Walking in Someone Else's Shoes

To a third grader, walking in someone else's shoes is such an abstract thought. Teaching empathy is necessary in today's schools, though. Kids have to be able to relate to others and understand the way that they feel. This is what helps today's youth grow into productive and respectful citizens.

With that being said, I made it a point to have a class discussion about the horrific tragedy that occurred in Japan. With technology creating a global learning environment, kids need to be exposed to current events from around the world. But more importantly, I wanted my students to understand what Japanese children and adults were experiencing.

Then, my unit on empathy started to come together. After much discussion about empathy, my grade level partner and I put our heads together and came up with a culminating activity that allowed our 3rd graders to process the definition of empathy, and how it related to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Walking in Someone Else's Shoes

The students chose 2 different shoes. On one shoe, the students collaged words that dealt with empathy. On the other shoe, they described why they had empathy for the Japanese people.