I thought about how combining the two could bring about some great writing around what we can say to one another when facing challenges. The big question was: what can we say to one another that demonstrates empathy in a variety of situations?
For this reason, I created an "Empathy Poster". Students have learned about the important features of an effective poster and we reviewed whether or not mine met the requirements (Whew, it did!). I asked the boys and girls to use quotation marks to write about what they would say in each situation.
To kick off our lesson, and remind students about what empathy is and how it differs from sympathy, we read "The Invisible Boy" by Trudy Ludwig. From there, we moved on to our posters. Students are still working on them, but I'm thrilled that I've been able to teach my students about so many different topics all in one activity.
The boys and girls are off to a great start and I have to say, their responses to the three different situations posed in the poster are very touching. It is a pleasure to spend my day with such kind and thoughtful people.
