Goal

Resources

• Scissors
• Reading Handout click to download
• Situation Cards (Letter Size) click to download
• Situation Cards (A4 Size) click to download
• Activity Instruction Sheet (optional) click to download

Instructions

1. Cut out the different situation cards and put them in a  stack.
2. Pick a situation card and answer the question, how do you feel? Why? There is no “right answer” in this game, your idea is just fine.  Each person can take a turn until all the cards have been picked and answered.
3. Take the cards and shuffle them back into a stack. 
4. Listen carefully to the story read aloud to you for details about Tom’s life that might influence how he feels about the situations.
5. Now that you have listened to Tom’s story, pick a situation card. Use your empathy to think about how the situation would feel for Tom and answer the same question from step 2, from his perspective. Again there is no “right answer.” Share some of your thinking in your answer.

Discussion

• What was easier to think about– your perspective or Tom’s?
• What is challenging about taking another person’s perspective?
• Why is it useful to develop the skill of taking another person’s perspective?
• Shifting perspectives is an important part of empathy. Can you share a time when this skill would be helpful to you?

Activity Source

Goal

Resources

• Scissors
• Reading Handout click to download
• Situation Cards (Letter Size) click to download
• Situation Cards (A4 Size) click to download
• Activity Instruction Sheet (optional) click to download

Instructions

1. Cut out the different situation cards and put them in a  stack.
2. Pick a situation card and answer the question, how do you feel? Why? There is no “right answer” in this game, your idea is just fine.  Each person can take a turn until all the cards have been picked and answered.
3. Take the cards and shuffle them back into a stack. 
4. Listen carefully to the story read aloud to you for details about Tom’s life that might influence how he feels about the situations.
5. Now that you have listened to Tom’s story, pick a situation card. Use your empathy to think about how the situation would feel for Tom and answer the same question from step 2, from his perspective. Again there is no “right answer.” Share some of your thinking in your answer.

Discussion

• What was easier to think about– your perspective or Tom’s?
• What is challenging about taking another person’s perspective?
• Why is it useful to develop the skill of taking another person’s perspective?
• Shifting perspectives is an important part of empathy. Can you share a time when this skill would be helpful to you?

Activity Source

Goal

Resources

• Scissors
• Reading Handout click to download
• Situation Cards (Letter Size) click to download
• Situation Cards (A4 Size) click to download
• Activity Instruction Sheet (optional) click to download

Instructions

1. Cut out the different situation cards and put them in a  stack.
2. Pick a situation card and answer the question, how do you feel? Why? There is no “right answer” in this game, your idea is just fine.  Each person can take a turn until all the cards have been picked and answered.
3. Take the cards and shuffle them back into a stack. 
4. Listen carefully to the story read aloud to you for details about Tom’s life that might influence how he feels about the situations.
5. Now that you have listened to Tom’s story, pick a situation card. Use your empathy to think about how the situation would feel for Tom and answer the same question from step 2, from his perspective. Again there is no “right answer.” Share some of your thinking in your answer.

Discussion

• What was easier to think about– your perspective or Tom’s?
• What is challenging about taking another person’s perspective?
• Why is it useful to develop the skill of taking another person’s perspective?
• Shifting perspectives is an important part of empathy. Can you share a time when this skill would be helpful to you?

Activity Source