Exploring Empathy One Day at a Time

Grade: 5th
Unit Topic: Empathy
Theme: Creating More Awareness Towards Empathy
Issue: Students can never be too emphatic and always have room for personal growth
and development in this area.
Problem: Students are constantly surrounded by others who are different than them,
which can lead to poor behavior and treatment towards others as a result of not accepting
one another. The purpose of teaching empathy is to create a positive learning community
where all students feel welcomed and appreciated for who they are.

Rationale:
The purpose of our unit is to teach students three main things (1) what is empathy? (2)
Where do we see empathy? (3) How can we be more empathic? Empathy is a topic that
applies to all aspects of our life. Empathy is defined by the ability to understand and
share the feelings of another. Our goal is for students to see the difference between
sympathy and empathy. For example, sympathy is showing compassion and sorrow
towards another person and their hardships, where as empathy is putting yourself in the
shoes of the person experiencing the hardship. In order for students to gain an
understanding of this concept, we created several activities where they will be able to see
how we can be empathic in all aspects of life. Students will read different texts, make
several connections, complete activities and projects that will all focus on the idea of
empathy. We believe that empathy is important because it allows individuals to look at
life from a new perspective. Most importantly, the ability to be empathetic is a lifelong
skill that students can acquire at a young age and continue to develop throughout their
life.

Goals:
Student Goals- Our goal for the students is to be able to understand the difference
between sympathy and empathy. We never teach a lesson purely on the difference
between sympathy and empathy; however, by participating in all of the lessons
throughout the unit, students will understand that empathy is much greater than
sympathy.

Teacher Goals- Our goal that we are trying to accomplish as the teacher is to have
students find personal connections to similar topics and situations that are brought up
throughout this unit. By having students connect to these experiences they become more
aware of their classmates backgrounds and beliefs while gaining more empathy towards
the peers in their classroom.
 Goals for the Unit
Day #1 Goal: Begin to teach students how to
accept differences.

Day #2 Goal: Allow students to experience the

feeling of being empathic towards different
scenarios and emotions.

Day #3 Goal: Help students understand how we

can put ourselves in others shoes.

Day #4 Goal: Learn about the different

perspectives that individuals contain and
uphold.

Day #5 Goal: Continue learning about new

perspectives.

Day #6 Goal: Introduce specific topics that

students can identify with and experience
empathy towards.

Day #7 Goal: To create awareness of bullying and

let others relate emotions with different
situations.

Day #8 Goal: strengthen student understanding of

different disabilities and the impact that
they have on individuals lives.

Day #9 Goal: Help students gain awareness about

homelessness and learn about what they
can do to help this issue.
Day #10 Goal: Teach empathy through a movie.

Day #11 Goal: Encouraging students to project a

caring attitude towards others.

Day #12 Goal: Students will connect to others

through literary devices.

Day #13 Goal: have students understand how to

have a solution driven conversation

Day #14 Goal: Students will evaluate their own self-

esteem and connect it to a class text.

Day #15 Goal: Students will work on choosing

kindness and project it towards their
classmates in an encouraging way.

Learning Targets/Objectives:

Content Objectives-
SWBAT compare and contrast different point of views by reading their classmates
writing based on the impact that media has on people's self-esteem.

SWBAT recognize that the number of students containing a specific trait is the
numerator in a fraction and the total number of students in the class is the denominator.

SWBAT explain that a fraction is also a division problem.

SWBAT write an important fact about themselves, followed by 5 supporting details that
informs the reader more about themselves.

SWBAT compare and contrast two texts with the same theme.
SWBAT...analyze the variation of disabilities that exist in our world.

SWBAT formulate their own opinion based on the impact that the media has on the an
individuals self esteem.

SWBAT relate past experiences to the events in the book.

SWBAT identify the different emotions that come in specific situations

SWBAT engage in conversation by reflecting on the idea of empathy shown

throughout the movie.

Language Objectives-
SWBAT write five to six sentences about their own personal self-esteem and make a
text to self -connection using the book Wonder.

SWBAT... write down one fact they learned about a classmate after hearing their story be
read aloud.

SWBAT write two to three sentences about the different perspectives in the book
Wonder.

SWBAT identify the different relationships of situations and the conversation that
follows.

SWBAT write one word that represents a classmate in a positive manner.

Standards:
ELA-

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.2
Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and
definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,
and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others'
ideas and expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1.C
Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the
discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1.D
Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and
knowledge gained from the discussions.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2.D
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain
the topic.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3
Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or
drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.4.A
Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to
the meaning of a word or phrase.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6
Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are
described.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.9
Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure
stories) on their approaches to similar themes and topics

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection,
and research.

