Division 2: Grade 4 – 6
Below are discussion questions and activities to foster empathy for animals, people, and the environment. Both the discussion questions and activities are part of the ‘Empathy’ character education theme for the 2022-2023 school year! To see other character building themes, click here!
Discussion Questions:
- How do you think the dog on the poster is feeling? How can you tell?
- What does the phrase ‘through their eyes’ mean to you? Explain.
- Why might it be important to ‘see’ from someone else’s point of view/perspective?
- What is empathy? Empathy is understanding, sharing and caring about the feelings of others.
- The poster says ‘practise empathy,’ Do you think that empathy can be practised? Is it something we can get better at?
- How can you ‘practise’ empathy? Listen to others, try to understand their perspective, putting yourself in their shoes, read books and watch movies that show other perspectives, etc.
- What are some ways that you can show empathy towards others? Animals?
- Can you show empathy towards the environment? Explain.
- In what ways have people shown you empathy? How did it make you feel?
- Do you think animals deserve our empathy? How do you think it makes them feel?
- How might empathy help us to be better friends or community members?
- How might empathy help us to solve conflicts?
- How might empathy help us to take better care of the environment?
Activities:
1. Identify Emotions
Reading body language is a great way to identify how others are feeling – and this is also true for animals. As a class, go through the Reading Animal Body Language Slides.
First, look at the picture of the animal with the background removed and have students focus on the animal’s body language.
- Ask Students: What do you see? What is their body language telling you? What might they be thinking? How might they be feeling?
Then, have students examine the next slide where the background context is included.
- Ask students: Did the background context help you to better understand the situation? Do you think your prediction about how the animal was feeling was correct? Explain.
After working through all of the slides with students, discuss the following questions:
- How do animals let us know how they are feeling?
- Why is it important to understand how animals feel?
- Does knowing how an animal feels, impact how you treat them? How so?
- What are some ways that people express how they are feeling through body language? (For example, mad, sad, scared, happy). Do animals use the same or different body language to express how they are feeling? Explain. Although people and animals use body language to communicate, body language is not universal! We don’t have tails, or fur to show how we are feeling, like many animals do, so we express emotions in other ways. Learning how animals use their bodies to communicate is an important part of being a responsible caretaker.
2. Taking Perspective
A great way to practise empathy is to think of a story from another character’s point of view. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs!, is a book that retells the story of The Three Little Pigs, but from the point of view of the “big bad wolf.” Wolves and some other animal species, such as snakes, are often perceived through a negative lens in movies and literature, and these negative portrayals can be harmful to animals. Considering their perspective can help build empathy!
Pre-Reading Discussion Questions:
- Do you remember the story of The Three Little Pigs? Whose point of view was the story told from?
- What happened in the story?
- Was the wolf depicted as a good or bad character in the story?
- How would you describe a wolf? Why do you think you describe the wolf this way?
- Can you think of any other stories where the wolf is depicted as scary or bad? Do you think this is fair?
As a class, read The TRUE Story of the Three Little Pigs! By Jon Scieszka, focusing on the story from the wolf’s perspective. Alternatively students can watch the read aloud video The TRUE story of the 3 Little Pigs by A. Wolf as told to Jon Scieszka(8:20).
Post-Reading Discussion Questions:
- Whose perspective was the story told from?
- After learning the wolf’s side of the story, did your feelings toward the wolf change? Explain.
- Do you think that if the pigs knew the wolf’s perspective, that the story could have ended differently? Explain.
- Do you think learning more about another’s perspective (family or friend) could help you solve conflicts? How so?
- Do you think that stories and movies that depict animals such as wolves in a negative way have an impact on them in nature? Explain.
Have students pick a familiar fairy tale/story and rewrite the story from a different perspective, making sure to describe what their character is thinking and how they are feeling about the events that take place. Encourage students to include different story elements to improve their writing. Have students edit their work for spelling, punctuation and grammar.
3. Design Challenge!
Prior to starting the activity download, print and cut out the Design Challenge Character Cards.
Explain to students that they will be working in small groups to design a resting spot for a mystery pet. As a class, brainstorm questions that they might want to ask the mystery pet in order to design a resting spot to meet their needs.
Next, have students form small groups (3-4 students) and have one student in each group volunteer to be the mystery pet. Hand out a mystery pet card to the student in the group who will act as the mystery pet. Allow this student to read over the character card a few times, to become familiar with the mystery pet and their unique needs.
Once the ‘mystery pet’ it ready, have the other group members interview them. Encourage students to take the perspective of the pet in order to determine what design elements they would want to include in their design to meet the needs of their pet.
After the interview, the student can share the mystery pet card with the group to make sure all design elements are accounted for. After determining the elements, they want to include, have students work as a team to design the resting spot.
