GRADES K-3
Specific Session Objective: Students will:
- explore a wide variety of emotions.
- learn new words to describe emotions and
explore various visual cues.
- discuss and demonstrate ways we can understand
the feelings of others and respect different
perspectives.
Terms
Empathy
Emotional Hijacking
Session Materials
Paper cameras
draw and cut
out paper cameras attaching yarn to the sides so cameras can be hung around
the neck
Session Content
1. Read students the definition of empathy (provided under the
heading component description).
2. Pass out cameras.
3. Ask students to describe different emotions and to demonstrate
what it might look like if they were experiencing these emotions.
During the
demonstrations, encourage students to take pictures of peers, and then
ask them to describe the pictures and talk with them about different perceptions.
4. Discuss the importance of being able to recognize and understand
different emotions in others’ in order to empathize, and ask students to
offer examples of ways they have shown empathy towards friends and family
members. Discuss the necessity of showing empathy to family members,
and talk about how difficult it can be to show empathy during moments when
you are feeling emotionally hijacked. Define emotionally hijacked.
5. Unresolved Emotional Situations
Assign students into groups of three or four. Talk briefly about
how different families are made up. Ex: mom, grandma, and kids; mom,
dad, and one child; two moms and kids; dad and kids; etc. Ask students
to decide on their families characters. Next, ask them to choose
an argument, an unresolved problem, etc. that can be played out but does
not have a resolved ending, to show the class. The argument can escalate
into a shouting match, or can be more subtle with one member feeling neglected
and showing it outwardly but not saying much. Give students approximately
5-7 minutes to work on this activity. (With kindergartners and first
graders, you might want to assign characters and provide a rough outline
of an argument, depending on their experience with improvisation and your
knowledge of the groups dynamics.)
6. Situation Presentation
Have groups show their unresolved situation and encourage students
to take pictures of the families at different times during the arguments.
Conduct discussions after each improvisation. Talk about the photos
students took and ask them to discuss how they think each of the characters
are feeling, exploring why and how each individual got to the point they
are at and how the situation could change from volatile to a beneficial
emotional experience through the use of empathy.
7. Options
a. Forum Theatre. After a group presents their argument
and you conduct a brief discussion, ask them to replay the situation and
encourage students to freeze the action and assume the role of one of the
characters demonstrating empathy toward another character.
b. The Peacemaker. Replay situations and ask one
student in each scene to adopt the attitude of a peacemaker empathizing
with the other characters and trying show all the different perspectives
in order to facilitate understanding of one another.
c. Empathetic Replay. Replay situations asking the entire
group to incorporate some of the different ways of empathizing we explored
in the discussion.
Session Assessment
Student suggestions for the unresolved improvisations
will offer great insight into whether or not they understand empathy and
they are given the opportunity to apply their knowledge during group replay.
Additionally, by monitoring students’ future behaviors and relationships
with each other, one can assess transference and the impact of the session.
For deeper levels of processing, additional sessions are beneficial.
Relevant References in Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence: pp. 96-117,
303
Developed by S.R.
GRADES K-3
Specific Session Objective(s):
Students will practice good listening skills, represent emotions through
non-verbal communication, portray a story told by a classmate showing emotional
attunement and practice and articulate their empathy with that students'
feelings.
Terms: empathy playback storyteller playbacker emotions-SAD, HAPPY, ANGRY, SCARED
Session Materials: availability of a myriad of classroom materials which students could choose to use as props (not necessary).
Session Content:
1. Explain and talk about each of the emotions listed above with the children standing. Brainstorm with the children about the kinds of things that might make them feel that way and to show what each of those emotions might look like (what kind of face might they have if they felt that way, how might they walk, etc.) as they walk around the room.
2. Divide the class into groups of four. Teacher should be in her/his own group of three (perhaps with three parent volunteers). Demonstrate telling a short story about when you felt sad (be sure to tell it including the other people involved) and ask the three parents if they will 'playback" your story for you. Keep it very short. The people in the teacher's group then act out the story, one of them pretending to be the teacher being sad. Thank the playbackers and ask them to tell about a time when they felt sad like they think you felt sad and the questions in part three.
