Lesson Plans for Exploring Prejudice and
Diversity Issues
Empathy
Objectives: to encourage empathy for people who are victimized
and to understand the implications of victimizing others
Grade level: All
Materials: paper, pens, chalk
Time required: 30 minutes
1. Tell students to "close your eyes and remember
a time when someone congratulated you for something good that
you did/accomplished. Try to remember what it was you did,
remember what they said to you and write down those words.
How did you feel about it? Write down your feelings."
2. Ask students to close their eyes again and remember
a time when they were hurt by someone's words. What was the
situation? What words did they use? Have them write down their
feelings.
3. Ask students to reflect on which was easier to
remember - the encouraging words or hurtful words said to
them. Ask them why
4. Ask students why they think the person who hurt
them did that. What did they gain from it? Why do people intentionally
hurt other people? Possible responses include: people think
they will feel better about themselves if they put someone
else down, because they are jealous, because someone hurt
them, etc.
5. Ask students to remember a time when they have
intentionally hurt someone else. Who was it? Why did they
do it? Can they imagine how that person felt? Encourage students
to talk about school violence. Ask them why they think it
happens.
Encourage students to share their experiences - help them
by giving examples
of "feeling"words, e.g. excited,proud, disappointed,
angry.
Explain to students how sometimes victims become
victimizers. If the victim doesn't get help and talk about
their pain, they sometimes take it out on others
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