Reflection Quesitons:
- What did you enjoy about this design task?
- What did you find challenging about this design task?
- Do you think interviewing the pet helped you to create a good design? Explain.
- When else can getting to know someone help solve a problem?
- In real life, animals can’t talk – what can we do to try and understand their perspective?
EXTENSION: Have students construct a model of the resting spot based on their design. Students can use a variety of materials (cardboard, tape, cloth, pipe cleaners, Styrofoam, plasticine, etc.) that would best represent the actual material used in creating the resting spot. Have each group present their model to the class. Have students explain why they selected the materials they did.
Curriculum Connections
ELAL
- Organizing Idea: Text Forms and Structures: Identifying and applying text forms and structures improves understanding of content, literary style, and our rich language traditions.
- Guiding Question: How can text organization influence communication?
- Learning Outcome: Students examine how the form and structure of texts can support the communication of ideas and information.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Examine the narrator’s point of view
- Skills and Procedures:
- Learning Outcome: Students examine how the form and structure of texts can support the communication of ideas and information.
- Guiding Question: How can text organization influence communication?
- Organizing Idea: Oral Language: Listening and speaking form the foundation for literacy development and improve communication, collaboration, and respectful mutual understanding.
- Guiding Questions: In what ways can listening and speaking skills clarify intent and build relationships?
- Learning Outcome: Students examine and demonstrate how listening and speaking support connections and clarify understandings.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Identify opinions or points of view shared in conversations or texts that are listened to.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Learning Outcome: Students examine and demonstrate how listening and speaking support connections and clarify understandings.
- Guiding Questions: In what ways can listening and speaking skills clarify intent and build relationships?
- Organizing Idea: Comprehension: Text comprehension is supported by applying varied strategies and processes and by considering both particular contexts and universal themes.
- Guiding Question: How do comprehension processes and strategies enhance understandings of texts?
- Learning Outcome: Students investigate strategies and connections that support text comprehension.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Infer ideas that are not explicitly stated in texts.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Learning Outcome: Students investigate strategies and connections that support text comprehension.
- Guiding Question: How do comprehension processes and strategies enhance understandings of texts?
- Organization Idea: Writing: Ideas and information can be articulated accurately and imaginatively through the use of writing processes and an understanding of the author’s craft.
- Guiding Questions: How can development of writing processes and expression support effective communication?
- Learning Outcome: Students construct and organize text to share perspectives and develop creative expression.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Apply creative thinking processes to enhance the expression of ideas or emotions.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Learning Outcome: Students construct and organize text to share perspectives and develop creative expression.
- Guiding Questions: How can development of writing processes and expression support effective communication?
Physical Education and Wellness
- Organizing Idea: Safety: A lifetime of optimal well-being is supported by prioritizing health and safety.
- Guiding Question: How can taking responsibility impact safety?
- Learning Outcome: Students analyze and explain responsibility and how it can impact personal and group safety
- Skills and Procedures:
- Identify situations where responsibility supports the rights and feelings of others.
- Examine how responsibility can impact safety in a variety of situations.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Learning Outcome: Students analyze and explain responsibility and how it can impact personal and group safety
- Guiding Question: How can taking responsibility impact safety?
Science
- General Learner Expectations: Students will:
- 4-4 Demonstrate positive attitudes for the study of science and for the application of science in responsible ways.
- Specific Learner Expectations: Students will show growth in acquiring and applying the following traits:
- a sense of responsibility for actions taken
- respect for living things and environments, and commitment for their care.
ELAL
- Organizing Idea: Text Forms and Structures: Identifying and applying text forms and structures improves understanding of content, literary style, and our rich language traditions.
- Guiding Question: How can text organization support expression and influence meaning?
- Learning Outcome: Students examine how text genres, forms, and structures support and enhance communication.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Describe characters based on what they say, think, or do or what others say and think about them.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Learning Outcome: Students examine how text genres, forms, and structures support and enhance communication.
- Guiding Question: How can text organization support expression and influence meaning?
- Organizing Idea: Comprehension: Text comprehension is supported by applying varied strategies and processes and by considering both particular contexts and universal themes.
- Guiding Question: How does the interpretation of evidence support comprehension of texts?
- Learning Outcome: Students analyze information, contexts, and perspectives using a variety of comprehension strategies
- Skills and Procedures:
- Make inferences based on content that is implicit in texts.
- Examine how the interests, experiences, or perspectives of a
character might influence how that character thinks, feels, or acts. - Compare and contrast the varied perspectives of main and supporting characters.
