# Scenario Swap Activity Objective: To strengthen students’ ability to understand and act on others’ feelings by role-playing realistic scenarios and swapping roles to practice perspective-taking. Materials: * Printed scenario cards * Timer or stopwatch * Reflection note sheet * Copies of [Feelings Debrief Discussion](#feelings-debrief-discussion) prompts Prep (15 minutes): * Print and cut scenario cards (see **Scenario Cards** below) * Make enough sets for each group of 2–3 students * Prepare reflection sheets and discussion prompts * Set up a timer for role-play rotations Instructions (60 minutes total): 1. **Introduction & Group Setup** (10 minutes) * Introduce the purpose of the activity: practice empathy through role-swapping.
* Divide students into groups of 2 or 3.
* Explain that each pair will act out a scenario twice, switching roles the second time. 2. **Round 1 Role-Play** (15 minutes) * Distribute one scenario card to each group.
* Give students 5 minutes to read and plan their roles: Person A and Person B.
* Each group performs their first role-play (3 minutes per group).
* Observe silently and note points for feedback. 3. **Round 2 Role Swap** (15 minutes) * Instruct groups to swap roles (Person A becomes B and vice versa).
* Allow 3 minutes for quick planning.
* Groups perform the same scenario again (3 minutes per group).
* Encourage students to draw on insights from the first round. 4. **Peer Feedback & Reflection** (15 minutes) * Hand out the [Feelings Debrief Discussion](#feelings-debrief-discussion) prompts.
* In groups, discuss: * How it felt to play each role
* What they learned about the other person’s perspective
* Each student notes one key insight on the reflection sheet. 5. **Whole-Group Share** (5 minutes) * Invite volunteers to share their insights with the class.
* Highlight common themes and reinforce empathy strategies. *** ## Scenario Cards 1. Someone sits alone at lunch looking sad while others chat nearby.

2. You forgot to invite a classmate to your group project and realize they feel left out.

3. Your partner on a homework assignment didn’t submit their part and you’re worried about the grade.

4. A friend is anxious about a big performance and doubts themselves.

5. You see a student being teased in the hallway and they look hurt.

6. You accidentally broke a friend’s art project and need to make amends.

7. A classmate feels left out when the rest of the class understands a game’s rules and they don’t.

8. A new student seems nervous about finding their locker and asks for help.

Preveza Kabashi

1 Lessons

Empathy in Action

Preveza Kabashi

1 Lessons

Empathy in Action