Relationship Skills – Grade 8 – Lesson 2
Objective:
- Students will learn about empathy, become aware of actions that constitute put-downs and put-ups, and understand how words and actions can hurt or heal.
Introduction:
Empathy is a crucial emotional skill linked to positive social interactions, academic achievement, and career success. As students become more adept at recognizing their own feelings, they should also be encouraged to understand the emotional experiences of others. Through regular practice, students can observe their peers’ body language and facial expressions in response to different interactions, fostering their ability to be an “instrument of inspiration.” You can reinforce their growing ability by highlighting their positive actions. For example: “Look at Greta’s smile. How do you think she’s feeling? How does it feel to you to know that you helped make that happen?”
Getting Started:
As this activity can weigh heavy on students, begin with a guided meditation to help students feel grounded and focused.
Activity 1: The Torn Heart
Prepare a large paper heart or have students cut out their own hearts from construction paper.
Explain that the activity explores how treating others can impact how we feel about ourselves. Discuss what a ‘put-down’ is and give examples without recording them. Be mindful of students who are highly empathetic or experiencing situations in which put-downs might be common. Acknowledge that it is sad to see what is happening to Jimmy’s heart. Explain that the story was written to teach people how to treat one another more kindly.
Put-downs, either with words—name calling and teasing—or with actions, like excluding someone, make someone feel badly about themselves.
Modify the following directions based on having a large class heart or individual hearts.
Read the story “The Torn Heart” about a boy named Jimmy. Instruct students to give a ‘thumbs-down’ sign and gently tear a piece off the heart whenever they hear a put-down in the story.
Group Discussion:
Discuss why Jimmy feels the way he does and the potential long-term effects of such treatment. Explore alternative responses for the characters to replace put-downs with encouraging and supportive words.
Encourage students to think about the motivations behind using put-downs and whether positive gains can be achieved without hurting others.
- Analyze Jimmy’s emotions and discuss the potential impact of being treated poorly day after day.
- Explore alternative responses from Jimmy’s mother that could have been less hurtful and ways she could encourage him to get up on time.
- Identify the instances in the story where put-downs occur and brainstorm alternative, non-hurtful responses for those characters.
- Investigate the reasons why people might use put-downs as a means of communication.
- Examine the potential gains or motivations behind using put-downs.
- Discuss alternative ways for individuals to achieve the same objectives without causing harm to others.
Putting it back together:
Read the story again, and this time, have students offer put-ups for Jimmy in the places where there were put-downs. Tape the pieces of the heart back together as positive words and phrases are identified.
Pairs or Group Discussion:
- Discuss how Jimmy might be feeling now that he has received words of encouragement and inclusion. Reflect on the fact that the heart may not look the same as before, highlighting the lasting impact of words.
- Address the saying “sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can never harm me.” Encourage students to share their opinions and reasoning on whether they agree or disagree.
Closing:
Guide students in understanding that the story illustrates the harmful nature of words and the difficulty in repairing the damage caused by put-downs.
Encourage students to use the story as a basis for creating a supportive and positive classroom environment, where they can recognize and counteract put-downs with uplifting and caring actions. Record student ideas on chart paper for future reference.
Lesson adapted from: Rutgers SECD Lab Resources