3. Ask one of the people in each group (teacher designate them) to tell
a story about when they were sad. Repeat the demonstrated playback process
from above, one group at a time. Be sure to tell the playbackers to show
how they think the storyteller felt when they were sad. At the end of each
of the sad playbacks, ask each of the playback kids:
A. How do you think the storyteller felt when this happened to them?
B. Have you ever felt sad in a similar way? When?
Have each of the playbackers answer, beginning with the phrase: "I
understand how you felt, because I felt sad like that too when I .." (If
they are readers, you could write this on the board).
Ask each of the storytellers:
A. How did you feel when the others played back your story?
B. How does it feel that others understand how you felt?
4. After all the "sad" stories, move to "happy," designating
new storytellers for this emotion. Repeat other steps
NOTE: Children could also be asked to draw pictures of times when they felt a similar emotion and give these to the storytellers (with a note on them if they're writers). This is a wide-open lesson in that it could involve several short sessions and certainly could be expanded to illuminate other emotions. You could opt to do a different emotion each week, for instance. Writers could also write a short note to the storytellers which includes phrases like: Thank you for sharing your story. I feel " " too sometimes
Session Assessment: Assessment would include teacher observation of listening skills, the playbacks, student responses to the questions, and any written or artistic work generated afterwards. Emphasis should be on improvement over time in the ability to:
1. enact the emotional stories with increasing accuracy, sophistication
and empathy.
2. display nonverbal expressions of the emotion that are increasingly
truthful.
3. express and display empathy with increasing ownership of the language
and emotional investment
needed to do so in a genuine manner.
4. recognize circumstances or situations which made them feel like
another felt.
NOTE: These are difficult, but important to assess, but more clearly visible over time. This speaks well for spreading this activity over several short sessions, allowing children to grow with repetition.
Relevant References in Goleman's Emotional Intelligence: pp.96-110
Designed by S. Henry Hettick
GRADES 4-5
Specific Session Objective(s):
Students will:
1. identify emotions through recognition of phrases, gestures, tones
of voice, and other non-verbal cues while reading and/or during a dramatic
presentation.
2. show attunement with these emotions through reenactment of scenes.
3. empathize with characters displaying these emotions by exploring
situations wherein they felt similar emotions.
4. attune to others by recognizing situations and nonverbal cues which
bespeak these emotions.
Terms: empathy attunement storyboard increasing list of
emotions
Session Materials:
Classroom set of novels (ie. The Yearling) and/or the movie of same.
Drawing paper and pencils.
Session Content:
Over a period of time, the class should develop a list of emotions,
of ever increasing complexity. As these are identified, some class discussion
and/or dramatization should occur to acquaint students with them. Each
student should have such a list to which they add emotions, definitions
and examples.
2. This is a lesson designed to integrate with literature. As students read the book, The Yearling (or other suitable choice), they should look for and record segments that depict emotions found on the class list.
3. Each week, have students choose a scene from the book which depicts an emotion and storyboard it. This means they should draw a series of moments from the scene and include dialog or character thoughts as captions. The characters should display the facial expressions that depict this emotion. Students should also write about it and about a situation where they or someone else felt the same kind of emotion (journal?).
4. At the end of the book and/or after the class has seen the movie, have groups of four or five enact one of the storyboarded scenes. Be sure to emphasize that they should focus on the emotion identified by the student and in getting this across to the other class members without naming it.
5. Now have the same group enact a situation from one or more of the group members' personal experience which depicts this same emotion without naming it.
6. Next, class members should try to guess the emotion depicted from the long and complex class list of emotions. Repeat with other groups.
7. A class discussion might include questions about what evokes this emotion, what the non-verbal cues are, instances where students have experienced it and ways that people could empathize and/or help someone cope while experiencing it.
8. After each enactment and discussion, have students add personal experiences and comments to their notes about that emotion on their list.
Session Assessment:
The modalities of assessment include teacher observation of student
involvement, ability to empathize through dramatic mimicry of an emotion,
sensitivity and discussion; written and visual work including storyboards,
journals and their emotion lists.