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/5/2/CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including
how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem
reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1.D
Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and
knowledge gained from the discussions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3.D
Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and
events precisely.
Performance Standard (VA:Re8.1.5)
a. Interpret art by analyzing characteristics of form and structure, contextual information,
subject matter, visual elements, and use of media to identify ideas and mood conveyed.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1.C
Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the
discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.4
Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and
using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes;
speak clearly at an understandable pace.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1.A
Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly
draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas
under discussion.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.6
Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important
similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.1
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and
when drawing inferences from the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.9
Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure
stories) on their approaches to similar themes and topics.

Math-
http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Content/5/NF/B/3/CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.NF.B.3
Interpret a fraction as division of the numerator by the denominator (a/b = a b).
Solve word problems involving division of whole numbers leading to answers in the form
of fractions or mixed numbers, e.g., by using visual fraction models or equations to
represent the problem.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.SP.A.2
Understand that a set of data collected to answer a statistical question has a
distribution which can be described by its center, spread, and overall shape.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.SP.B.5
Summarize numerical data sets in relation to their context, such as by:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.SP.B.5.B
Describing the nature of the attribute under investigation, including how it was
measured and its units of measurement.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.NF.B.6
Solve real world problems involving multiplication of fractions and mixed
numbers, e.g., by using visual fraction models or equations to represent the problem.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.EE.C.9

Use variables to represent two quantities in a real-world problem that change in

relationship to one another; write an equation to express one quantity, thought of as the
dependent variable, in terms of the other quantity, thought of as the independent variable.
Analyze the relationship between the dependent and independent variables using graphs
and tables, and relate these to the equation. For example, in a problem involving motion
at constant speed, list and graph ordered pairs of distances and times, and write the
equation d = 65t to represent the relationship between distance and time.

Science-

5 ESS31. Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science
ideas to protect the Earths resources and environment.

Social Studies-
History 4.3.1
Analyzes the multiple perspectives and interpretations of history events in U.S.
history.

History 4.2.2
Analyzes how people from various cultural groups have shaped the history of the
United States
History 4.4.1
Understands that significant historical events in the United States have
implications for current decisions and influence the future.

Art-
Performance Standard (VA:Re7.1.5)
Compare one's own interpretation of a work of art with the interpretation of
others.

Performance Standard (VA:Re8.1.5)

Interpret art by analyzing characteristics of form and structure, contextual
information, subject matter, visual elements, and use of media to identify ideas and mood
conveyed.

Performance Standard (VA:Cn10.1.5)

Apply formal and conceptual vocabularies of art and design to view surroundings
in new ways through art-making.

Performance Standard (VA:Cr2.3.5)

I dentify, describe, and visually document places and/or objects of personal
significance.

Technology-

EALR 1- Integration
Students use technology within all content areas to collaborate, communicate, and
generate, innovative ideas, investigate and solve problems.

Health and Fitness-

NHES Health Education Standard 4: Students will demonstrate the ability to use
interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health
risks.

NHES Health Education Standard 8: Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for
personal, family, and community health.

Physical Education standard 4: Students will exhibit responsible personal and social
behavior that respects self and others.
Physical Education Standard 5: Students will recognize the value of physical activity for
health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and social interaction.

Assessment Strategies:

Pre-Assessment~
Prior to the unit, the teacher will have students complete a free write based on the word
empathy. There will be no direct instructions on how much students have to write; rather,
the teacher wants to see how students are currently describing empathy.

Formative-

Checklist
The teacher will use a checklist to monitor student learning. While students are working
on compiling that class data, the teacher will ask students to write the fraction that
represents the number of students who contain the trait over the number of students in
the entire class. The teacher will walk around at this time and check their work.
Figure 1

Hand Signals
After students have finished collecting the class data, the teacher will assess student
learning by pointing to the line in a fraction and saying that the line represents division.
In order for students to show their answer they will place their hand against their chest so
other students cant see and either give a thumbs up (the line means division), thumbs
down (the line represents something other than division), thumb sideways (I am not sure).

Journal Review
Students will have a chance to read their partners journal entry about the video they
watched in class. They will respond to the journal entry by explaining whether they agree
or disagree. The teacher will assess their work by leaving a star if it was completed
correctly or a comment if they need to make further explanation.

Journal Review and Comments:

The teacher will assess the students work by reading their work and leaving comments.
There is no right or wrong response for this task, but students must meet the length
requirement and include a text to self-connection of their choice.

Worksheet
Students will use this worksheet to collect and write down their ideas for their
informational writing piece. Having this worksheet guides their ideas and helps them
organize their writing in an orderly fashion. (see attached worksheet) This is a formal
assignment; students will put together all of their pieces of work into a classroom book
that will teach them empathy. Having this book will create awareness and educate other
students that they all have differences and are accepted among each other.

