Component: Empathy
GRADES K-3
Session Assessment
Student suggestions for the unresolved improvisations will offer great insight into whether or not they understand empathy and they are given the opportunity to apply their knowledge during group replay. Additionally, by monitoring students’ future behaviors and relationships with each other, one can assess transference and the impact of the session. For deeper levels of processing, additional sessions are beneficial.
Relevant References in Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence: pp. 96-117, 303
Developed by S.R.
GRADES K-3
Specific Session Objective(s):
Students will practice good listening skills, represent emotions through non-verbal communication, portray a story told by a classmate showing emotional attunement and practice and articulate their empathy with that students' feelings.
Terms: empathy playback storyteller playbacker emotions-SAD, HAPPY, ANGRY, SCARED
Session Materials: availability of a myriad of classroom materials which students could choose to use as props (not necessary).
Session Content:
1. Explain and talk about each of the emotions listed above with the children standing. Brainstorm with the children about the kinds of things that might make them feel that way and to show what each of those emotions might look like (what kind of face might they have if they felt that way, how might they walk, etc.) as they walk around the room.
2. Divide the class into groups of four. Teacher should be in her/his own group of three (perhaps with three parent volunteers). Demonstrate telling a short story about when you felt sad (be sure to tell it including the other people involved) and ask the three parents if they will 'playback" your story for you. Keep it very short. The people in the teacher's group then act out the story, one of them pretending to be the teacher being sad. Thank the playbackers and ask them to tell about a time when they felt sad like they think you felt sad and the questions in part three.
3. Ask one of the people in each group (teacher designate them) to tell a story about when they were sad. Repeat the demonstrated playback process from above, one group at a time. Be sure to tell the playbackers to show how they think the storyteller felt when they were sad. At the end of each of the sad playbacks, ask each of the playback kids:
A. How do you think the storyteller felt when this happened to them?
B. Have you ever felt sad in a similar way? When?
Have each of the playbackers answer, beginning with the phrase: "I understand how you felt, because I felt sad like that too when I .." (If they are readers, you could write this on the board).
Ask each of the storytellers:
A. How did you feel when the others played back your story?
B. How does it feel that others understand how you felt?
4. After all the "sad" stories, move to "happy," designating new storytellers for this emotion. Repeat other steps
NOTE: Children could also be asked to draw pictures of times when they felt a similar emotion and give these to the storytellers (with a note on them if they're writers). This is a wide-open lesson in that it could involve several short sessions and certainly could be expanded to illuminate other emotions. You could opt to do a different emotion each week, for instance. Writers could also write a short note to the storytellers which includes phrases like: Thank you for sharing your story. I feel " " too sometimes
Session Assessment: Assessment would include teacher observation of listening skills, the playbacks, student responses to the questions, and any written or artistic work generated afterwards. Emphasis should be on improvement over time in the ability to:
1. enact the emotional stories with increasing accuracy, sophistication and empathy.
2. display nonverbal expressions of the emotion that are increasingly truthful.
3. express and display empathy with increasing ownership of the language and emotional investment
needed to do so in a genuine manner.
4. recognize circumstances or situations which made them feel like another felt.
NOTE: These are difficult, but important to assess, but more clearly visible over time. This speaks well for spreading this activity over several short sessions, allowing children to grow with repetition.
Relevant References in Goleman's Emotional Intelligence: pp.96-110
Designed by S. Henry Hettick
GRADES 4-5
Specific Session Objective(s):
Students will:
1. identify emotions through recognition of phrases, gestures, tones of voice, and other non-verbal cues while reading and/or during a dramatic presentation.
2. show attunement with these emotions through reenactment of scenes.
3. empathize with characters displaying these emotions by exploring situations wherein they felt similar emotions.
4. attune to others by recognizing situations and nonverbal cues which bespeak these emotions.
Terms: empathy attunement storyboard increasing list of emotions
Session Materials:
Classroom set of novels (ie. The Yearling) and/or the movie of same. Drawing paper and pencils.