Emphasis should be on the students improvement in the ability to recognize,
portray, empathize with and express emotional intelligence and their own
emotional stories. Self assessment of these elements might prove an effective
supplementary tool. What have you learned? What emotions do you understand
better? Why? Has your emotional intelligence increased? In what ways?
Relevant References in Goleman's Emotional Intelligence: pp. 96-1 10.
Created by S. Henry Hettick
GRADES 4-6
Specific Session Objective
Students will learn to identify emotions and are
able to match emotions to physical qualities.
Materials
cut-out pictures of faces from magazines
Session Content
1. Brainstorm emotions with the class; write their ideas on the
board; encourage them to elaborate beyond the six basic emotions (happy,
sad, angry, surprised, afraid, disgusted.)
2. Emotional Mirror Game - divide class in pairs with one student
as A and the other as B. Begin mirror game. Teacher calls out
the emotions from the board which the kids are to take turns mirroring.
Lead class in discussion about how they felt during exercise and how the
emotions were conveyed.
3. Show students pictures of faces from magazines that reflect
a wide range of emotions and guide them in connecting the emotions with
the picture faces. Explain that each of the faces represents an event
that happened to someone. Guide them to telling a story around what
may have happened to this fictive person. Who is this person?
How is he/she feeling? What are the clues?
4. Divide the class into groups of 4-5. Give each group
a face picture. They are to construct a story around what has happened
to the person. They are to show through a series of three tableaux,
the events immediately prior. Explain that it is like a cartoon strip,
each picture precedes the next one. One person from the group is
to act as a narrator, or guide. As each group presents their tableaux,
the guide conducts the other students on a "tour" of this particular emotion.
Session Assessment
Discuss how emotion is conveyed, how people know
when others are happy or upset. Ask if they discovered any new emotions
during the class. Make a new list and compare it to the previous
list.
GRADES 6-8
LESSON OBJECTIVE
1. Students will Learn meaning of empathy and practice empathetic behavior
2. Students wiLL Learn the meaning of sympathy and how it is different
from empathy
LESSON MATERIALS
a cassette tape recording of excerpts from various musical styles,
rhythms, and moods
a cassette tape player
four chairs
a set of scenario note cards with various combinations of who, what,
where, why, when and feelings
written on them
a set of note cards haLf with sympathy and half with empathy written
on them
SESSION CONTENT
1. Mirror Game: Students pair up and stand face-to-face about 2-3 feet
apart. Determine the leaders in each pair. .The leaders. begin. movement
that their partners must copy. as a mirror reflection.. They do not move
around the room, but move their bodies standing in one place. Challenge
them to make the movements slow and fluid and keep eye contact at all.
times.. This is a silent activity. After a short while switch the leader.
After both students have tried the exercise introduce the music. Ask the
leaders to move with feel ing to the music, expressing their feelings with
their faces, hands and bodies. Now the partner tries 10 reflect not only
the. movement. of The leading partner, but also the feelings. After a while
switch the leader letting the other partner try it. Next ask the. pairs
.to continue .the exercise without. an assigned leader. The leadership
of the pair's movements should be spontaneous and go back and forth between
them in a very organic way. Challenge them to focus. so closely on their
partner that sometimes they don't know who is the leader. Remind them to
include feelings they get from the music.
2. Empathetic Hitchhiking: Set up four chairs Like a car, two in the front and two in the back. Pick a driver, a passenger to sit next to the driver, and a hitchhiker standing on the street. The hitchhiker prepares a feeling. As the. improvisation begins the driver pulls the car over to pick up the hitchhiker who gets in The back seat of the car The hitchhiker. immediately initiates a conversation about anything while showing a strong feeling in both voice and actions. The two students in the front seat immediately take on the feelings of the hitchhiker and join in the conversation displaying the same feelings in their voices and movements. The conversation does not have to be about the feeling or related in any way. For instance the hitchhiker may be acting and talking very nervously but may initiate a conversation about a recent football game. After the three players have connected in the improvisation for a few seconds the driver pulls over and gets out of the car. The passenger moves into the driver's seat and the hitchhiker moves up to the passenger seat. The whole scene begins again with a new hitchhiker and a new feeling. Each time the driver and passenger must incorporate the feelings they perceive into their own voice and movements.