Summative-
Paper:
Students will be given a half sheet of paper to fill out recording what they learned about
their classmates. (See attached worksheet). Informal, this is just a checking point to make
sure that students are meeting the requirements of informational writing and actually
educating their reader so that the idea of empathy can be introduced. If students are
unable to write informational stories on themselves, then they will not be teaching the
students about their differences and raising awareness of being empathetic.

Final Paper and Presentation:

Students will take the comments that they received on their individual Wonder sheets
from the Wonder party and reflect on the nice comments that their classmates wrote
about them. Students will work on the reflection that following week after the unit ends.
They will take part in the writing process and complete a final draft, which they will
present in front of the class.

Accommodations:
The type of accommodations that we chose to inculcate into our lessons was lots of group
work and pair work. These types of groupings can be organized by the teacher to
accommodate those at different learning abilities, interests, and social groups. By
knowing your students well you are able to categorize and help meet the needs of their
learning through different grouping styles. When students are able to have little
interactions about the material, it can clear up little questions or clarifying points that
they may have. Our lessons also include a lot of individual work with teacher
involvement so that the teacher can use and authentic assessment to check in and see
where the students are at their learning abilities and have a more personal check in with
where they are at in their learning. Our main accommodation is to meet every student
where they are at. For example, if a student finished the assigned task early, the teacher
will have an extension activity that relates to the lesson in order to challenge them. The
extension tasks allows all students to have work and continue their educational growth at
all times while other students who are struggling with the original task will be able to
complete the tasks as well.
Student Voice:

Exit Slip:
(1) The exit for the lesson will be in the students reading journals. Students will
write about how Auggies self-esteem and confidence has changed throughout the book.
Also, they will relate their own self-esteem to Auggies. This will allow students to
connect their own life to the characters in Wonder. The teacher will collect the students
reading journals once they are completed and walking out the door for recess.

Checklist:
(1) The teacher will provide a checklist for students to use while they are working
on their summary based on the video that the class watched. The checklist will guide the
students work, making sure they complete all of the requirements. The teacher will have
students staple the checklist to their summary when they turn it in. In order to review
their work, the teacher will use the checklist as well.

(2) Students will be given a checklist once they fill out their worksheet that will
have students re-read their work and make sure it is hitting all of the required check
points. If a student thinks their work matches each checkpoint they will mark it off then
read it aloud to a partner. This allows students to see what is expected from them and
leaves room for change before having their work handed in.

Work Samples:
(1) The teacher will provide resources for the students by supplying example
work for each of the assignments that they will complete for this lesson. For example, the
teacher will fill out the chart based on her own physical traits and leave it on the
document camera so students can reference the example chart when they are working on
their own. Also, the teacher will supply an example of their own summary about the
medias impact on individuals self esteem.
 (2) I will have my example of my informational writing piece up on the overhead
for students to refer to. I will remind them that all the facts are about me, so they need to
chose different ones, but it still gives them an idea of what to write. Before writing their
own informational piece they will have heard a read aloud called the important book that
has the same formatting and ideas as the informational writing that we are doing. The
book will be out for students to refer back to as well if they feel as if they need additional
resources. These resources will help them brainstorm ideas and understand the expected
format they are supposed to use for this writing.

Paper:
(1)On the top of the worksheet that students are given they are required to writing
down the learning targets off of the board onto their paper to remind them what tasks they
are trying to achieve by the end of the day. This is important for students to know so that
they can stay on task towards what they are supposed to accomplish, and be used as a
reminder of what they are supposed to be doing when they seem to be getting off task.

Materials:
Book List-
Wonder
Last Stop on Market Street
Fly Away Home
The Important Book
Bad Case of Stripes
Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting
December by Eve Bunting
A Shelter in Our Car by Monica Gunning
I Can Hear the Sun by Patricia Polacco
The Lady in the Box by Ann McGovern
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
Ivan The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherine Applegate
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
Dorotheas Eyes by Barb Rosenstock
Molly The Pony by Pam Kaster
My Brother Sammy is Special by Becky Edwards
Good Night, Commander by Ahmad Akbarpour
Susan Laughs by Jeanne Willis

Supplies-
Sticky notes
Pencil
Tape
Markers
Personal Wonder Sheet
Character Worksheet
Important Thing Worksheet
Reading Journals
Writing Journals
Charlottes Web Video
Charlottes Web Discussion Question Worksheet
Heres What I am Thinking Chart
Puzzle Piece Pictures
Paper
Lipreading Activity Question worksheet
Document Camera
Computer
Laptops
Physical Trait Chart
Checklists
White board
White Cardstock
Black Pens
Red construction paper
Venn Diagram printout
Rocks
Black Spray Paint
Puffy Paint/Acrylic Paint
Percentage of homelessness hand out
Calculator
Pictures that spark emotions & follow up questions
Colored Pencils