Objective:  Students will be able to gain a deeper meaning and understanding of what it means to display empathy.

Materials:

1. crayons/markers 
2. plain white pre-cuts hearts (1 for each child)
3. "Pedro's Heart", short story

Motivation:  Teacher will ask students what words they would use to describe themselves, as the students "popcorn out" ideas the teacher will write the responses on chart paper.

Procedures: 

1. Teacher will show students the plain heart cut out and explain that they will use the word list they have created as a reference as they decorate their hearts. The hearts should be colorful, creative, and truly express the students personality. It may be helpful if Teacher shows their own completed heart.
2. Teacher will instruct students to come to the rug with their hearts.
3. Teacher will ask students if they have ever had a bad day, what made the day so bad, and how they felt.
4. Teacher will explain to the students that as she/he reads the story every time somone is mean or hurtful to Pedro they need to wrinkle a piece of their heart.
5. Toward the end of the story the teacher will explain to the students that as some people start to apologize to Pedro they can smooth out some of the heart.

Closure:

Teacher will ask the students  if Pedro heart was being smoothed out if it went back to normal or did it still have some wrinkles in it?  Teacher will facilitate a discussion about what lesson they have learned from completing this activity.