Session Content:
Over a period of time, the class should develop a list of emotions, of ever increasing complexity. As these are identified, some class discussion and/or dramatization should occur to acquaint students with them. Each student should have such a list to which they add emotions, definitions and examples.
2. This is a lesson designed to integrate with literature. As students read the book, The Yearling (or other suitable choice), they should look for and record segments that depict emotions found on the class list.
3. Each week, have students choose a scene from the book which depicts an emotion and storyboard it. This means they should draw a series of moments from the scene and include dialog or character thoughts as captions. The characters should display the facial expressions that depict this emotion. Students should also write about it and about a situation where they or someone else felt the same kind of emotion (journal?).
4. At the end of the book and/or after the class has seen the movie, have groups of four or five enact one of the storyboarded scenes. Be sure to emphasize that they should focus on the emotion identified by the student and in getting this across to the other class members without naming it.
5. Now have the same group enact a situation from one or more of the group members' personal experience which depicts this same emotion without naming it.
6. Next, class members should try to guess the emotion depicted from the long and complex class list of emotions. Repeat with other groups.
7. A class discussion might include questions about what evokes this emotion, what the non-verbal cues are, instances where students have experienced it and ways that people could empathize and/or help someone cope while experiencing it.
8. After each enactment and discussion, have students add personal experiences and comments to their notes about that emotion on their list.
Session Assessment:
The modalities of assessment include teacher observation of student involvement, ability to empathize through dramatic mimicry of an emotion, sensitivity and discussion; written and visual work including storyboards, journals and their emotion lists.
Emphasis should be on the students improvement in the ability to recognize, portray, empathize with and express emotional intelligence and their own emotional stories. Self assessment of these elements might prove an effective supplementary tool. What have you learned? What emotions do you understand better? Why? Has your emotional intelligence increased? In what ways?
Relevant References in Goleman's Emotional Intelligence: pp. 96-1 10.
Created by S. Henry Hettick
GRADES 4-6
GRADES 6-8
LESSON OBJECTIVE
1. Students will Learn meaning of empathy and practice empathetic behavior
2. Students wiLL Learn the meaning of sympathy and how it is different from empathy
LESSON MATERIALS
a cassette tape recording of excerpts from various musical styles, rhythms, and moods
a cassette tape player
four chairs
a set of scenario note cards with various combinations of who, what, where, why, when and feelings
written on them
a set of note cards haLf with sympathy and half with empathy written on them
SESSION CONTENT
1. Mirror Game: Students pair up and stand face-to-face about 2-3 feet apart. Determine the leaders in each pair. .The leaders. begin. movement that their partners must copy. as a mirror reflection.. They do not move around the room, but move their bodies standing in one place. Challenge them to make the movements slow and fluid and keep eye contact at all. times.. This is a silent activity. After a short while switch the leader. After both students have tried the exercise introduce the music. Ask the leaders to move with feel ing to the music, expressing their feelings with their faces, hands and bodies. Now the partner tries 10 reflect not only the. movement. of The leading partner, but also the feelings. After a while switch the leader letting the other partner try it. Next ask the. pairs .to continue .the exercise without. an assigned leader. The leadership of the pair's movements should be spontaneous and go back and forth between them in a very organic way. Challenge them to focus. so closely on their partner that sometimes they don't know who is the leader. Remind them to include feelings they get from the music.
2. Empathetic Hitchhiking: Set up four chairs Like a car, two in the front and two in the back. Pick a driver, a passenger to sit next to the driver, and a hitchhiker standing on the street. The hitchhiker prepares a feeling. As the. improvisation begins the driver pulls the car over to pick up the hitchhiker who gets in The back seat of the car The hitchhiker. immediately initiates a conversation about anything while showing a strong feeling in both voice and actions. The two students in the front seat immediately take on the feelings of the hitchhiker and join in the conversation displaying the same feelings in their voices and movements. The conversation does not have to be about the feeling or related in any way. For instance the hitchhiker may be acting and talking very nervously but may initiate a conversation about a recent football game. After the three players have connected in the improvisation for a few seconds the driver pulls over and gets out of the car. The passenger moves into the driver's seat and the hitchhiker moves up to the passenger seat. The whole scene begins again with a new hitchhiker and a new feeling. Each time the driver and passenger must incorporate the feelings they perceive into their own voice and movements.
