Lesson Plan
Walking in Someone Else's Shoes
Students will be able to define perspective-taking and identify at least two different viewpoints in a given social scenario.
Understanding different perspectives is crucial for developing empathy, resolving conflicts peacefully, and building stronger relationships with others. This lesson helps students see situations from multiple angles, fostering a more inclusive and understanding classroom and community.
Audience
5th Grade
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Through discussion, story analysis, and a new game, students will explore perspective-taking.
Materials
Whiteboard or projector, Slide Deck: Walking in Someone Else's Shoes, “Two Sides to Every Story” Worksheet, Perspective Switcheroo! Game, Perspective Switcheroo! Game Scenario Cards, and Markers or pens
Prep
Teacher Preparation
15 minutes
- Review the Slide Deck: Walking in Someone Else's Shoes and familiarize yourself with the content.
- Print copies of the “Two Sides to Every Story” Worksheet, one per student.
- Print and cut out the Perspective Switcheroo! Game Scenario Cards for the game.
- Arrange desks for small group work or ensure students can easily interact in pairs/small groups.
- Prepare markers or pens for students to use with their worksheets.
Step 1
Introduction to "Perspective"
5 minutes
- Begin by asking students: "Have you ever heard the saying, 'Try walking in someone else's shoes?' What do you think it means?"
- Introduce the concept of perspective-taking using Slide Deck: Walking in Someone Else's Shoes (Slide 1-2). Define it as understanding how someone else might think or feel about a situation, even if you don't agree with them.
- Briefly discuss why perspective-taking is important (e.g., to be a good friend, solve problems, understand others).
Step 2
Story Analysis: "The Playground Problem"
10 minutes
- Present a short, simple social scenario (e.g., two children arguing over a playground swing) via Slide Deck: Walking in Someone Else's Shoes (Slide 3).
- Guide students to identify the different characters involved and what each character might be thinking or feeling. Use questions like: "What does Character A want? How do you think Character B feels? Why might they feel that way?"
- Distribute the “Two Sides to Every Story” Worksheet. Have students work individually or in pairs to fill out the worksheet based on the scenario presented. Encourage them to consider both surface-level actions and underlying feelings/motivations.
Step 3
Game: Perspective Switcheroo!
10 minutes
- Divide students into small groups (3-4 students per group).
- Give each group one Perspective Switcheroo! Game Scenario Card.
- Explain the rules of the game (as detailed in the Perspective Switcheroo! Game material). Students will take turns describing a character's perspective from their card without naming the character, while others guess.
- Circulate among groups, providing guidance and prompting deeper thinking about the characters' emotions and reasons for their actions.
Step 4
Group Discussion & Reflection
5 minutes
- Bring the class back together.
- Ask a few groups to share one of their scenarios and discuss the different perspectives they explored during the game. Use prompts like: "Was it easy or hard to understand the other person's side? What did you learn by trying to 'walk in their shoes'?"
- Conclude by reinforcing the importance of actively listening and trying to understand others' viewpoints in daily life. Encourage students to practice perspective-taking with family and friends.
- Assign the remaining reflection questions on the “Two Sides to Every Story” Worksheet as an exit ticket or homework to solidify their learning.
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Slide Deck
Walking in Someone Else's Shoes
Have you ever heard this saying?
What do you think it means?
Welcome students and introduce the day's topic with an engaging question. Connect it to a common saying. Consider adding real-life images or photographs of various pairs of shoes (e.g., sneakers, boots, dress shoes) or diverse children interacting.
What is Perspective-Taking?
Perspective-taking is:
- Trying to understand how someone else thinks or feels.
- Seeing a situation through another person's eyes.
- It doesn't mean you have to agree with them!
Why is this skill important?
Define perspective-taking clearly. Emphasize that it's about understanding, not necessarily agreeing. Discuss why it's a valuable skill. Consider adding a real-life image illustrating different viewpoints, such as two people looking at the same object from opposite sides in a relatable context.
Scenario: The Playground Problem
Imagine two friends, Alex and Ben.
- Alex built a sandcastle. Ben accidentally kicked it over.
- Alex is mad. Ben feels bad.
What is Alex's perspective?
What is Ben's perspective?
Introduce a simple scenario for class discussion. Guide students to identify characters and their potential feelings/motivations. This leads into the worksheet activity. Consider adding a real-life photograph of a playground scene with children, one looking upset and another perhaps looking guilty or confused, to make the scenario more tangible.
Role-Playing Scenarios
In your groups:
- Read your scenario card.
- Choose roles for each character.
- Act out the situation, trying to show each character's perspective.
- Think about what they might say and how they might feel.
Explain the role-playing activity. Emphasize trying to genuinely embody the characters' viewpoints. Consider adding a real-life image of students actively engaged in a small group role-playing activity or discussion.
Reflecting on Perspectives
What did you learn from role-playing?
Was it easy or hard to understand different sides?
How can we use perspective-taking in our daily lives?
Facilitate a class discussion, allowing groups to share. Reinforce the key concepts and bridge them to real-life application. Explain the worksheet's reflection questions as a cool-down/exit ticket. Consider adding a real-life image of diverse students collaborating, discussing, or raising their hands in a classroom setting.
Worksheet
Two Sides to Every Story
Name: _____________________________
Date: _____________________________
Part 1: The Playground Problem (from class discussion)
Think about Alex and Ben from the story. Put yourself in their shoes.
