Empathy Role-Play Guide Lesson Plan Empathy Role-Play Guide
Tier 2 Small Group Toolkit • 6th Grade
60 Minutes
Objective
Students will practice stepping into others’ shoes through structured role-play scenarios to identify and respond to emotions empathetically, using the Empathy Performance Rubric to guide their interactions.
Why This Matters
Building empathy strengthens peer relationships, reduces conflict, and promotes a supportive classroom culture by helping students recognize and validate each other’s feelings.
Preparation
Review Walk in Their Shoes slide deck.
Print/cut Scenario Swap Cards (1 set per pair).
Copy Empathy Performance Rubric for each pair.
Review Feelings Debrief Guide .
Arrange seating in facing pairs.
Instructional Flow
5 min
Introduction to Empathy
Display opening slide from Walk in Their Shoes deck.
Define empathy and discuss why it matters in school.
Share the session’s objective and session plan.
10 min
Teacher Modeling
Select one scenario card and role-play both characters, narrating aloud how each feels.
Highlight empathetic responses vs. non-empathic reactions.
Use the Empathy Performance Rubric to score the interaction.
25 min
Pair Role-Play Practice
Distribute Scenario Swap Cards and rubrics to pairs.
Students enact the scenario twice, switching roles each time.
Partners use the rubric for constructive feedback on listening and language.
Teacher circulates to observe and prompt deeper reflection.
15 min
Group Debrief Discussion
Reconvene whole group using Feelings Debrief Discussion Guide .
Discuss challenges, feelings of being heard, and connection strategies.
Summarize key takeaways and reinforce rubric criteria.
Differentiation & Support
English Learners
Provide bilingual scenario cards or add simple visual emoji icons depicting the core emotions of each scenario.
Tier 3 / High Support
Pre-assign roles and provide guided sentence stems like "I understand you feel..." or "It sounds like you are..."
Advanced Learners
Challenge students to write and perform an original scenario reflecting a recent peer conflict they've observed.
Strategic Pairing
Balance skill levels to encourage peer mentoring. Pair more socially confident students with those needing support.
Walk in Their Shoes Slide Deck Walk in Their Shoes
Building Empathy Through Role-Play
Define Empathy
Dialogue Examples
Rubric Practice
Paired Practice
Teacher: Introduce the session: welcome students and share today’s goal of understanding and practicing empathy through role-play.
What Is Empathy?
The ability to step into another person’s shoes and understand their feelings and perspectives.
Recognizing
Seeing emotions in others.
Caring
Showing that you care.
Responding
Acting in a supportive way.
Teacher: Explain that empathy is more than caring—it’s actively understanding how someone else feels. Use a real-life example.
Why Empathy Matters
Strengthens friendships and trust between peers.
Reduces misunderstandings and classroom conflict.
Helps everyone feel heard, valued, and safe.
"Empathy is the bridge that connects us all."
Teacher: Connect empathy to students’ daily experiences: better friendships and an inclusive classroom.
Empathy in Action
Scenario: Sara was left out of a game at recess.
Non-Empathic
"It's no big deal. You'll find someone else to play with soon."
Outcome: Dismissive; person feels ignored.
Empathic
"I'm sorry you felt left out, Sara. That must have been hurtful."
Outcome: Supportive; person feels understood.
Teacher: Walk through each column. Contrast the non-empathic vs. empathic version. Highlight specific words.
The Performance Rubric
01
Listening Skills
Full attention, eye contact, and patience.
02
Perspective-Taking
Naming emotions and describing their viewpoint.
03
Supportive Language
Using phrases like "I understand you feel..."
04
Follow-Up
Asking questions to deepen the connection.
Teacher: Introduce the rubric as a tool for feedback. Briefly define each criterion for the students.
Your Turn!
1
Grab a deck of Scenario Cards and a Rubric .
2
Draw a scenario and assign Role A and Role B .
3
Scenario Swap Role-Play Cards Activity Scenario Swap Role-Play Cards
Draw a card, assign roles A and B, and practice the interaction twice (switching roles). Use the Empathy Performance Rubric to provide feedback.
CARD 1
Left Out at Recess
Jamie was left out of a recess game by classmates and feels hurt.
