Empathy Canvas
What is Empathy Canvas?
The Empathy Canvas is a structured reflection tool that helps students deeply engage with the lives of RealLives characters, fostering empathy, perspective-taking, and emotional intelligence.
After living through a simulated life in RealLives, students use the Empathy Canvas to break down their experiences, analyze different aspects of the character’s journey, and compare them with their own lives.
It transforms gameplay into a meaningful learning experience, helping students develop social-emotional skills, global awareness, and a changemaker mindset.
Why Empathy Canvas?
Understanding the world requires more than just facts—it requires perspective and emotional connection. The Empathy Canvas helps students:
✅ Step into someone else’s shoes and understand diverse lived experiences ✅ Develop critical thinking by analyzing the impact of decisions and circumstances ✅ Reflect on privilege, struggles, and systemic inequalities ✅ Compare their own life with others, fostering global awareness ✅ Take meaningful action by connecting insights to real-world issues
By guiding students through a structured, step-by-step reflection, the Empathy Canvas transforms learning into an emotional and cognitive journey.
How Does Empathy Canvas Work?
📌 Step-by-Step Reflection Framework
The Empathy Canvas consists of structured prompts and guiding questions that encourage students to reflect on different aspects of a character’s life:
1️⃣ Who Was Your Character?
Name, country, socio-economic background, gender, culture, and key life circumstances.
"What was unique about their identity?"
2️⃣ Key Moments & Turning Points
Major life events that shaped their journey (e.g., education, migration, war, economic hardship).
"What was the most defining moment in their life?"
3️⃣ Challenges & Struggles
Barriers faced (poverty, discrimination, health issues, gender inequality, etc.).
"What were the toughest moments they had to overcome?"
4️⃣ Decisions & Consequences
Important choices made and their long-term effects.
"What difficult decisions did they face? What were the outcomes?"
5️⃣ Compare & Contrast
How does this life compare to the student’s own life?
"What privileges or challenges do you have that your character didn’t?"
6️⃣ Feelings & Reflections
Emotional connection to the character’s story.
"What emotions did you experience while living this life?"
7️⃣ Real-World Connections & Actions
How does this experience relate to global issues?
"How can we address the social issues your character faced?"
Empathy in Action: Real-World Examples
Example 1: Living as a Child in Extreme Poverty
A student plays as a child in rural India, facing malnutrition, lack of education, and unsafe drinking water. Through the Empathy Canvas, they:
Reflect on systemic poverty and how it affects opportunities.
Compare it to their own life, realizing the role of privilege.
Explore solutions, researching real-world efforts to combat extreme poverty (SDG 1).
Example 2: Experiencing Gender Discrimination
A student’s character is a girl in Afghanistan who is denied an education due to gender norms. Using the Empathy Canvas, they:
Analyze how gender roles shape opportunities and compare them with their own access to education.
Feel the emotional impact of being denied something so basic.
Research global initiatives advocating for girls’ education (SDG 5).
The Power of the Empathy Canvas
✅ Deepens Emotional Intelligence – Encourages students to think beyond themselves. ✅ Bridges Gaps Between Cultures – Builds global awareness and respect for diversity. ✅ Turns Learning into Action – Helps students connect their reflections to real-world solutions. ✅ Encourages Perspective-Taking – Develops skills essential for changemakers and global citizens.
"You can’t understand someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes." – The Empathy Canvas helps students take that first step.
Bring Empathy into Your Classroom
Use the Empathy Canvas to transform RealLives gameplay into a life-changing learning experience.
🔹 Download the Empathy Canvas for classroom use. 🔹 Encourage students to share reflections and discuss real-world connections. 🔹 Empower the next generation of changemakers!
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