3. Sympathy or Empathy?: Discuss the difference between sympathy and empathy with the students. Pair the cLass up and hand out the scenario note cards to one partner and the sympathy/empathy cards to the other partner. They do not share the information. Each couple will improvise the scene in front of the class. The partner with the scenario card begins the scene by clearly showing the feeling. The sympathy/empathy partners must find out the story from their partners while showing empathy or sympathy as is determined by their card. After a few minutes of improvisation, ask the .class to identify the feeling the character had in the scenario, and then identify if the partner was showing empathy or sympathy. Be sure to encourage details about both answers, i.e. How did we know what they were feeling? What evidence of the feeling did we see? How does sympathy look different from empathy, how does it feel, and visa-versa? Etc.
LESSON ASSESSMENT:
1. Ask the students to write a paragraph descrioing a time that it might be good to use sympathy and a time when it might be good to use empathy. Share these ideas with the class and discuss any misconceptions or disagreements.
2. Ask the students to write a paragraph about something that they do in real life because they have empathy, e.g. 'I always cry at weddings.."
REFER TO: Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, pp.96-i 10.
Designed by: Warren Baumgart ~
GRADES 6-8
Note: This session is based somewhat on the form
used by Forum Theatre, as developed by Augusto Boal.
Specific Session Oblective(s):
Students will:
I experience and express empathetic feelings for the characters they
play in the school setting.
2. learn something about and empathize with the effects of personal
trauma on a person's daily life and the tasks they are to perform.
3. dramatize emotions as experienced by others.
Terms: empathy trauma abuse attunement mirroring
Session Materials: Make copies of the identity handouts (following this lesson plan) so you have enough for two or three classrooms of the same makeup. You may need to think up one or two new identities so that people can opt for a second choice if they're not comfortable with the first.
Session Content:
1. Do a relaxation, imagery exercise. While they are lying on the floor, tell the students that you are going to ask them to take some risks today, that they will be playing roles that demand a lot, portray emotional trauma, may be a stretch and may carry some emotional baggage.
2. Set up the room into two or three classrooms (depending on number of students) with chairs and a teacher desk and chair.
3. Hand out one of the identity cards in a set to each person in a group. Include the disclaimer that they may trade for another. Note: It is not intended that the students "play themselves." You may want to preselect the 'teachers" as these are demanding roles and require some "chutzpah."
4. Begin the school day. Teachers will try to teach about the terms listed above. Allow this to go for about ten minutes. Now enter the classrooms in role as an office messenger and give the "teachers" part 2 of their assignments.
5. Students will now be asked to tell about a traumatic moment in their
life and the feelings involved. These are to be made up stories based on
their character handouts. After a student tells a story, she/he should
ask as a director, casting the other group members to play roles in an
enactment of the story
6. After most students have had a turn telling and dramatizing
their story, step in, ask the students to stay in role and write in their
journals. How did they feel this morning? What has happened so far? How
did they feel about class today? What felt good? What felt not-so-good?
7. Now have them step out of role. Do another relaxation exercise which allows them to debrief and assume their own skin. Form a large class circle. Have them re-journalize. Have them revisit #6 questions and: What did they learn about trauma? What students, including their character, did they empathize with? Why?
8 Finally, debrief as a class in discussion. Students could share their journal entries. Explore trauma, it's effects on students and the classroom. Ask them to share any empathetic feelings they experienced.
Session Assessment..
1. During the session, observe students' participation. So watch their focus and connectedness to the role. Do they portray emotions with truth and empathy? Make notes. Let them know ahead of time what's being assessed (ie. drama and empathy).
2. Collect student journals. Look at these for evidence of empathetic response to the characters they played and others, including the student in role as teacher.
3. Observe during oral debriefing for further evidence of understanding of concepts. Be sure to have students talk about their characters in relation to what they have recently learned about emotional intelligence, trauma and empathy.