-
Alex's Perspective:
What did Alex do or say?
How do you think Alex felt? Why? -
Ben's Perspective:
What did Ben do or say?
How do you think Ben felt? Why?
Part 2: Your Turn to Reflect
After discussing and role-playing, answer these questions.
-
What does it mean to "walk in someone else's shoes"? Explain in your own words.
-
Think about a time when you tried to understand someone else's perspective. What happened? How did it change how you felt or acted?
-
Why is it important to try and understand different perspectives, even if you don't agree with them?
Activity
Perspective Scenario Cards
Instructions for Teachers: Print these cards and cut them out. Distribute one or two cards to small groups of 3-4 students for role-playing. Encourage students to assign roles and act out the scenario, focusing on expressing the different perspectives of the characters.
Scenario 1: The Broken Toy
Characters:
- Maya: Her favorite toy car just broke.
- Sam: He was playing roughly with the toy car right before it broke.
- Teacher/Parent: An adult who sees what happened.
The Situation: Maya is crying because her toy car is broken. Sam looks upset and is trying to explain something. The adult walks over to see what happened.
Your Task: Role-play this scene. How does Maya feel and act? How does Sam feel and act? What does the adult say or do to understand both sides?
Scenario 2: Lunchroom Line Jumpers
Characters:
- Chloe: She was standing patiently in line for lunch.
- David: He just ran to the front of the line to join his friends.
- Friends of David: They are already at the front of the line.
The Situation: Chloe has been waiting for a long time. David cuts in front of several students, including Chloe, to get to his friends. Chloe is annoyed.
Your Task: Role-play this scene. How does Chloe feel and react? Why might David have cut in line? How do David's friends react to him joining? What could Chloe say or do?
Scenario 3: The Group Project
Characters:
- Emily: She likes to do her work carefully and take her time.
- Leo: He likes to finish his work quickly.
- Teacher: Gives the group a deadline.
The Situation: Emily and Leo are working on a group project due tomorrow. Emily wants to spend more time perfecting their poster. Leo thinks it looks fine and wants to move on to other homework.
Your Task: Role-play this discussion. How does Emily try to explain her feelings? How does Leo try to explain his? What compromise could they reach? What advice might the teacher give?
Scenario 4: The Quiet New Student
Characters:
- New Student (Jamie): Is new to the school and very quiet.
- Classmate (Sarah): Notices Jamie sitting alone at recess.
- Other Classmates: Are playing a fun game nearby.
The Situation: Jamie is sitting alone during recess, watching other students play. Sarah sees Jamie and wonders why they aren't playing. The other classmates are busy playing and haven't noticed Jamie yet.
Your Task: Role-play this scene. How does Jamie feel? What might Sarah be thinking? What could Sarah do to include Jamie, considering Jamie might be shy? How might the other classmates react if Sarah tries to include Jamie?
Game
Perspective Switcheroo! Game
Objective: To practice identifying and expressing different perspectives in social situations.
Instructions for Teachers:
- Divide students into small groups (3-4 students per group).
- Distribute one Perspective Switcheroo! Game Scenario Card to each group.
- Explain the game:
- Each group will read their scenario card.
- Students in the group will assign themselves roles for the characters in the scenario.
- One student at a time will describe the situation from their assigned character's perspective, focusing on what that character sees, feels, or thinks, without directly naming the character.
- The other group members will listen carefully and guess which character's perspective is being described.
- Encourage discussion after each guess about why they thought it was that character and if there are other ways to see it.
- After everyone has had a turn, groups can switch cards or move to a new scenario if time allows.
Instructions for Students:
- Read your group's scenario card.
- Decide who will be each character in the story.
- One person starts! Describe the situation from your character's point of view. Don't say your character's name!
- Your teammates will guess who you are.
- Talk about why your teammates guessed correctly (or incorrectly) and what makes each perspective unique.
- Take turns until everyone has shared their character's perspective!
Activity
Perspective Switcheroo! Game Scenario Cards
Instructions for Teachers: Print these cards and cut them out. Distribute one card to each small group playing the "Perspective Switcheroo!" game.
Game Scenario A: The Missing Lunch
Characters:
- Leo: Excited for his favorite sandwich at lunch.
- Maya: Accidentally took Leo's lunchbox instead of her own this morning.
- Teacher: Overseeing the lunchroom.
The Situation: It's lunchtime, and Leo opens his lunchbox to find it empty! Maya, across the room, realizes she has two lunchboxes and is looking confused.
Game Scenario B: The Loudest Game
Characters:
- Chloe: Trying to read quietly in the library corner.
- Ben & Friends: Playing a very loud board game nearby.
- Librarian: Working at the front desk.
The Situation: Chloe is getting frustrated because the noise from Ben and his friends' game is making it impossible for her to concentrate on her book. Ben and his friends are having a great time, not noticing how loud they are.
Game Scenario C: A Rainy Day Recess
Characters:
- Sam: Loves playing soccer outside and is disappointed about the rain.
- Jasmine: Loves indoor activities and is happy about the rain.
- Class Monitor: Has to organize an indoor activity for the class.
The Situation: It's pouring rain outside, so recess is indoors. Sam is moping around, wishing he could play soccer. Jasmine is excited, hoping for a fun board game. The class monitor is trying to figure out an activity that everyone can enjoy.