3. Sympathy or Empathy?: Discuss the difference between sympathy and empathy with the students. Pair the cLass up and hand out the scenario note cards to one partner and the sympathy/empathy cards to the other partner. They do not share the information. Each couple will improvise the scene in front of the class. The partner with the scenario card begins the scene by clearly showing the feeling. The sympathy/empathy partners must find out the story from their partners while showing empathy or sympathy as is determined by their card. After a few minutes of improvisation, ask the .class to identify the feeling the character had in the scenario, and then identify if the partner was showing empathy or sympathy. Be sure to encourage details about both answers, i.e. How did we know what they were feeling? What evidence of the feeling did we see? How does sympathy look different from empathy, how does it feel, and visa-versa? Etc.
LESSON ASSESSMENT:
1. Ask the students to write a paragraph descrioing a time that it might be good to use sympathy and a time when it might be good to use empathy. Share these ideas with the class and discuss any misconceptions or disagreements.
2. Ask the students to write a paragraph about something that they do in real life because they have empathy, e.g. 'I always cry at weddings.."
REFER TO: Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, pp.96-i 10.
Designed by: Warren Baumgart ~
GRADES 6-8
Note: This session is based somewhat on the form used by Forum Theatre, as developed by Augusto Boal.
Specific Session Oblective(s):
Students will:
I experience and express empathetic feelings for the characters they play in the school setting.
2. learn something about and empathize with the effects of personal trauma on a person's daily life and the tasks they are to perform.
3. dramatize emotions as experienced by others.
Terms: empathy trauma abuse attunement mirroring
Session Materials: Make copies of the identity handouts (following this lesson plan) so you have enough for two or three classrooms of the same makeup. You may need to think up one or two new identities so that people can opt for a second choice if they're not comfortable with the first.
Session Content:
1. Do a relaxation, imagery exercise. While they are lying on the floor, tell the students that you are going to ask them to take some risks today, that they will be playing roles that demand a lot, portray emotional trauma, may be a stretch and may carry some emotional baggage.
2. Set up the room into two or three classrooms (depending on number of students) with chairs and a teacher desk and chair.
3. Hand out one of the identity cards in a set to each person in a group. Include the disclaimer that they may trade for another. Note: It is not intended that the students "play themselves." You may want to preselect the 'teachers" as these are demanding roles and require some "chutzpah."
4. Begin the school day. Teachers will try to teach about the terms listed above. Allow this to go for about ten minutes. Now enter the classrooms in role as an office messenger and give the "teachers" part 2 of their assignments.
5. Students will now be asked to tell about a traumatic moment in their life and the feelings involved. These are to be made up stories based on their character handouts. After a student tells a story, she/he should ask as a director, casting the other group members to play roles in an enactment of the story
6. After most students have had a turn telling and dramatizing their story, step in, ask the students to stay in role and write in their journals. How did they feel this morning? What has happened so far? How did they feel about class today? What felt good? What felt not-so-good?
7. Now have them step out of role. Do another relaxation exercise which allows them to debrief and assume their own skin. Form a large class circle. Have them re-journalize. Have them revisit #6 questions and: What did they learn about trauma? What students, including their character, did they empathize with? Why?
8 Finally, debrief as a class in discussion. Students could share their journal entries. Explore trauma, it's effects on students and the classroom. Ask them to share any empathetic feelings they experienced.
Session Assessment..
1. During the session, observe students' participation. So watch their focus and connectedness to the role. Do they portray emotions with truth and empathy? Make notes. Let them know ahead of time what's being assessed (ie. drama and empathy).
2. Collect student journals. Look at these for evidence of empathetic response to the characters they played and others, including the student in role as teacher.
3. Observe during oral debriefing for further evidence of understanding of concepts. Be sure to have students talk about their characters in relation to what they have recently learned about emotional intelligence, trauma and empathy.