4. Self assessment of emotional intelligence might include a written,
oral or performative expression.
Relevant References in Goleman's Emotional Intelligence; pp. 96-1 10
and 200-214.
Developed by S. Henry Hettick
IDENTITY CARDS - Print out each identity on one sheet of paper
Identity 1-Part 1--You are a sixth grade student. You have your own name. You are just about to enter your first class of the day-Social Skills. You are feeling rotten right now. You think all this talking about problems is stupid, even though you wish someone would listen to yours. You could care less about what problems the other kids have. It's probably their fault anyway. Just grow up. Also, you don't like talking about your own problems either. Especially your secret. You are very afraid that your dad will find out if you talk about your secret-OK, I guess you'd like to talk about it, but NO WAY. It makes you feel not clean. You really don't want to even think about it. Still.. your teacher is a good person and you almost feel like you could trust him/her. You would really like to just.....
Identity 2-Part I--You are a sixth grade student. You have your own
name. You are going into your first class of the day-Social Skills. Your
dad beat you up last night again. He was drunk and you back talked him
a little because he was being a jerk. Your dad is a lot bigger than you.
You are very, very angry at him or anybody else if they don't leave you
alone. You don't like school because the people there are always telling
you what to do, just like your dad. You wished you could just run away.
Every time you argue with someone or have a difference of opinion, you
can see your dad whomping on you. You wish people would leave you alone,
even though you really would like to tell someone about last night
.
Identity 3~Part I--You are a sixth grade student. You have your
own name. You are just about to go to your first class of the day-Social
Skills. You just had a great breakfast. Not only was it bacon and eggs,
your favorite, but you're feeling good after a pretty serious talk with
your mom and dad. Your brother and you have been fighting quite a bit and
one of the kids a t school has been picking on you for "liking school"-which
you do. Your parents listened and that felt good. They don't want you fighting
with your brother, but they seemed to understand and they suggested two
family meetings a week to talk about it. Dad said he has a temper too,
but if you just practice talking through your anger and expressing your
reasons for being angry, it gets better. He told you a story about getting
in fights when he was a kid and how he learned to diffuse his temper. You
really like this class and are excited to talk about some of your "stuff."
Identity 4 part 1--You are a sixth grade student. You have your own
name. You are just about to enter your first class of the day-Social Skills.
You like school, but you just can't seem to get your mind on it. You like
to talk in class but you keep losing focus. Six months ago, you were playing
at the cliffs near your house with your best friend. You were both too
close and you watched helplessly as your friend fell onto the rocks below.
The picture of him/her hitting the rocks is still there in your brain and
it won't get out. You have been having nightmares about it and feeling
guilty, cuz you should have helped. You wish it would go away. You really
want to do good in school this semester. You really wish you could find
a way to talk about this, but...
Identity 5 Part 1--You are a sixth grade student. You have your own
name. You are just about to go to your first class of the day-Social Skills.
You like school a lot when you can just read or write or even take tests,
but you don't like classes, like Social Skills, where you have to talk,
especially about yourself. People say you're shy and you guess that's right.
You don't like the sound of your voice out loud. You really like people,
but you hate to talk to them. You just want to be left alone, except around
a few close friends. You think that sometimes kids are talking about you
and that they think you're stupid because you're afraid to talk. You wish
you were like the popular kids, but you're not and it's especially terrifying
to talk about yourself or personal things. You would like to just hide
in your chair during this next class. Actually, you really wish there was
a way kids could understand what it's like to be you, but just talking
about it with the whole class won't work.
Identity 6 Part 1-You are a sixth grade student. You have your own name. You are going into your first class of the day-Social Skills. You are very tired. You like school and the teacher and you want to do well, but you were up all night. Your parents were arguing most of the night, sometimes screaming at each other. You tried to talk with them about it, but they told you to go away. You didn't want to cry, but you were so tired and scared, that you did. Your dad came in and told you to "Knock it off" and to "grow up" and that what was going on with them was not your concern. They have been fighting a lot lately. You've heard the word "divorce" mentioned more than once. You love both your parents a lot. You want to do good in class, but you are very, very tired and you can't get your mind off last night. You'd really like to find a way to discuss this with someone, but just talking about it won't work.
