Values for a Better Tomorrow
Learning Sequence 3
.png)
Introduction With Gavin
Watch the video with your class and discuss the ideas explained. Talk about this week’s value and ask the children if they know what it means.
Ask questions around why it is important and how it can make our lives better.
The idea behind watching this video is to set the foundations of the weekly value and get the children talking and thinking about it as the week progresses.
This week we will read I’ll Help You and learn all about the power of Empathy
What is Empathy?
Empathy is when you can understand how someone else is feeling, even if you haven’t experienced the same thing. It’s like if your friend is really sad because they lost their toy, you can imagine how they feel and say something like, “I bet you feel really sad right now. It’s tough when we lose something we really like.”
Being able to show empathy towards others is a really important skill. It helps us to be more understanding and caring towards other people, and it helps us to connect with them and be there for them when they need us.
So next time you see someone who is feeling sad or upset, try to imagine how they might be feeling and see if you can show some empathy towards them. It can make a big difference in their day.
Quote of the week - Read and Discuss
Each week we will start by reading a quote, talking about what it means to further understand how we can use these words as lessons to learn from.
Read the following quote and discuss it with your class. You may even want to print it out and collate the quotes over the weeks to create a wall of discussion for future research projects.
Read this week’s quote and think about what it means and what we can learn from it to make the world a better place!
You may want to note it down in your notebook and draw a nice picture next to it!
Reading Activity
Read the book alongside your class and discuss the various lessons that we can learn from each of the pages and events within the text.
The text was curated by a primary-aged child, so there may be mistakes and this is expected, but the essence of the activity is to explain to your students that these books are about the message inside. The children who wrote these books did so with the intention to teach others about important values.
Have a discussion with your class about the values they spotted inside this book!
Read the book opposite and have a conversation about each of the pages and discuss what values you think are being taught during the story.
Remember that this book was created by a child and they are hoping that, by reading it, you are going to learn something about living your life to help others feel safe, happy and accepted.
Let’s see what you learn!
.png)
Weekly Comprehension Activity
Read through the task card instructions with your students and make sure that they are aware of all the 4 activities expected of them during this activity.
-
Fill in the missing words
-
Answer the comprehension questions (in full sentences)
-
Define the Keywords in their books
-
Plan how they will complete the follow-up activity.
-
After reading the book you will now be feeling more inspired and ready to learn more about the values mentioned in this book.
Take a look at the task card opposite and read the instructions carefully. Answer the questions, fill in the missing words and define the keywords before moving on to this week’s activity below.
Values Activity (Younger Students) - Identify the Feelings
During this activity we want your children to start to talk about feelings and the feelings of others.
The children will use the task card to match different scenes to a particular feeling. Once they have matched the feeling and cut out the image they can then glue it in position.
The activity is designed to inspire a conversation about how other people feel when things happen. Get the class together and discuss each of the feelings and talk about how we should respond if these occur in our classrooms.
Identify the Feelings Chart
Empathy is when we can understand how other people feel. Today we are going to think about different times when feelings might occur in our school and home.
Take a look at the task card opposite and read the text underneath each blank square.
Once you have read and discussed each piece of text with your partner, cut out the feeling that matches and glue it into position.
Once you have finished talk to your partner about a time when you have felt the same way.
.png)
Values Activity (Older Students) - How Would You Feel If...?
This week we are going to ask your students to be creative and design a conversation game that they can use with other children.
In the process of designing the game, they will have to think about how others see the world. The children are required to design 19 flashcards. Each depicts a different scenario where a feeling would occur.
Once the children have designed, cut out and laminated their flashcards, it is then time for them to play the game with a group of other students in the school and see what conversations occur.
Create a Conversation Game – How Would You Feel If…?
This week we are going to use our new understanding of empathy to start conversations with others about how it feels when things happen.
Empathy is being able to see the world through somebody else’s eyes and this week we are going to create a game that allows other children to do just that.
Here are the instructions:
-
Design your flashcards with a friend. (use the examples to get you started)
-
Cut out your flashcards carefully and laminate them if possible.
-
Put your cards in an envelope and label it, ‘How would you feel if….?
-
Ask your teacher’s permission to visit another class and talk to them about empathy and then play the game and have a good discussion about seeing the world through somebody else’s eyes.
Closing Video - Watch and Think
Use this video as a plenary session to help the children consolidate their knowledge and walk away with the feeling that when we look out for others and act with the intention of helping them with no reward, we feel good inside and that is what matters.
Watch and Think – What is Empathy?
Watch this short animation about a dog and a fish. Think about why the dog decides to help the fish and talk about how it feels to help somebody when you see that they need it. How will you follow in the footsteps of the fish in future?
Your Book of Values (Pages 9-10) - Empathy is…
Over the next weeks, your children will be creating a simple but very powerful book on values.
Each week your children will revisit this task and add three pages to their book until it is complete.
Please allow your children to use the template provided to assist them with their design. The children will need to use this template as the dimensions are very specific.
Once complete your children will add their book to the Upschool library for the world to see.
This week we are going to start our very own book on values. Each week we will ask you to add three more pages to the book. This week we will be adding the next 3 pages on empathy.
Use the example to help you continue to create your very own book. Remember to keep it simple and keep your text away from the edges of the page!
Each week we will add three more pages to your book until your book on values is complete.
Good luck!