Developing Empathy

Developing Empathy

   December 07, 2018       rHL

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Contributed by Jaya Van Praagh- Southpointe Academy

Developing Empathy

The new Wellness Series written by Susan Verde and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds are a great addition to our library collection. They include the following picture books: 

I am Human: A Book of Empathy (October 2018)

I am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness (September 2017)

I am Yoga (September 2015)

The messages in these books are relevant to students of all ages and many different connections can be made. It’s nice for the younger students to recognise both the author and illustrator through the use of the same format for each book in the series as well as from other books they have both written and/or illustrated.

I read the book, I am Human, to many different groups of students from Kindergarten to Grade 5 in the last week and had many meaningful discussions.

With Kindergarten and Grade 1 students, we tied it into a discussion as to why we have a Remembrance Day Ceremony and the importance of working together towards a peaceful world. The central idea for our current Grade 1 unit of inquiry is “Identity is expressed through cultural diversity” and the ideas in the story tie into the importance of shared values and beliefs.

Grade 4 students are currently learning about how our personal identity can be influenced from choices and society. For these classes, as well as our Citizenship Club students (Grades 3-5), the messages in this book are a reinforcement of ways to take responsibility as a global citizen and how small actions of care and compassion can make a big difference.