Identity 7-Part 1--You are a TEACHER of a sixth grade class. Your goal is to teach the class about emotional intelligence, specifically about:
How family members can sometimes hurt each other by:
Ignoring
Smoothing over things
Disapproving
Threatening
Actually hurting someone
Making them feel bad using guilt and shame
Physical, mental, sexual abuse.
How family members can be helpful by:
Listening
Soothing
Understanding
Caring
Empathizing
Being firm
Obviously, you won't get to all of this. Pick a few things. Re sure
to define trauma and empathy! You are determined to teach this subject
matter to your charges. You want to make sure they all hear you!! You really
need everyone's attention. Your mode for teaching is to be lecture/discussion.
Get them involved!
Use the blackboard if you're near one!
The following (Identities - Part 2) can all be printed on one sheet
of paper and then cut up as
necessary.
Identities I-~Part 2-When the teacher starts in again, you realize
that you really do want to talk about your situation. Be willing to volunteer,
even though you still have all the same feelings as before.
Identities l-~Part 2-When the teacher starts in again, you realize that you really do want to talk about your situation. Be willing to volunteer, even though you still have all the same feelings as before.
Identities l-~Part 2-When the teacher starts in again, you realize that you really do want to talk about your situation. Be willing to volunteer, even though you still have all the same feelings as before.
Identities t-~Part 2-When the teacher starts in again, you realize that you really do want to talk about your situation. Be willing to volunteer, even though you still have all the same feelings as before.
Identities l-~Part 2-When the teacher starts in again, you realize that you really do want to talk about your situation. Be willing to volunteer, even though you still have all the same feelings as before.
Identities 1-~Part 2-When the teacher starts in again, you realize that you really do want to talk about your situation. Be willing to volunteer, even though you still have all the same feelings as before.
Print the following on its own sheet of paper:
Identity 7-Teacher-Part 2: Have the students form their chairs in a
circle. Talk very briefly about how it's tough to talk about personal stuff,
but how it can also be rewarding. Tell the students that you are going
to do a dramatization of a difficult or traumatic time in someone's life.
Ask for a volunteer who is willing to relate a very tough or traumatic
MOMENT in their life (their in-role life). Ask them to be brief. Now ask
the volunteer to find others from the group to play the other characters
in this story (not everyone has to be used). Have the volunteer act as
director for this short scene and take the others to the side to work on
it for 3 minutes. While they are working, if anyone is left, you might
encourage them to share a moment too. Then the scene is enacted. Spend
some time, if there is any, talking about the scene. How did the volunteer
feel about reenacting the scene? How did the characters feel as those characters?
There probably won't be time, but do another if there's time.
GRADES 9-adult
Specific Session Objectives
Students will exercise their perceptiveness about
human behavior.
Students will explore unfamiliar perspectives.
Students will explore potential consequences of
specific choices.
Session Content
Introduction - Explain that this activity will touch on a variety of
social issues, and that the purpose is to choose to explore a situation
that you may not be familiar with or be able to relate to. The goal
is for students to explore multiple ways of considering issues from an
insider's perspective.
Write a list of situations and choices on the board.
For example: You are an individual who...
Chooses to be sexually active, chooses not to be sexually active, chooses
to join a gang, chooses not to join a gang, chooses to use drugs, chooses
not to use drugs, exhibits tolerance, is racist, chooses to stay in school,
chooses to drop out of school, chooses to live at home, chooses to leave
home, is violent, is passive, etc. Create a list appropriate for
your group.
Ask each student to choose a situation and develop
a character. Have each member of the group find a space in the room
where they feel comfortable and will not be distracted, and give them 10
minutes to create a character, story, and point of view to match their
chosen situation.
Their job is to create a history of events in the
character's life that prompted them to make the decision they did.
Ask students to explore the physicality of their character and consider
how their family life relates to the story they create. Inform them
that each participant will have the opportunity to share their story with
the group.
