Empathy in the Classroom

This school year I decided to kick off the year with a study of empathy.  I thought today was an appropriate day to post about empathy, as we reflect on 9/11.  My students have been busy learning about empathy through a study of animal and human rights.  They're even reading book group novels and finding examples of empathy or lack of empathy by collecting sentences.  Today, I thought I'd share some of the titles I've been using and some of the pictures I've taken so far this year that shows my kids putting themselves in someone else's shoes and understanding (or at least trying to understand) what it might feel like to have a less than fortunate circumstances.  These kids have done an amazing job so far and we still have a lot of ground to cover!

On a side note, you can find more of the information about how to go about teaching a theme unit on empathy in an article Holly Mueller and I wrote for Choice Literacy.  If you're not currently a member of Choice Literacy, I highly recommend joining.  For less than $100 a year, you can find a wealth of ideas and information about teaching ELA in any grade level.  If you just want a sneak peek, you can sign up for the weekly newsletter, The Big Fresh, and have access to several free articles a week.

I started the year by reading several picture books that dealt with bullying and simple examples of how being empathetic to someone could have helped that person out.  We also talked a lot about characters that show lack of empathy.  Here are some of the titles I shared with my 5th graders:

All these books provided students with concrete examples of what empathy and lack of empathy looked like and sounded like.  As we read Each Kindness, we even collected sentences that showed empathy or lack thereof by marking specific lines with post-it notes.  

Once I was convinced my students had a decent understanding of empathy, we moved on to our first read-aloud, the Newbery Award winner, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.

If you haven't read this book, you MUST!  Take a look at the book trailer below.  You'll be sold!

We're over half way through Ivan and we've been talking not only about empathy, but also how empathy and animal rights are connected.  We read another story of animal rescue by Kriby Larson and Mary Nethery, called The Two Bobbies.

This is a sweet story of a dog and cat that save each other in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  We talked about the rights animals have (or should have).  We tied that into The One and Only Ivan and we had a classroom full of opinions about rights that all animals should be entitled to.  These strong feelings naturally led to some contemplation and writing.  

Here's what we did:

1. I put the kids into groups and they had to come up with 3-5 rights they felt all animals should have.  This was easy for some groups, but hard for others that were less likely to compromise with each other. Another lesson in empathy there.

2. After the groups came up with their 3-5 rights, they put it on chart paper in whatever format they wished to use.

3.  Each child took a marker with them and responded to each group's poster of animal rights.  We had a big discussion about how a comment like, "I agree" doesn't go deep enough.  They listened!  Check out some of the charts below:

4. After responding to others' charts, each student chose a right they felt strongly about and made a claim, backed up by evidence (in this case, their opinions).  Here are a couple of examples:

These did a great job of making the connection between animal rights and empathy.  We've had a lot of discussion about how to treat others and animals.  Next week, we're moving on to a discussion of empathy and human rights.  On the docket to share is this great kid-friendly video about the origin of human rights.  Then, we'll share some more picture books to discuss empathy or lack of it and how it affected human rights or lack thereof.  Some of the books I'm looking forward to sharing next week are:

I'm also looking forward to finishing The One and Only Ivan and starting a new read-aloud, Wonder  by R.J. Polacio.

This book is rife with opportunities to feel empathetic.  It's also a great launching point to discuss what how people should be treated.  Added bonus?  It's about fifth graders!

Empathy is such an important theme in our class throughout the year.  It's a great launching point in September to set the stage for the rest of the year.

It's Monday! What are YOU reading?

I'm participating in the meme "It's Monday!  What are you reading?" created by Book Journey and Teach Mentor Texts.  I missed last week because of moving chaos, but I'm back this week and ready to share some of the books I've read in my classroom and on my own!

PICTURE BOOKS:

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson, Illustrated by E.B. Lewis

My class of 5th graders practiced their first round of sentence collecting with this book.  It's a beautiful book about a girl who does not choose to be kind to a new student in class.  She has many opportunities to treat the new child with dignity, but fails to do so again and again.  When her teacher does a lesson on kindness, the girl comes up short in identifying how she has shown kindness.  Regretful, she hopes for another chance with the new girl.  However, the girl has moved and doesn't return.  This book is a wonderful look at regret and treating others kindly.  My classes are currently studying what characters say and do when they are and are not empathetic.  This book was a great mentor text for finding those examples.

Miss Moore Thought Otherwise by Jan Pinborough, Illustrated by Debbie Atwell

I'm offering this book as a choice for a nonfiction book that shows human rights on my September Literacy Contract.  I loved this book about Miss Moore, the woman in charge of founding libraries for children, in particular the NYC library.  This should be a great book to spark thought about the rights children should have.

