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Title - ROLE PLAYING FOR EMPATHY
By - Victoria Yeomanson
Primary Subject - Other
Secondary Subjects - Language Arts, Multidisciplinary
Grade Level - 7-9
TITLE: ROLE PLAYING FOR EMPATHY
AUTHOR: Victoria Yeomanson, Silvestri Junior High School; Las Vegas, NV
GRADE LEVEL: 7-9
OVERVIEW: Younger teens are often quick to make fun of anything unfamiliar. Many of the stories in our textbook are set in different countries, or feature the traditions and practices of different cultures. I was concerned that my students preferred to ridicule the characters in a particular story rather than to empathize with them. This activity was designed to help students put themselves in the place of various characters, particularly characters from other cultures.
OBJECTIVE(s): Students will be able to:
1. Investigate the traditions of another culture.
2. Improvise dialogue in a character's "voice".
3. Write dialogue in the correct format for a play.
4. Work cooperatively with partners.
5. Present scenes to the class with vocal expression and without embarrassment.
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
1. Read a story set in a country other than the United States, such as "The Banana Tree", by James Berry.
2. Hold a classroom discussion of the characters' motives and how their upbringing influenced their actions.
3. Challenge the students to find out about the culture, either by researching on the internet, visiting the library, or by interviewing someone from that country. (We researched Jamaica on our classroom computers and invited a student from Jamaica to our class to discuss her background.)
4. Pair students up to role play two main characters (or the protagonist and the antagonist) from the story. Have them begin their role playing at the point where the story ends.
5. Stop often to discuss individual lines, to have them discuss what they are experiencing, and to have them switch roles.
6. Now instruct students to write a scene between the two characters. They may use some of the more authentic sounding lines from their role plays.
7. Spend one class period making sock puppets to represent the characters.
8. After rehearsals, have students present their sock puppet plays, preferably from behind a screen or small, cut out proscenium. (I find that they are able to project far more emotional and vocal energy when their faces do not show.)
9. Have students write final drafts of the scenes and turn them in to you.
MATERIALS: glue gun, packets of eyes, yarn, fabric scraps, one tube sock for each student
RESULTS: I found that my students were far more empathetic and less judgmental when they were armed with some knowledge, and when they had "become" another person. Students enjoyed learning through this activity.
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