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Activities
Fourth Grade
Social emotional
Seeing and Understanding Empathy
Activity
Practicing kindess andempathy—trying to understandother people's emotions—is woven into the fabric of being human. Through practice and discussion, this valuable interpersonal skill can be strengthened. In this social emotional activity, your child will watch a video about empathy and practice speaking to someone with kindness. They will also discuss how practicing, seeing, and understanding empathy supports living in a communitywith others.
Grade
Fourth GradeFifth Grade
Subject
Social emotionalMindfulness
What You Need:
- "We Are Built To Be Kind"video on YouTube
- Reaching Out worksheet
What You Do:
- Ask your child if they think that people are born kind.
- Ask them how it feels when someone understands them and their feelings, and how it feels when they receive kindness.
- Next, ask,"How does it feel when you share kindness with others and are understanding of them?"
- Have your child share an example from their life when they shared kindness and understanding for someone else.
- Explain that people are born to connect with other people—it'shuman nature!When we see someone who may be hurt, a region in our brain lights up andhelp us understand how thisperson may feel.
- Show the "We Are Built To Be Kind" video.
- Pause periodically to ask comprehension questions, such as: How are we wired for kindness and empathy? What happens to the brain when we practicekindness? What did scientistsfind in the brains of people who saw images of others experiencing sadness or struggle?
- Feel free to watch the video more than once if you think it's necessary.
- After finishing the video, ask your childwhat stood out to them.
- Ask them what it means to have empathy.
- Explain that when we practice having empathy and showing kindness, we canstrengthen these skills in ourselves.
- Ask your childwhat would happen if everyone shared kindness, generosity, and empathy towards others. How would this impact families and communities?
- Review the instructions on the Reaching Out worksheet.
- Work with your child to complete the worksheet's activity.
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