Empathy Lenses Guide Empathy Lenses
Small Group Facilitator Guide (Tier 2)
Audience
6th Grade Group
Time
30 Minutes
Why This Matters
Understanding different perspectives is crucial for resolving conflicts, building stronger relationships, and developing empathy. This lesson provides a tangible way for students to practice this vital social-emotional skill through a visual metaphor that makes abstract emotional intelligence concrete.
Objective
Students will be able to identify and articulate different perspectives in a social dilemma using visual metaphors, enhancing their understanding of others' feelings and motivations.
Preparation
• Review the Slide Deck and Worksheet.
• Set up projector/screen for Slide Deck.
• Print Perspective Puzzle Prompts for each student.
• Review the Facilitator Script for key phrasing.
Materials Needed
Slide Deck
Worksheet
Dialogue Script
Writing Utensils
Projector/Screen
Chart Paper
Instructional Approach
"Through visual metaphors and guided discussion, students will explore various viewpoints in social scenarios, moving from external observations to internal empathy."
Step-by-Step Instructions
01
Intro: Empathy Lenses
5 Minutes
Greet students and introduce the concept of "empathy lenses" using the Slide Deck .
Explain that just like different lenses can change how we see things, different perspectives change how we understand a situation.
Use prompts from the Dialogue Script to initiate discussion.
02
Exploring a Social Dilemma
10 Minutes
Present the first social dilemma from the Worksheet (The Missing Soccer Ball).
Guide students to identify the different characters involved.
Brainstorm what each person might be seeing, feeling, and thinking .
Encourage students to physically "mimic" putting on an imaginary lens.
03
Applying Empathy Lenses
10 Minutes
Students work individually or in pairs to apply empathy lenses to Scenario 2 (The Group Project Mix-Up).
Students draw or write their insights on the worksheet.
Circulate to offer support and facilitate deeper thinking.
04
Share & Reflect
5 Minutes
Bring the group back together to share insights and conclude.
Discuss how "wearing" different lenses changed their understanding.
Reinforce the importance of perspective-taking in real-life conflict.
Use concluding remarks from the Dialogue Script .
Seeing Through Different Eyes Slides What's Your View?
Have you ever looked at something and someone else saw it totally differently?
That's called Perspective!
Teacher Notes
Welcome students and introduce the concept of perspective-taking. Ask them what "perspective" means to them. Connect it to seeing things in different ways.
Empathy Lenses!
Imagine you have special lenses that let you see the world through someone else's eyes.
These are your Empathy Lenses!
They help us understand what others are thinking and feeling.
Teacher Notes
Explain the metaphor of "empathy lenses". Just like glasses help us see better or in a new way, empathy lenses help us understand how others might see and feel a situation.
Putting on the Lenses
Today, we're going to use our Empathy Lenses to understand social puzzles.
Observe
Empathize
Solve
READY TO TRY THEM ON?
Teacher Notes
Introduce the idea of social dilemmas where different people have different views. Explain that we'll practice using our empathy lenses to understand these situations better. This slide leads into the worksheet activity.
Perspective Puzzle Prompts Worksheet Perspective Puzzle Prompts
Trying on Empathy Lenses
Name:
Date:
Put on your "Empathy Lenses" for each person in the story. Think about what they are seeing, feeling, and thinking from their unique point of view.
Scenario 1
The Missing Soccer Ball
During recess, Liam accidentally kicks a soccer ball over the fence into Mrs. Davison's prize-winning flower garden. Mrs. Davison comes out looking very upset. Liam and his friends are worried about what will happen next.
Liam
Seeing
Feeling
Thinking
Mrs. Davison
Seeing
Feeling
Thinking
Liam's
Seeing
Feeling
Thinking
Scenario 2
The Group Project Mix-Up
Maya designed the experiment, and Ben collected all the materials. Chloe was supposed to write the report but forgot. Now the project is late, and the teacher is giving the whole group a lower grade.
Maya
Seeing
Feeling
Thinking
Ben
Seeing
Feeling
Thinking
Chloe
Seeing
Feeling
Thinking
Facilitator Dialogue Script Facilitator's Dialogue Cues
Empathy Lenses: Small Group Facilitation Script
Facilitator Resource
Say (Direct Dialogue)
Ask (Wait for response)
Action (Do this)
1
Introduction: What are Empathy Lenses?
Dialogue
"Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Thanks for joining me today. We're going to talk about something really interesting: how we see the world and how others see it."
Discussion Starter
"Have any of you ever had a disagreement with someone, and later realized they saw the situation totally differently than you did?"
Explanation
"That's where our 'Empathy Lenses' come in. Think of them like special glasses. When you put on different glasses, the world looks different, right? Well, when we put on our empathy lenses, we try to see a situation through someone else's eyes. It helps us understand what they might be thinking, feeling, and why they might be acting a certain way."
"It's not about agreeing with them, but about understanding their point of view. This skill is super important for being a good friend, solving problems, and just navigating life."
2
Exploring a Social Dilemma
Action
Introduce Scenario 1: The Missing Soccer Ball from the worksheet. Read the story aloud to the group.
Identification Question
"First, let's identify the main characters in this 'puzzle'. Who are they?"
(Guide students to identify Liam, Mrs. Davison, and Liam's friends.)
Lens 1: Liam
"Now, let's put on our Liam lenses. If you were Liam, what might you be seeing right now? What thoughts are running through your head? How might you be feeling?"
Prompts: "Why do you think he feels that way?" "What might he be worried about?"
Lens 2: Mrs. Davison
"Okay, now let's take off our Liam lenses and put on Mrs. Davison's lenses. If you were Mrs. Davison, what would you be seeing? How would you be feeling about your garden? What might you be thinking about the kids playing soccer?"
Prompts: "Why might her garden be so important to her?" "What past experiences might make her react this way?"
Lens 3: Liam's Friends
"Finally, let's try on the lenses of Liam's friends. What are they seeing? How might they be feeling? What are they thinking about the situation and about Liam?"
Prompts: "How might their feelings be different from Liam's?" "What responsibilities do they have as friends?"
3
Group Share and Reflection
