SWBAT:
Distinguish the difference between sympathy and empathy through explanation of key differences in their meanings and examples.
Identify the most appropriate modal for the situation.
Construct advice for classmates
Design a poster for the school to teach how to give advice or ask for advice.
Language Skills and Strategies in Focus:
How to employ modal verbs and how they influence the register of a sentence.
Academic Learning Strategies:
*Predictable Misunderstandings
Empathy and sympathy are divded by a fine line as well. If students may have trouble understanding their differences, use examples and potentially personal anecdotes (if students are willing) to help them identify these feelings in the context of their own lives.
Students may assume their won experiences with stress are universal.
Students may have cultural differences in givign advice and find modals too indirect. Take time to explain the cultural differences (specifically in US English) and indirectness is often viewed more politely in English.
Add materials, plus link to teacher toolkit (or button)
(10 mins, Google Slides)
Have students get into small groups to discuss the following questions:
What is the best or worst piece of advice you've ever received when you were feeling stressed?
What did you learn from that experience?
Once conversation has settled, use some student examples to begin a short presentation on the difference between empathy and sympathy.
Sympathy = feeling sorry for someone
Empathy = feeling what someone feels
How would these emotions inform our decisions when giving advice?
(10 mins, Google Slides)
Following the introduction of Sympathy and Empathy, prompt another class discussion:
How can you as a student relate to others? How can you not relate?
How can we use our language to be considerate when giving advice?
When do we use modal verbs and how do they change our register? (10 mins, Google Slides)
Explain to students that modal verbs are often used when giving suggestion.
What are some modals verbs that come to the students mind?
How do these verbs apply to giving advice?
While reviewing common modal verbs, introduce students to the distinctions that influence the choice of the modal verb.
'Strong' and 'weak' modal verbs.
Strong - more urgent and certain
Weak - less urgent and certain
Relation with the person.
How close are you to the person?
Open a discussion for why this may be important for choosing modal verbs. (A closer relationship means you are able to speak more directly because you understand more of their circumstances.)
Before moving to the Practice, check for understanding with practice scenarios found here. Ask the students to hold up a 1 or 2 for the response that they think is best.
Sympathy or Empathy? (20 mins, Google Slides)
In this activity you will present scenarios of student stress and anxiety on the board. For each scenario presented, the following will occur:
Students will decide how to respond and indicate their answer by moving to either the left (Sympathy) or right (Empathy) of the room. If students cannot decide, have them move to the side that they agree with more.
With a partner on the same side of the room, students will discuss the following questions:
Why did you choose sympathy/empathy?
What would you say to this student? (Encourage students to use the sentence starters found in the slides!)
Ask for volunteers from each side to explain why they chose their side and what they would say to the student. This process will be repeated a total of six times for the six scenarios.
CCQ's:
Which side will you go to for sympathy? For Empathy?
Sympathy - left
Empathy - right
Who will you discuss with?
A partner on your side.
What will you do after you discuss?
Share with the class!
tFluency Activity through Personal Anecdote (20 mins, Google Slides)
Part 1: Pairs
Students will be placed in pairs (students can choose, or you may count them off)
Partner A will speak
Partner B will listen
The topic will be a time they felt stress or anxiety because of school. They will discuss this three times, with each times duration being shorter than the last.
Round One: 2 minutes
Round Two: 1 minute, 15 seconds
Round Three: 45 seconds
After three rounds, partners will switch roles (Partner A will listen, Partner B will speak)
CCQ's:
Which partner will share out first?
Partner A
What will the other partner do?
Listen and offer advice.
Poster Activity (20 mins, Google Slides)
Students will make posters to put up around the school (or an English speaking environment) to share what they have learned over the last three units.
Have students choose the type of poster they would like to make and divide the class up (having students stand on one side of the room is a good strategy).
Giving Advice: Make a poster with tips for students who feel stressed.
Asking for Advice: Make a poster with questions for students who want to reach out for advice.
Have students create groups of 2-4 to make a poster that includes:
A title that will draw the attention of other students
AT LEAST 5 complete sentences
AT LEAST 1 visual
CCQ's:
How many students will be in a group?
2-4 students.
What will the topic of your poster be?
Giving advice/Asking for advice (dependant on the group/student)
How many sentences should you include on your poster?
At least five sentences.
What else should be included on your poster?
A title and at least one visual.
Alternate Option:
Instead of a poster, students can create an instagram reel or social media infographic about student stress and anxiety. The topic choice and criteria would be the same.