- Identify various perspectives in texts and propose alternative perspectives.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Learning Outcome: Students analyze information, contexts, and perspectives using a variety of comprehension strategies
- Guiding Question: How does the interpretation of evidence support comprehension of texts?
- Organizing Idea: Writing: Ideas and information can be articulated accurately and imaginatively through the use of writing processes and an understanding of the author’s craft.
- Guiding Question: How does proficient writing enhance communication skills?
- Learning Outcome: Students enhance the accuracy and artistry of expression through creative and critical thinking processes.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Create written texts for a variety of audiences and purposes.
- Establish a plot, point of view, setting, and problem through creative writing.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Learning Outcome: Students enhance the accuracy and artistry of expression through creative and critical thinking processes.
- Guiding Question: How does proficient writing enhance communication skills?
Physical Education and Wellness
- Organizing Idea: Safety: A lifetime of optimal well-being is supported by prioritizing health and safety.
- Guiding Question: How can responsibility lead to a desired outcome?
- Learning Outcome: Students analyze responsibility and consider the impact on well-being.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Reflect on how the results or consequences of personal actions and decisions can affect the wellbeing of self and others.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Learning Outcome: Students analyze responsibility and consider the impact on well-being.
- Guiding Question: How can responsibility lead to a desired outcome?
Science
- General Learner Expectations: Students will:
- 5-4 Demonstrate positive attitudes for the study of science and for the application of science in responsible ways.
- Specific Learner Expectations: Students will show growth in acquiring and applying the following traits:
- a sense of responsibility for actions taken
- respect for living things and environments, and commitment for their care.
ELAL
- Organizing Idea: Text Forms and Structures: Identifying and applying text forms and structures improves understanding of content, literary style, and our rich language traditions.
- Guiding Question: How can text form and structure improve understanding of content?
- Learning Outcome: Students analyze how text form and structure clarify information and support connecting with self, others, and the
world.- Skills and Procedures:
- Examine characters based on what they say, think, or do or what others say and think about them.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Learning Outcome: Students analyze how text form and structure clarify information and support connecting with self, others, and the
- Guiding Question: How can text form and structure improve understanding of content?
- Organizing Idea: Comprehension: Text comprehension is supported by applying varied strategies and processes and by considering both particular contexts and universal themes.
- Guiding Question: How do comprehension strategies enhance interpretations of texts?
- Learning Outcome: Students interpret and respond to texts through application of comprehension strategies.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Infer meanings from texts based on context clues
- Interpret and draw conclusions from texts using stated and implied
ideas or information. - Select the information needed to support a perspective.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Learning Outcome: Students interpret and respond to texts through application of comprehension strategies.
- Guiding Question: How do comprehension strategies enhance interpretations of texts?
- Organizing Idea: Writing: Ideas and information can be articulated accurately and imaginatively through the use of writing processes and an understanding of the author’s craft.
- Guiding Question: How is precise writing influenced by ongoing craft and process development?
- Learning Outcome: Students create texts that reflect personal voice and style through creative and critical thinking processes
- Skills and Procedures:
- Create written texts for a variety of audiences and purposes.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Learning Outcome: Students create texts that reflect personal voice and style through creative and critical thinking processes
- Guiding Question: How is precise writing influenced by ongoing craft and process development?
- Organizing Idea: Text Forms and Structures: Identifying and applying text forms and structures improves understanding of content, literary style, and our rich language traditions.
Physical Education and Wellness
- Organizing Idea: Safety: A lifetime of optimal well-being is supported by prioritizing health and safety.
- Guiding Question: In what ways might risk influence the outcome of an action?
- Learning Outcome: Students examine risk and identify the factors that influence action.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Describe consequences that may result from risk taking in various contexts.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Learning Outcome: Students examine risk and identify the factors that influence action.
- Guiding Question: In what ways might risk influence the outcome of an action?
- Organizing Idea: Healthy Relationships: Personal well-being is supported through positive relationships built on communication, collaboration, empathy, and respect
- Guiding Question: How can perspectives influence healthy relationships?
- Learning Outcome: Students consider and describe a variety of perspectives that support the development of healthy relationships.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Consider ways in which diverse perspectives align or differ.
- Identify how the consideration of others’ perspectives contributes to empathy.
- Examine how empathy toward others with different perspectives supports healthy relationships.
- Skills and Procedures:
- Learning Outcome: Students consider and describe a variety of perspectives that support the development of healthy relationships.
- Guiding Question: How can perspectives influence healthy relationships?
Science
- General Learner Expectations: Students will:
- 6-4 Demonstrate positive attitudes for the study of science and for the application of science in responsible ways.
- Specific Learner Expectations: Students will show growth in acquiring and applying the following traits:
- a sense of responsibility for actions taken
- respect for living things and environments, and commitment for their care.