Each person in turn tells their story to the group,
as the character they developed. Once they have finished relaying
their story, the rest of the group may interview the character. The
interviewer's job is to learn as much about the character's point of view
as possible, without being judgmental.
Discussion
Ask the group how it felt to create the history
of the character.
Did the interviewers ask questions they hadn't considered?
How did they formulate responses to the questions?
What did you learn as interviewers? As characters?
Session Assessment
In their journals, ask students to record how they,
as the character felt when they were interviewed. Were questions
at all judgmental? How might this character experience negative feedback
about their decision or situation, from peers, etc. in their daily lives?
How might this affect their interpersonal skills and personal relationships?
Created by H. Drastal
GRADES 9-12
Specific Session Objective:
Students will adopt the point of view of a dramatic
character who is driven to rash action and strive to empathize with that
point of view.
Session Materials
14 copies of Act III, Scene I from William Shakespeare's
Julius Caesar
One retractable fake dagger
Session Content
1. Review Act III, Scene I, the scene where Caesar is murdered
by the conspirators. Assign students various roles, passing out scripts
to those who will portray Artemidorus, the Soothsayer, Caesar, Brutus,
Cassius, Casca, Decius, Metullus, Trebonius, Cinna, Antony, Lepidus, Popilius,
and Publius. Gender is irrelevant.
2. Direct the class in a staging of the scene, which may be crude,
but the key point is for all characters to physically participate in the
drama (i.e. all conspirators will physically "stab" Caesar with the prop
dagger.)
3. After the scene is finished, review the different points of
view of each character, making a list under each character name of what
the class perceives the desires of each character to be (i.e. Which character
is standing up for what he/she believes is right? Which character
is going along with the crowd? etc.) Establish a list of 4 or 5 "wants"
for each character.
4. Ask students to find their own space in the room with their
journals and a pencil. They should write down experiences which they
or someone they know have had which parallel the experience of the character
they are portraying in the drama. These will not be shared.
Perhaps music could be played during this time.
5. Students will return to the large group and re-enact the scene
a second time. No doubt, the scene will be smoother and perhaps be
informed by an empathetic perspective.
Session Assessment
1. In a post-scene discussion, ask each actor what they were
feeling at the moment they committed their primary action. Is their
a name for the emotion?
2. Discuss how the drama changed the second time. Did anyone
have an easier time understanding the point of view of the character they
were portraying? Would anyone like to share journal entries?
3. Review the term empathy and reinforce how it was used
in the drama today.
Relevant References in Goleman's Emotional Intelligence: pp.
96-110
Designed by M. Armstrong
EMPATHY Grades: 9-12
Specific Session Oblective(s):
Students will:
I. learn to take different sides of the same issue in order to understand
others' perspectives.
2. practice intervention tactics to resolve conflict.
3. practice and experience empathy with characters and in situations
that are potentially volatile.
Terms: empathy intervention forum theatre
Session Content:
1. This session is designed to integrate emotional intelligence, social issues and drama techniques. It is designed to be preceded by debate sessions where controversial issues are discussed, debated and where students are required to argue both sides of an issue.
2. issues might include but are not limited to racial integration, abortion, pregnancy and/or adoption, violence on TV, student curfews, acceptance of homosexuals, teen emancipation, drug use, abstinence.
3, After using the debate format to explore these issues from both sides, students should be asked to express themselves on the topic of empathy for an opposite viewpoint, commonalities between people with different views and ways to respect those with whom we disagree.
4. NOW, divide the class into groups of four or five. Ask each group to choose one of these debate topics. They are to create a scenario for improvisation which will include predetermined characters and a conflict with the chosen issue at its center. The improvisation should not include a resolution. (Example: a family is arguing about curfews for young family members.) The stance of each of the members should be strong, clear and at odds with other family members.
5. As the drama and the conflict progresses, other class students are encouraged to step into (substitute) one of the roles being played when they feel they have a possible conflict resolving solution. Before the session begins, tell the students that they are not only trying to resolve the situation, but they should also be "feeling" what it is like to he that character with those opinions and feelings. Students should be encouraged to "float" into other roles as well.