4. Self assessment of emotional intelligence might include a written, oral or performative expression.
Relevant References in Goleman's Emotional Intelligence; pp. 96-1 10 and 200-214.
Developed by S. Henry Hettick
IDENTITY CARDS - Print out each identity on one sheet of paper
Identity 1-Part 1--You are a sixth grade student. You have your own name. You are just about to enter your first class of the day-Social Skills. You are feeling rotten right now. You think all this talking about problems is stupid, even though you wish someone would listen to yours. You could care less about what problems the other kids have. It's probably their fault anyway. Just grow up. Also, you don't like talking about your own problems either. Especially your secret. You are very afraid that your dad will find out if you talk about your secret-OK, I guess you'd like to talk about it, but NO WAY. It makes you feel not clean. You really don't want to even think about it. Still.. your teacher is a good person and you almost feel like you could trust him/her. You would really like to just.....
Identity 2-Part I--You are a sixth grade student. You have your own name. You are going into your first class of the day-Social Skills. Your dad beat you up last night again. He was drunk and you back talked him a little because he was being a jerk. Your dad is a lot bigger than you. You are very, very angry at him or anybody else if they don't leave you alone. You don't like school because the people there are always telling you what to do, just like your dad. You wished you could just run away. Every time you argue with someone or have a difference of opinion, you can see your dad whomping on you. You wish people would leave you alone, even though you really would like to tell someone about last night
.
Identity 3~Part I--You are a sixth grade student. You have your own name. You are just about to go to your first class of the day-Social Skills. You just had a great breakfast. Not only was it bacon and eggs, your favorite, but you're feeling good after a pretty serious talk with your mom and dad. Your brother and you have been fighting quite a bit and one of the kids a t school has been picking on you for "liking school"-which you do. Your parents listened and that felt good. They don't want you fighting with your brother, but they seemed to understand and they suggested two family meetings a week to talk about it. Dad said he has a temper too, but if you just practice talking through your anger and expressing your reasons for being angry, it gets better. He told you a story about getting in fights when he was a kid and how he learned to diffuse his temper. You really like this class and are excited to talk about some of your "stuff."
Identity 4 part 1--You are a sixth grade student. You have your own name. You are just about to enter your first class of the day-Social Skills. You like school, but you just can't seem to get your mind on it. You like to talk in class but you keep losing focus. Six months ago, you were playing at the cliffs near your house with your best friend. You were both too close and you watched helplessly as your friend fell onto the rocks below. The picture of him/her hitting the rocks is still there in your brain and it won't get out. You have been having nightmares about it and feeling guilty, cuz you should have helped. You wish it would go away. You really want to do good in school this semester. You really wish you could find a way to talk about this, but...
Identity 5 Part 1--You are a sixth grade student. You have your own name. You are just about to go to your first class of the day-Social Skills. You like school a lot when you can just read or write or even take tests, but you don't like classes, like Social Skills, where you have to talk, especially about yourself. People say you're shy and you guess that's right. You don't like the sound of your voice out loud. You really like people, but you hate to talk to them. You just want to be left alone, except around a few close friends. You think that sometimes kids are talking about you and that they think you're stupid because you're afraid to talk. You wish you were like the popular kids, but you're not and it's especially terrifying to talk about yourself or personal things. You would like to just hide in your chair during this next class. Actually, you really wish there was a way kids could understand what it's like to be you, but just talking about it with the whole class won't work.
Identity 6 Part 1-You are a sixth grade student. You have your own name. You are going into your first class of the day-Social Skills. You are very tired. You like school and the teacher and you want to do well, but you were up all night. Your parents were arguing most of the night, sometimes screaming at each other. You tried to talk with them about it, but they told you to go away. You didn't want to cry, but you were so tired and scared, that you did. Your dad came in and told you to "Knock it off" and to "grow up" and that what was going on with them was not your concern. They have been fighting a lot lately. You've heard the word "divorce" mentioned more than once. You love both your parents a lot. You want to do good in class, but you are very, very tired and you can't get your mind off last night. You'd really like to find a way to discuss this with someone, but just talking about it won't work.
