What Does Empathy Mean?

Is this a question that you’ve heard from your students recently? If your students are struggling with this SEL term, check out an easy way to describe this word to your students!

Empathy refers to the ability to understand and share the feelings and emotions of another person. It involves putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, seeing the world from their perspective and genuinely connecting with their emotional experiences.

Empathy Activities for Kids

If you are looking for a set of discussion cards to use with your first and second-grade students, you have come to the right place! Teach Starter has created a set of 24 discussion cards to help your students recognize emotions, determine why a person feels a certain way and what they could do in a particular situation. This teacher-created resource also comes with a template for students to illustrate and write about a scenario if desired.

SEL Discussion Cards for the Classroom

Using scenario cards in the elementary classroom is a great way to promote critical thinking, problem-solving and discussion with young learners. Our empathy discussion cards are a versatile teaching tool that can make learning more engaging and enjoyable. Here are some ways to incorporate these cards into your classroom.

Discussion Starters – Use these SEL cards to initiate classroom discussions. Introduce a scenario to the students and pose open-ended questions such as, “How would you handle this situation?” This fosters an environment where students can express their opinions and perspectives while honing their communication skills.

Role-Playing – Have students act out the scenario that is on one of the cards. Students can practice using appropriate social skills and responding with empathy.

Writing Prompts – Discussion cards can serve as writing prompts to inspire creative writing or journaling. Students can write stories, diary entries or letters based on the scenarios presented.

Download, Print and Discuss!

Ready to get your lesson plans under wraps? Your new resources are ready and waiting. Give that dropdown arrow on the Download button a click and choose from the quick-print PDF document or editable Google Slides document. If selecting the Google Slides option, please note that you will first be prompted to make a copy of the resource to your personal drive before accessing it.

To keep these SEL scenario cards handy for years to come, consider printing on cardstock and laminating them for durability.

This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a teacher in Michigan and a Teach Starter Collaborator. 

Extra Empathy Resources For Your Lesson Plans!

If you are looking to add to your SEL toolkit, check out some of our empathy-related resources below!

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Showing Empathy Mini-Book

Empower young minds and hearts with the gift of empathy! Download this free SEL mini-book designed for primary students.

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Caring for Others – Printable Empathy Book

Unlock the magic of empathy by giving your students a mini-book about how to connect, understand and make a difference through the simple act of caring.

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Empathy Poster Set

Enhance student understanding of empathy and why it is important with this set of 4 classroom posters.