Kindness Connections Lesson Plan Kindness Connections
Empathy Exploration Lesson Plan
20 Minutes
Objective
Students will understand and practice empathy by recognizing and sharing the feelings of others through guided scenarios and reflective discussion.
Why This Matters
Teaching empathy helps students build positive relationships and fosters a supportive, inclusive classroom environment where everyone feels seen and understood.
Preparation
Review the "Managing Feelings & Emotions" video link.
Print copies of Feelings Detective Worksheet for each student.
Review the Empathy Talk Guide for discussion prompts.
Materials Needed
Video Player Worksheets Pencils
Instructional Flow
2 min
The Heart Connection (Introduction)
Briefly explain empathy: "Walking in someone else's shoes" and sharing their feelings.
Introduce the video as a tool to help us identify and manage big emotions.
5 min
Seeing Feelings (Video Viewing)
Play the provided video on managing feelings.
Ask students to notice how the characters identify their emotions and what they do next.
8 min
Feelings Detectives (Activity)
Distribute the Feelings Detective Worksheet .
Read Scenario 1 aloud to guide the class through the first response.
Allow students to work individually or in pairs to finish the remaining scenarios.
5 min
Heart-to-Heart (Discussion)
Use the Empathy Talk Guide to facilitate a group conversation.
Encourage students to share personal stories of when someone showed them empathy.
Wrap up by highlighting how kindness and empathy build a stronger class community.
"Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another." — Alfred Adler
Feelings Detective Worksheet Feelings Detective
Put on your detective hat and solve these empathy mysteries!
Name:
Date:
Case Instructions
Read each scenario carefully. Imagine you are there with the person. How do they feel? What could you do to show you care?
1
Alex is sitting alone at lunch, looking sad.
How do you think Alex might be feeling?
What could you do to show empathy to Alex?
2
Jamie forgot their homework and is worried about getting in trouble.
How do you think Jamie might be feeling?
What could you do to help Jamie feel better?
3
Taylor is excited about their birthday party but notices a friend who looks upset.
How do you think Taylor's friend might be feeling?
What could Taylor do to show empathy to their friend?
My Reflection
Think of a time when someone showed empathy to you. How did it make you feel?
Why is it important to show empathy to others?
Remember: Empathy is about understanding and sharing the feelings of others. It's important to listen and be kind!
Empathy Talk Guide Empathy Talk Guide
Facilitation Support for Classroom Discussion
Facilitation Tips
Encourage students to listen with their whole bodies.
Validate all feelings shared by students.
Allow for "thinking time" before accepting answers.
Use "I wonder..." statements to deepen reflection.
1
What is empathy, and why is it important?
Follow-up: Can you think of a time when you showed empathy to someone? How did it make you feel? How did it make them feel?
2
How did the scenarios in the activity make you feel?
Follow-up: Which scenario was the most challenging for you to think about? Why do you think that one was harder than the others?
3
Why do you think it's sometimes hard to show empathy?
Follow-up: What can we do to make it easier to be empathetic? Does taking a deep breath or asking a question help?
4
How can showing empathy change someone's day?
Follow-up: Can you share a story where empathy made a difference in your life or in a movie or book you love?
5
What are some ways we can practice empathy every day?
Follow-up: How can we encourage others to be empathetic? What could we say to a friend who is struggling to be kind?
Building a Caring Community, One Heart at a Time
Kindness Connections Slides Kindness Connections
Exploring Empathy Together
What is Empathy?
The Definition
"Understanding and sharing the feelings of others."
It's like walking in someone else's shoes to see how they feel!
Empathy helps us build a kinder world.
Watch & Learn
Managing Feelings & Emotions
(Teacher: If you have a YouTube URL for this video, it can be embedded here!)
Watch for clues
Listen for feelings
1
The Lonely Lunch
"Alex is sitting alone at lunch, looking sad."
Identification
How do you think Alex might be feeling?
Action
What could you do to show empathy?
2
The Homework Worry
"Jamie forgot their homework and is worried about getting in trouble."
How do you think Jamie might be feeling?
What could you do to help Jamie feel better?
Let's Talk!
How can showing empathy change someone's day?
Be Kind
Be a Listener
Be a Friend