Identity 7-Part 1--You are a TEACHER of a sixth grade class. Your goal is to teach the class about emotional intelligence, specifically about:
How family members can sometimes hurt each other by:
Ignoring
Smoothing over things
Disapproving
Threatening
Actually hurting someone
Making them feel bad using guilt and shame
Physical, mental, sexual abuse.
How family members can be helpful by:
Listening
Soothing
Understanding
Caring
Empathizing
Being firm
Obviously, you won't get to all of this. Pick a few things. Re sure to define trauma and empathy! You are determined to teach this subject matter to your charges. You want to make sure they all hear you!! You really need everyone's attention. Your mode for teaching is to be lecture/discussion. Get them involved!
Use the blackboard if you're near one!
The following (Identities - Part 2) can all be printed on one sheet of paper and then cut up as
necessary.
Identities I-~Part 2-When the teacher starts in again, you realize that you really do want to talk about your situation. Be willing to volunteer, even though you still have all the same feelings as before.
Identities l-~Part 2-When the teacher starts in again, you realize that you really do want to talk about your situation. Be willing to volunteer, even though you still have all the same feelings as before.
Identities l-~Part 2-When the teacher starts in again, you realize that you really do want to talk about your situation. Be willing to volunteer, even though you still have all the same feelings as before.
Identities t-~Part 2-When the teacher starts in again, you realize that you really do want to talk about your situation. Be willing to volunteer, even though you still have all the same feelings as before.
Identities l-~Part 2-When the teacher starts in again, you realize that you really do want to talk about your situation. Be willing to volunteer, even though you still have all the same feelings as before.
Identities 1-~Part 2-When the teacher starts in again, you realize that you really do want to talk about your situation. Be willing to volunteer, even though you still have all the same feelings as before.
Print the following on its own sheet of paper:
Identity 7-Teacher-Part 2: Have the students form their chairs in a circle. Talk very briefly about how it's tough to talk about personal stuff, but how it can also be rewarding. Tell the students that you are going to do a dramatization of a difficult or traumatic time in someone's life. Ask for a volunteer who is willing to relate a very tough or traumatic MOMENT in their life (their in-role life). Ask them to be brief. Now ask the volunteer to find others from the group to play the other characters in this story (not everyone has to be used). Have the volunteer act as director for this short scene and take the others to the side to work on it for 3 minutes. While they are working, if anyone is left, you might encourage them to share a moment too. Then the scene is enacted. Spend some time, if there is any, talking about the scene. How did the volunteer feel about reenacting the scene? How did the characters feel as those characters? There probably won't be time, but do another if there's time.
GRADES 9-adult
GRADES 9-12
Specific Session Oblective(s):
Students will:
I. learn to take different sides of the same issue in order to understand others' perspectives.
2. practice intervention tactics to resolve conflict.
3. practice and experience empathy with characters and in situations that are potentially volatile.
Terms: empathy intervention forum theatre
Session Content:
1. This session is designed to integrate emotional intelligence, social issues and drama techniques. It is designed to be preceded by debate sessions where controversial issues are discussed, debated and where students are required to argue both sides of an issue.
2. issues might include but are not limited to racial integration, abortion, pregnancy and/or adoption, violence on TV, student curfews, acceptance of homosexuals, teen emancipation, drug use, abstinence.
3, After using the debate format to explore these issues from both sides, students should be asked to express themselves on the topic of empathy for an opposite viewpoint, commonalities between people with different views and ways to respect those with whom we disagree.
4. NOW, divide the class into groups of four or five. Ask each group to choose one of these debate topics. They are to create a scenario for improvisation which will include predetermined characters and a conflict with the chosen issue at its center. The improvisation should not include a resolution. (Example: a family is arguing about curfews for young family members.) The stance of each of the members should be strong, clear and at odds with other family members.
5. As the drama and the conflict progresses, other class students are encouraged to step into (substitute) one of the roles being played when they feel they have a possible conflict resolving solution. Before the session begins, tell the students that they are not only trying to resolve the situation, but they should also be "feeling" what it is like to he that character with those opinions and feelings. Students should be encouraged to "float" into other roles as well.
