Unit Plan 4 (Grade 4 Counselor): Empathy in Action
Teach Grade 4 empathy with realistic scenarios that help students notice feelings, identify needs, choose caring responses, and build belonging.
Focus: Help students move beyond basic kindness into empathy. Students practice noticing how someone else might feel, thinking about what that person may need, and choosing a caring response. The counselor uses realistic Grade 4 situations such as a student being left out of a group, embarrassed by a mistake, ignored during recess, or frustrated during partner work.
Grade Level: 4
Subject Area: School Counseling (Empathy • Respect • Belonging and Inclusion)
Total Unit Duration: 1–2 weeks, 30 minutes per session
I. Introduction
This Grade 4 counseling lesson helps students understand that empathy means trying to notice and understand how someone else may feel. Students learn that kindness is important, but empathy goes one step further by asking, “What might this person be feeling?” and “What might they need right now?” The counselor helps students connect empathy to everyday choices in classrooms, group work, recess, lunch, and friendship situations.
Students practice reading realistic scenarios and choosing caring responses that build belonging, respect, inclusion, and trust. They explore examples such as someone being left out, embarrassed, ignored, frustrated, or unsure how to join a group. The goal is for students to understand that empathy can be shown through words, actions, listening, encouragement, and inclusion.
Essential Questions
- What does empathy mean, and how is it different from basic kindness?
- How can students notice how someone else might feel?
- What caring responses help others feel respected, included, and supported?
- How do personal words, choices, and actions help build belonging and trust in the classroom community?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Explain empathy as noticing how someone else may feel and choosing a caring response.
- Identify possible feelings and needs in realistic Grade 4 scenarios.
- Practice caring responses such as inviting someone in, encouraging a classmate, listening, offering help, or using respectful words.
- Explain how empathy supports belonging, respect, inclusion, and trust.
- Choose one empathy action they can use in class, recess, group work, or friendship situations.
- (Optional Session) Practice empathy responses through role-play, scenario sorting, or a class kindness-and-empathy challenge.
Standards Alignment — Grade 4 (ASCA-based Custom)
- C:S3.4a — Show Empathy and Respect for Others
- Recognize how others may feel and respond with kindness, respect, and care.
- Example: A student notices a classmate is being left out of a game and says, “You can join our team.”
- C:S1.4c — Contribute to a Respectful Classroom and School Community
- Recognize how personal words, choices, and actions can support belonging, respect, inclusion, and trust.
- Example: A student invites a classmate into a group and makes sure everyone has a meaningful role.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can explain what empathy means.
- I can notice how someone else might feel in a school or friendship situation.
- I can think about what someone may need when they feel left out, embarrassed, ignored, or frustrated.
- I can choose caring words or actions that show respect.
- I can help build belonging, inclusion, and trust in my classroom community.