Empathy
So Funny I Forgot to Laugh Materials
Book Corner
Arthur Character Cards: Arthur, Sue Ellen, Buster
Estes, Eleanor Ferry, Beth Henkes, Kevin Hughes, Shirley Ludwig, Trudy Polacco, Patricia Yashima, Taro
Think About It cards (empathy) Vocabulary List (optional)
Objective: Students explore the interactive comic with buddies to help them gain an understanding of their own feelings, other's feelings, and different perspectives.
The Hundred Dresses Stick and Stone A Weekend with Wendell Alfie Gives a Hand The Invisible Boy Mrs. Katz and Tush Crow Boy
(see Appendix, Recommended Books for more selections)
20–45
minutes
E mpath y BIG Buddy S ession 1:
Introduction Preview the story
When students get together with their Little Buddies, they will read an interactive story called So Funny I Forgot to Laugh. Display the character cards before you introduce the main idea of the story. You might say: The online story you are going to read with your Little Buddy is called So Funny I Forgot to Laugh. There are three main characters in the story: Arthur, Sue Ellen, and Buster. Point to (or have a volunteer point) to the corresponding character cards. In this story, Arthur teases his friend Sue Ellen about a sweater she is wearing. At first, Sue Ellen goes along with the joke. Buster and Francine think it’s funny, too. Soon, however, Sue Ellen wants Arthur to stop. Arthur’s friends feel empathy for Sue Ellen and realize that Arthur may be taking the teasing too far. Sue Ellen and Buster have to decide how to
61 Big Buddy Session: So Funny I Forgot to Laugh