Bluebird by Bob Staake

This is an intriguing wordless book about bullying.  A young boy is made fun of at school and finds himself lonely and in despair.  A bluebird comes along and befriends the boy, taking him places he has never been and introducing him to new friends.  When the boy encounters the bullies, however, tragedy strikes and he must learn how to make his own way in the world.  This is an interesting read.  I'm anxious to discuss it with someone else.  I'm also looking forward to sharing it with my students.  I can't wait to hear their insight!

Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett, Illustrated by Kevin Cornell

This is Mac Barnett's latest and it's FUN!  The premise of the book is to count monkeys, but instead, the reader ends up counting other things because one king cobra scared off all the monkeys.  Hilarity ensues as the reader counts all of the other things that have staved off the monkeys.  Natalie (my four-year-old daughter) LOVED this gift from Holly Mueller!

ADULT BOOKS:

The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian, narrated by Cassandra Campbell and Alison Fraser

Oh, wow!  This was a terrific listen!  I was captivated by the story of the little-known Armenian genocide at the start of WWI.  The Ottoman Empire was in its last throws and in an attempt to make itself stronger and rid itself of neighboring intellectuals, the empire systematically killed millions of Armenian citizens in the deserts of Syria.  Sound hauntingly familiar to the Holocaust?  Bohjalian has created a vivid picture of life in the Syrian desert in 1915 by inserting a Bostonian, Elizabeth Endicott and her wealthy banker father who travel to the land to do charity work on behalf of the "Friends of Armenia" society in the United States.  When Elizabeth meets Armen, an Armenian engineer, there is an immediate spark.  Armen, however, has lost his wife and child in the death march and is on a quest to redeem them by joining the British army to fight the Turks.  Elizabeth stays on in Syria, making friends with some of the refugees, only to discover a secret that could rock her relationship with Armen.  Told alternately from 1915 and present-day, this story of love, loss, and decisions is a wonderful historical novel read.  I highly recommend it!

CURRENTLY READING:

Endangered by Eliot Schrefer

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO:

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos

ON DECK:

Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

The Boy on the Porch by Sharon Creech

Hope you're embarking on a great reading week!  I'd love to know what you're reading.  Leave a comment below!

It's Monday! What Are YOU Reading?

I'm participating in the meme "It's Monday!  What Are You Reading?" sponsored by Book Journey and Teach Mentor Texts.  There are more finished books here than I anticipated this week!  School started last week and we're in the process of moving.  Somehow, I managed to finish a few books (you might say reading is my therapy...).  Enjoy!

PICTURE BOOKS:

Enemy Pie by Derek Munson, Illustrated by Tara Calahan King

I read this on the second day of school and we talked about working with and being kind to everyone throughout the year. It's a great story of learning to spend time with those you think you don't like, and then discovering that you could be friends after all. We even discovered several themes within the book. A fun one to start off the year!

Journey by Aaron Becker

This is a beautiful book about a lonely girl who uses her imagination to unlock doors of discovery. I plan on using it with my students to talk about our hopes and dreams for our 5th grade journey. The illustrations are stunning, with something new to discover every time you look at it!  Check out Holly Mueller's excellent blog post on this book: Reading, Teaching, Learning

MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS:

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

I wasn't sure I was going to like this one at first. I felt like it started slow, but...I loved it! There is a new library in town funded by Mr. Lemoncello, a popular maker of board games. Several kids at the local school write essays to qualify to get a sneak peek at the library. Once they are in for the overnight party, a new game begins. The kids must figure out how to get out of the library without using the main exits and/or fire exits. A mystery ensues filled with children's literature references. Will they make it out before the time is up?

YOUNG ADULT:

Crossed by Ally Condie

This one wasn't nearly as good as the first in the series. I think I didn't care for the male narrator's voice. I found myself plodding through it. Cassia has left her family to find Ky, along with other aberrations in the desert and canyons. She must stay strong in her search and fend off the Society that is trying to hold her back.

CURRENTLY READING:

(audio)

That's it!  What have you been reading?

It's Monday! What Are YOU Reading?

I'm participating in the meme "It's Monday!  What Are You Reading?" sponsored by Book Journey and Teach Mentor Texts.  I don't have a lot this week, as I've been working in my classroom (school starts this week!) and packing my own home (we're moving this week!).  I did manage to squeeze in a few reads, though.  Enjoy! 