6. When scenario has "played itself out," ask another group to begin. Debriefing discussion to follow.
NOTE: To enrich this se~sion greatly, you may want to read the section on Forum Theatre and especially the part about the role of the Joker in Augusto Boal's book, Games for Actors and Non-Actors. A teacb& in the ro]e of Joker can be usefill to facilitate, interrogate and disrupt the session in positive ways.
Session Assessment:
During the session, the teacher should be observing the students for
commitment to character and position, empathy exhibited and active participation.
After the session, students should choose at least one issue and write
a paper which includes:
1. cogent arguments on the issue from the perspective of each of the
characters.
2. a paragraph or two explaining how each of the characters in the
situation "feels."
3. comments about insights the student may have had about the issues
or the feelings involved.
Relevant References in Goleman's Emotional Intelligence: pp. 96-1 10.
Developed by S. Henry Hettick
GRADES 9 - Adult
Students reflect upon and assess the characteristics and merits of their
work
and the work of others.
Objective: To explore two aspects of empathy: nonverbal channels and
attunement
Goals:
1) To use the nonverbal channels (facial expression, gesture, tone
of voice, etc.)
to portray emotions
2) To decipher nonverbal signals and the correlating emotion
3) To play back another's inner feeling in another way (attunement)
Materials:
*Construction paper with a specific emotion written on it (one per
person);choose 3 or 4
specific emotions from the main categories on pgs. 289-90 of E.J (ex:
fury, outrage, wrath
in the anger category).
*Yarn to tie the construction paper sign around the neck
*Stand~up signs with one emotion category written on each sign (for
example: anger, fear, sadness, love, etc.)
*Index cards with characters and conflicts wntten on them
*A boom box
*Soft music such as "The Fairy Ring" by Mike Rowland
Activities:
Introduction: Define empathy. 90% of an emotional message is nonverbal.
Discuss the importance of the nonverbal channels as they relate to
empathy: gestures,
tone of voice, facial expression and general body language. Attunement
is the second facet
of empathy: define it.
Emotion Museum
The leader passes out the emotion signs. Each person receives one sign
and places it around
his/her neck. Arrange the stand-up signs around the room and have each
person find the category that their emotion belongs in. Each individual
within the category is to become a statue depicting
a person feeling the emotion on the sign around his/her neck. Allow
a few minutes to create the statues. Spotlight each category of statues.
Invite the audience to examine the statues and make comments regarding
the physicalization of the emotions. Sidecoach as necessary.
Gibberish Game
Divide into groups of four or five. Each group receives an index card
with two characters and
a situation/conflict. Two people ad out the scene using gibberish while
the other team members
stand to the sides of the scene and interpret what is happening in
the scene. However, in this gibberish game, the focus for both the actors
and the interpreters is on emotion. The actors
must use their nonverbal channels to communicate what they are feeling;
the interpreters must interpret the nonverbal signals and communicate the
emotions to the audience. Interpreters
interpret the emotional subtext. For example:
Interpreted subtext: "John is shocked to learn that Mary is pregnant. He is filled with terror at the thought of being a father."
Allow a few minutes of preparation. Present each scene to the class.
The Attunement Exercise
Divide the class into pairs. Redefine attunement. Team members decide
who is A and who is B. A starts by using the hands to communicate an emotion,
thought or story. Like the mirror exercise, A needs to concentrate on slow,
specific movements. However, instead of mirroring, or imitating A, B uses
her/his hands to react to A's hands. A then reads to B's hand and so
on. The movements should be continuous and not A,B,A,B. . .with distinctive
stop and starts.
Assessment
Recap the two aspects of empathy that were explored in the lesson.
Discuss how/what the participants felt/experienced during the activities.
How did the actors in the gibberish activity feel while trying to communicate
without words? Which nonverbal channel did he/she utilize most often? Which
nonverbal channel do you use most often in real life and why? What difficulties,
if any, did the interpreters in the gibberish game experience? What were
the easiest nonverbal channel signals to decipher? Did you feel attuned
to your partner in the attunement exercise or do you feel you were
merely imitating your partner? How might you attune to a person in
a real life situation?
Developed by Michelle White