Empathy, emotional consequences, and consideration
Presentation
Grade K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Created for Gynzy by: Kazandra Estorque
General
The way that we treat other people is important. Nobody likes to be made to feel bad. This lesson uses the analogy of filling or emptying a bucket to help students understand how we should treat one another. When we help somebody, compliment them, or work together with them, we could say that we are "filling their bucket," or helping them to feel good. When we insult somebody, exclude them, or otherwise start a conflict with others, we could say that we are "emptying their bucket" and making them feel bad.
This lesson goes through examples of filling or emptying somebody's bucket so that students can better understand the concept of empathy.
This lesson goes through examples of filling or emptying somebody's bucket so that students can better understand the concept of empathy.
Learning objective
Students will be able to
Introduction
Students are introduced to the analogy of filling or emptying somebody's bucket based on how you treat them. They are asked to think about a time when somebody else made them feel bad and a time when someone made them feel good.
Students watch a video reading of the story “How Full is Your Bucket?” by Rath, Rackmeyer, and Manning.
Students watch a video reading of the story “How Full is Your Bucket?” by Rath, Rackmeyer, and Manning.
Instruction
Once students are familiar with the concept of filling or emptying another person's bucket, they are asked to imagine a scenario: imagine a new student has joined the class, and they don't know anybody. At recess, they see a group of students playing a game they enjoy, but when they ask to join, the new student is told no, and she runs off the playground in tears. Students are asked to imagine how they would feel if they were in these students' shoes, and asked to consider why the treatment they received made them feel bad. Finally, they are asked: what would be a way that you could help this new student feel better after they had their bucket emptied?
Closing
Students are asked to reflect on how they feel when they have their bucket filled or emptied. They are asked why it is important to be somebody who fills the buckets of people around them, rather than making them feel bad. Finally, students are given another hypothetical scenario in which a student is being excluded, and to think of ways the situation could be resolved.