PICTURE BOOKS:

Ballet of the Elephants by Leda Schubert, illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker

This was about one of the Ringling's bringing 50 some elephants together in a circus and training them to perform together. He solicited help from Igor Stravinsky (a composer) and a famous choreographer (also from Russia) to create the show. Interesting to learn about the people of the circus and to see how much the elephants loved the people. I would have liked to have known more about why the elephants were adopted by the circus.  This one was a little over Natalie's head, even though she claims she loved it. ;)

My Great Aunt Arizona by Gloria Houston, illustrated by Susan Condie Lamb

I loved this book about a young girl from Appalachia that grew up to be a teacher. She dreamt about traveling to far-away places and never got there, but inspired a love of learning, reading, and dreaming in her students. A great book for any teacher!

EASY READERS:

Mercy Watson Something Wonky This Way Comes by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen

Yet another fun addition to the Mercy Watson series. Mercy goes to the movies with Mr. and Mrs. Watson and can't resist the smell of buttery popcorn. She escapes from the car and hilarity ensues as Mercy heads to the cars of everyone else at the drive-in to help herself to their popcorn.

YOUNG ADULT:

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Narrated by Rebecca Lowman and Sunil Malhotra

This is my favorite book of the summer! I listened to this (and I had to wait in the middle of it because it was due back to the library and I couldn't renew it--but I got it back two weeks later; it was painful!). The narrators should be awarded! This is a heart-breakingly wonderful book of two teenagers falling in love, but so much more than that! Eleanor moves to Omaha to live with her mother and step-father, Richie. Her step-father is abusive and Eleanor gets taunted at school. Park befriends her on the bus and they soon fall for each other. A mesmerizing story of teenage angst, love, and abuse. This should be required for all teens. I loved it!!!

CURRENTLY READING:

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO:

The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian

ON DECK:

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin

Our book club pick for this month.  I can't wait!  I've wanted to read this since it came out last year!

Drop me a line.  I'd love to know what you're reading!

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

I'm talking part in the meme, "It's Monday!  What are you reading?" sponsored by Teach Mentor Texts and Book Journey.  Here's what I've been up to over the last two weeks (I missed the post last week):

Picture Books:

Otis and the Puppy by Loren Long

Another cute addition to the Otis family. Otis and the other farm animals acquire a puppy, who ends up lost in the woods one night. Otis must face his fear of darkness and set out to find the puppy in the woods.

The Knight and the Dragon by Tomie dePaola

This would be a fun book to use in a writing class, as half of the book is wordless. dePaola starts the story with words, then tells the remainder in illustrations. It would be a good exercise, especially for struggling writers, to create dialogue to go with the story. The framework (often the hardest part for an emerging writer) is there. Natalie loved it, too. Anything with some fantasy and she's sold. She gets it from her dad...

The Mighty LaLouche by Matthew Olshan and Sophie Blackall

The illustrations in this book make it great! The Mighty LaLouche is a mailman who loses his job in Paris at the turn of the century. His job is lost because the post office just bought a fleet of automobiles. He must find work and becomes a fighter. His small size surprises his opponents and he turns out to be more agile than the bigger men he fights. In the end, he once again becomes a postal worker (the cars didn't work out so well) and all is well for LaLouche.

Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Henry is a slave that longs for freedom after his wife and children are taken away. He mails himself in a box to Philadelphia, bound for a new life. The illustrations are gorgeous.

Mercy Watson Fights Crime by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen, read by Ron McLarty

This was Natalie's first audio book! It was great fun. You could have heard a pin drop in the car. Another great installment in the Mercy Watson series.

The Princess and the Peas by Caryl Hart, illustrated by Sarah Warburton

I loved this tale of a girl who wouldn't eat peas. The doctor diagnosed her as a princess and she moved to the castle to eat cold cabbage stew! She soon decides being a princess isn't all bits cracked up to be and moves back home with her dad in the woods. Great picky eater story!

Flood  by Alvaro Vila

Beautiful book about a family that has to abandon their house because if an impending flood. They return to find their house destroyed, but work to restore it to its original beauty. Could use each page as a story starter, then out all stories together to form a written companion to the book.

Adult Books:

The House Girl by Tara Conklin

A story about two women searching for freedom, 160 years apart. Josephine is a slave in Virginia that runs for her freedom. Lina is a lawyer in NYC who is searching for her mother. Both stories are important and both are told extremely well in Conklin's first novel. I particularly loved how each chapter alternated between Josephine and Lina.

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

This was an intriguing book about a serial killer who travels through time from the 1920s to the 1990s in Chicago. He hunts down woman throughout the 70 year span that are "shining". He attempts to kill Kirby, but her dog saves her from the attacker and now she is on a mission to hunt him down. A fast, different take on a murder mystery. There's a lot to talk about in this one!

Currently Reading:

Unlocking Complex Texts by Laura Robb

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

Every Day After by Laura Golden

Currently Listening To:

Crossed by Ally Condie

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian

WOW!  That's a lot of books!  What are YOU reading this Monday?  Leave a comment!