💛 SELGrade 2Lesson 10
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Show Empathy Through Action

Lesson preview: the Mini Lesson and Vocabulary are open to everyone. Guided practice, exercises, the parent checklist and the printable PDF worksheet come with full access (free 7-day trial or membership).

Learning Objectives

  • 1Explain what empathy means
  • 2Match a friend’s feeling to an empathetic response I could give
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Mini Lesson

Have you ever seen a friend cry and felt sad right along with them? Or noticed someone left out and wished you could help? That feeling — caring about how someone else feels — is called empathy.

What is empathy?

  • Empathy means understanding and caring about how another person feels.
  • It is sometimes called "walking in someone else’s shoes."
  • Example: Your friend is nervous about a test → you say, "I understand. Let’s practice together."

Empathy vs. sympathy

  • Sympathy = feeling sorry for someone from a distance.
  • Empathy = trying to truly understand and feel with them.
  • Empathy is stronger — it makes the other person feel less alone.

How do I show empathy through action?

  • Listen fully without jumping in to fix things right away.
  • Say something kind: "That sounds really hard. I am here for you."
  • Do something helpful: sit with them, share, offer to help.
Walking in someone else's shoesTwo children, one sad and one showing empathy, illustrating the concept of walking in someone else's shoes.Empathy = understanding othersfriendme"I understand how you feel."
Two children — one feeling sad, one showing empathy — with shoes swapping.
Empathy response examplesThree rows showing a friend's feeling on the left and an empathetic response on the right.Feeling to Empathetic Responsesad —lost a pet"I am so sorry.I am here for you."nervous —big quiz today"I understand. Let'spractice together."left out —no one played"Come play with us!You belong here."Empathy turns feelings into kind actions.
Three feeling-to-response examples showing empathy in action.
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Ask yourself: "How might my friend be feeling right now? What could I do or say to show I care?"

Vocabulary
Empathy
Understanding and caring about how someone else feelse.g. I showed empathy when my friend was sad.
Sympathy
Feeling sorry for someone from a distancee.g. Sympathy is gentle, but empathy goes further.
Action
Something you do, not just saye.g. Sitting with a lonely friend is an action of kindness.
Listen
To pay close attention when someone speakse.g. I listen first before trying to help.
Kind
Friendly and caringe.g. A kind word can make someone feel less alone.
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