Personhood Curriculum 7th Grade

 

Empathy

Lesson Plan

aphg7-14

1. Define Empathy.
2. Empathy for negative events.
3. Empathy for positive events.
4. It is OK so show empathy as emotion.
5. How expressing empathy can help relationships.
6. Hiding empathy is not a good idea.
7. Recognizing situations that may call for empathy.
8. Controlling empathy during emergencies.
9. Recognition of the importance of empathy in society.
   • Relationships between people.
   • Charity & doing good for other people.

Try to find events or situations that the students could relate to, and that directly demonstrate empathy at work, or that can be used by you to invoke empathetic responses in your students. Look around your classroom, your school, and your community. Look in the local newspaper. Pick something up from TV news or radio news.

If you can't find examples from the above sources, make up some. Make them so your students can relate well to them.

After you have a few of these, pick some to write up, and do so for presentation in class. Each can be used as the starting point for a class discussion.

If not very simple situations, you may want to print copies to hand out.

During this lesson you will be using an OPEN class discussion.

Print out and make copies for all students, plus spares: "Sob!" - - - sob!.rtf

Introduction

Today we will explore the very important human trait called empathy.

Relevancy

You will benefit from this over your ENTIRE life! It will help you in virtually all of your relationships with parents, brothers and sisters, friends, husband, wife, and many others.

Presentation

Pass out the essay "Sob!"

Please follow along on your copy, as I read it to you. Read it.

Discussion

You will now conduct an OPEN class discussion on examples of empathy. Start asking the students about things they may have experienced or witnessed. If they run out of examples, or the examples presented are not good, then go to "Teacher's Examples," below.

We are now going to have an OPEN class discussion to explore empathy.

It is not our intent here to make anyone uncomfortable or embarrassed. If any of you should feel and express emotions during this discussion, please do not be ashamed or embarrassed. If you do show feelings, remember that is a sign that you are a good and compassionate person. That is saying something good about you.

Students Examples

• Have you ever personally seen anyone who was showing empathy? It might have been something they said, or in visible emotion on their face. Without embarrassing anyone, would you tell us about it?
• Have you ever read or heard about someone who did something, and empathy might have been involved? Tell us about it. What do you think might have been the person's empathetic thoughts or feelings? If there are no responses, suggest these topics.
  • People who rescue injured or abandoned animals.
  • Someone who rescued a person or animal from a burning building.
  • The soldier who risked his life to save an Iraqi woman who had been shot.
  • Bill Gates giving $650,000,000 to fight diseases that affect children in poor countries.
• Have any of you ever had empathetic feelings? Tell us about what happened, and what you thought or felt. Teacher suggestions to spur memories:
  • A friend in the hospital.
  • A person who was injured while playing.
  • Something you saw on TV or in a movie, where you reacted with some emotion.

Teacher's Examples

If you have hardcopy of your example(s), pass them out.

Look at the example titled __________ OR, read an example to them.

As we discuss this example, you can refer to the essay. Ask questions such as:

• What do you think this person was feeling or thinking?
  •  
• Do you know of a similar thing that happened? Tell us about it. What do you think the person or people felt or thought inside?

Student Work

The following is printed at the bottom the essay "Sob!".

The quality of our civilization is in direct proportion to the total of all the empathy of its individuals. Read that again! Why is this true? Think of all the ways it could be true. You can work together, or with family members. Think of all the ways that empathy might contribute to a better society. Write out your answers. Bring them back next class time. Be able to explain how empathy would work in your examples, and how it would make our society better. We will talk about your answers then, and likely learn from each other.

Suggested Answers. Students may come up with others:

• Helps connect people together, so they don't feel lonely or isolated.
• Allows us to understand other people better.
• People are better able to help each other.
• Develops trust between people.
• Takes our focus out of ourselves, so we are not as selfish.
• Leads to directly helping others.
• Is responsible for rescuing each other.
• Strengthens love between people (spouses, parent & child, etc.)
• Leads to volunteering.
• Leads to philanthropy, where we give money for good causes.
• Helps us to work together in a common and good cause.
• Helps people pick careers that are good for society, and helps them do that work better:

  • Medical researchers	Nurses	Policemen
    Teachers	Doctors	Military
    Paramedics	Firemen	Search and Rescue

---

Periodically

Teacher Follow-up

Take 10 or 15 minutes.

 

Have any of you experienced or seen events involving empathy? Maybe at school, home, on TV or movies, or with your friends? Tell us about it. You don't need to tell us who it was, just what happened, and how empathy was at work, or could have been at work.

---

Page TOP

Advanced Personhood Sequence. Links to grade 7 Lesson Plans.

Master Contents

As of: 2 Aug '03