan

Guide the student to consolidate empathy skills by creating a personalized empathy booklet with scenarios, feelings, reasons, and empathetic responses.

Creating a tangible empathy booklet helps reinforce perspective-taking, internalize empathetic responses, and provides a resource for future social interactions.

Audience

2nd Grade Students

Time

20 minutes

Approach

Guided project-based creation & reflection.

Materials

Prep

Prepare Session 3 Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Review Empathy Concepts

5 minutes

Step 2

Introduce Empathy Booklet Project

3 minutes

Step 3

Create Empathy Booklet

10 minutes

  • Student selects three cards from the Perspective Scenario Cards.
  • For each card, the student:
    • Draws the scenario in the first box.
    • Writes or draws how the character feels.
    • Writes why they feel that way.
    • Illustrates or writes how they can show empathy (what to say or do).
  • Decorate each page with crayons, colored pencils, and stickers.

Step 4

Share and Reflect

2 minutes

  • Student shares their empathy booklet with the teacher or a peer.
  • Ask: “Which empathetic action are you most proud of?” and “How can you use this in real life?”
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Project Guide

My Empathy Booklet

Instructions: On each page, use the boxes to draw and write. Be creative—add colors, stickers, and emojis!

Scenario 1: ___________________________

(Write or glue your scenario card here)











How they feel:











Why they feel that way:











How I can show empathy:










Scenario 2: ___________________________

(Write or glue your scenario card here)











How they feel:











Why they feel that way:











How I can show empathy:










Scenario 3: ___________________________

(Write or glue your scenario card here)











How they feel:











Why they feel that way:











How I can show empathy:










Reflection

Which empathetic action are you most proud of?











How will you use this booklet at school or home?










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Through Their Eyes • Lenny Learning