Empathy Basics
What does empathy mean?
Understanding how someone else feels
What is an "issue"
A problem people care about and want to fix
What’s the first step in solving a problem?
Identify the problem, ASK, or define the problem
What is the first step to defining a problem?
Ask a question, identify/choose a problem
What does it mean to be compassionate?
Caring about others and wanting to help
True or False: Empathy means feeling sorry for someone
False - it means you feel with them or understand how they are feeling
Is “too much trash at school” a school, local, or global issue?
School
What does a “solution” mean?
A way to fix or help a problem
Turn this problem into a question: “Kids feel left out at lunch.”
How might we help everyone feel included at lunch?
What’s one kind thing you can do for a classmate today?
Open
What is one way to show empathy to a classmate?
Listening, including them, helping, etc.
Is “pollution in the ocean” local, school, or global?
Global
What can happen if we try to solve a problem without understanding it first?
It might not work or could make it worse
Why do we write “How might we” questions instead of just saying the problem?
So we can start thinking about solutions
True or False: Compassion is just about feelings.
False — it's also about actions
How is empathy different from sympathy?
Empathy = feeling with someone; Sympathy = feeling sorry for them
What’s one issue you’ve noticed at school?
Open-ended - must relate to Brookland Middle School
True or False: All problems have one perfect solution.
False
“Some kids don’t have supplies.” → Write a problem statement.
How might we help all students get supplies?
What is one way a whole school can show compassion?
Fundraiser, kindness challenge, help new students, etc.
What might happen if people in a school don’t show empathy?
Bullying, conflict, people feel alone, etc.
Why is it important to notice and talk about issues?
So we can find ways to solve or improve them
What’s a problem you would like to help solve, and how might you do it?
Open response - points for identifying the problem and a creative solution
Create your own “How might we…” question about a real problem
Open response - points for starting correctly
Think of a big issue. How could compassion help fix it?
Open