45–60
minutes
E mpat h y LITTLE B uddy S ession 2:
Read and Talk Together In this session, the buddies come together to listen to and discuss the story. This should take about 30–45 minutes. Although it’s important to encourage students to talk freely, keep the class on task by letting them know when it is time to move on to the next part of the story. Be mindful of students’ conversations and if a pair seems to have gone too far off the topic, have them tell you their answers to the most recent question, and then ask them to continue the story. Remind buddies they can ask a grown-up for help if needed.
Early Finishers If buddies complete the interactive session early, you can use these ideas to help them keep the discussion going until the end of the session: • Direct buddies to a book corner that has related books on display (see Appendix, Recommended Books). Encourage buddies to choose and read a book together. Encourage them to talk about how it relates to what they learned. • Have them use the empathy Think About It cards to review and reflect on events in the interactive story.
Class Discussion Leave about 10 minutes at the end of the session to bring the whole group together. Lead a discussion about what students thought of the story as you check for understanding as well as help students make personal connections. (Note: The Little Buddies may need a little extra encouragement to speak up in the larger group. You may want the Little Buddy teacher to lead the discussion.) Ask questions such as: • • • • •
How did Arthur tease Sue Ellen? How do you think Arthur felt about being called a bully? Why did Sue Ellen's reaction to and feelings about the teasing change? Why didn't Arthur want to apologize to Sue Ellen? Think about your own experiences. Do you remember a time when something similar happened to you? How did it make you feel?
If time allows, do a simple activity to reinforce the learning such as: • Project an image from the interactive story on the wall/screen. Have volunteers describe what's happening in the scene. Then ask students to describe how they feel about what is happening. Encourage them to use key vocabulary words.
32 Little Buddy Session: So Funny I Forgot to Laugh