6. When scenario has "played itself out," ask another group to begin. Debriefing discussion to follow.
NOTE: To enrich this se~sion greatly, you may want to read the section on Forum Theatre and especially the part about the role of the Joker in Augusto Boal's book, Games for Actors and Non-Actors. A teacb& in the ro]e of Joker can be usefill to facilitate, interrogate and disrupt the session in positive ways.
Session Assessment:
During the session, the teacher should be observing the students for commitment to character and position, empathy exhibited and active participation.
After the session, students should choose at least one issue and write a paper which includes:
1. cogent arguments on the issue from the perspective of each of the characters.
2. a paragraph or two explaining how each of the characters in the situation "feels."
3. comments about insights the student may have had about the issues or the feelings involved.
Relevant References in Goleman's Emotional Intelligence: pp. 96-1 10.
Developed by S. Henry Hettick
GRADES 9 - Adult
Students reflect upon and assess the characteristics and merits of their work
and the work of others.
Objective: To explore two aspects of empathy: nonverbal channels and attunement
Goals:
1) To use the nonverbal channels (facial expression, gesture, tone of voice, etc.)
to portray emotions
2) To decipher nonverbal signals and the correlating emotion
3) To play back another's inner feeling in another way (attunement)
Materials:
*Construction paper with a specific emotion written on it (one per person);choose 3 or 4
specific emotions from the main categories on pgs. 289-90 of E.J (ex: fury, outrage, wrath
in the anger category).
*Yarn to tie the construction paper sign around the neck
*Stand~up signs with one emotion category written on each sign (for example: anger, fear, sadness, love, etc.)
*Index cards with characters and conflicts wntten on them
*A boom box
*Soft music such as "The Fairy Ring" by Mike Rowland
Activities:
Introduction: Define empathy. 90% of an emotional message is nonverbal.
Discuss the importance of the nonverbal channels as they relate to empathy: gestures,
tone of voice, facial expression and general body language. Attunement is the second facet
of empathy: define it.
Emotion Museum
The leader passes out the emotion signs. Each person receives one sign and places it around
his/her neck. Arrange the stand-up signs around the room and have each person find the category that their emotion belongs in. Each individual within the category is to become a statue depicting
a person feeling the emotion on the sign around his/her neck. Allow a few minutes to create the statues. Spotlight each category of statues. Invite the audience to examine the statues and make comments regarding the physicalization of the emotions. Sidecoach as necessary.
Gibberish Game
Divide into groups of four or five. Each group receives an index card with two characters and
a situation/conflict. Two people ad out the scene using gibberish while the other team members
stand to the sides of the scene and interpret what is happening in the scene. However, in this gibberish game, the focus for both the actors and the interpreters is on emotion. The actors
must use their nonverbal channels to communicate what they are feeling; the interpreters must interpret the nonverbal signals and communicate the emotions to the audience. Interpreters
interpret the emotional subtext. For example:
Interpreted subtext: "John is shocked to learn that Mary is pregnant. He is filled with terror at the thought of being a father."
Allow a few minutes of preparation. Present each scene to the class.
The Attunement Exercise
Divide the class into pairs. Redefine attunement. Team members decide who is A and who is B. A starts by using the hands to communicate an emotion, thought or story. Like the mirror exercise, A needs to concentrate on slow, specific movements. However, instead of mirroring, or imitating A, B uses her/his hands to react to A's hands. A then reads to B's hand and so
on. The movements should be continuous and not A,B,A,B. . .with distinctive stop and starts.
Assessment
Recap the two aspects of empathy that were explored in the lesson. Discuss how/what the participants felt/experienced during the activities. How did the actors in the gibberish activity feel while trying to communicate without words? Which nonverbal channel did he/she utilize most often? Which nonverbal channel do you use most often in real life and why? What difficulties, if any, did the interpreters in the gibberish game experience? What were the easiest nonverbal channel signals to decipher? Did you feel attuned to your partner in the attunement exercise or do you feel you were
merely imitating your partner? How might you attune to a person in a real life situation?
Developed by Michelle White