Roles
Role A: Jamie (Left out)
Role B: Taylor (The classmate)
CARD 2
Borrowed and Forgot
Alex lent a pencil to a friend, but they forgot to return it, leaving Alex stuck.
Roles
Role A: Alex (The lender)
Role B: Sam (The borrower)
CARD 3
Party Invitation Mishap
Morgan had a small party and forgot to invite one close friend.
Roles
Role A: Jordan (Not invited)
Role B: Morgan (The host)
CARD 4
Group Project Conflict
During a group project, Riley's ideas were ignored by the team.
Roles
Role A: Riley (Ignored)
Role B: Casey (The leader)
CARD 5
Teasing in the Hallway
A student was teased about their new glasses and feels self-conscious.
Roles
Role A: Jordan (New glasses)
Role B: Alex (The teaser)
CARD 6
Lost Valued Item
Taylor lost a cherished necklace and is upset, suspecting someone found it.
Roles
Role A: Taylor (Lost item)
Role B: Kai (Wants to help)
CARD 7
Misinterpreted Message
A text message from a friend came across as rude, leading to hurt feelings.
Roles
Role A: Sam (The receiver)
Role B: Pat (The sender)
CARD 8
New Student Welcome
A new student feels isolated and unsure how to join existing friend groups.
Roles
Role A: Jordan (New student)
Role B: Taylor (Current student)
Feelings Debrief Discussion Guide Worksheet Feelings Debrief
Small Group Reflection & Discussion Guide
Tier 2 Intervention • 6th Grade
Facilitator Notes
Purpose:
Help students reflect on role-play experiences, name specific emotions, and identify empathy skills they used or want to improve.
Setup:
Reconvene in a circle. Ensure the Empathy Performance Rubric is visible for reference during the discussion.
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ________________________
1. Which scenario felt most challenging and why?
Think about your role and the emotion you were portraying.
2. How did it feel when your partner responded empathetically?
Describe your experience of being listened to with care.
3. What specific empathy skills did you notice in your partner?
Refer to the rubric: listening, perspective-taking, supportive language, or follow-up.
4. What strategy or phrase helped you connect most with your partner?
Example: "I understand you feel..." or asking a thoughtful question.
Discussion Prompts & Follow-Up
"Can you give us an example sentence you used or heard today?"
"What was the biggest difference between a non-empathic and empathic response?"
"How might you remind yourself to use this skill during a real conflict?"
Next Steps
Encourage students to practice one chosen skill during the next week.
Assign a "Connection Log" entry for their journal to record one success.
Plan a 5-minute check-in at the start of the next session.
Empathy Performance Rubric Assessment Empathy Performance Rubric
Use this rubric during role-plays to guide your feedback and track your growth. Aim to move toward Mastery as you practice.
Student Name: __________________________________
Partner: __________________________________
Criteria Emerging (1) Developing (2) Mastery (3) Listening Skills Eye contact, attention, and waiting to speak.
|
Rarely maintains eye contact.
Often distracted or interrupts the speaker.
|
Sometimes makes eye contact.
Listens but may lose focus or interrupt occasionally.
|
Consistently gives full attention.
Maintains eye contact and waits patiently to respond.
|
| Perspective-Taking
Naming emotions and describing their viewpoint.
|
Struggles to name others’ feelings or viewpoint.
Responses are general or missing.
|
Names basic emotions but may miss deeper feelings.
Sometimes acknowledges the other’s perspective.
|
Accurately identifies and describes feelings/viewpoints.
Uses specific language to show understanding.
|
| Supportive Language
Using empathic phrases and sincere tone.
|
Responses are neutral, dismissive, or off-topic.
Rarely uses empathic words.
|
Sometimes says “I’m sorry” or “I understand,” but inconsistently.
Language can feel scripted.
|
Regularly uses phrases like “I understand you feel…” or “That sounds tough.”
Language feels sincere.
|
| Follow-Up
Asking questions or offering help to connect.
|
Does not ask questions or offer help.
Conversation ends quickly.
|
Asks a follow-up question or offers help sometimes (with prompting).
|
Always asks thoughtful follow-up questions.
