Lesson 18: Look Both Ways, Discussion, Part 2

Display a six-bubble word cloud with the word empathy at the center. You can even draw this for students to see.

• Say: Empathy is an important theme in Look Both Ways. Let’s review the meaning of empathy and then identify moments that show empathy in the vignettes that we have read.

Say these Directions: Talk with a partner about moments from Look Both Ways that show empathy. You may also share ideas that connect to both Look Both Ways and empathy more generally. Then share your ideas with the class and add them to the chart.

• Say: We are going to work together to add moments from Look Both Ways that show empathy. We can also include any ideas that are related both to Look Both Ways and to empathy.

Invite students to talk to a desk partner for a minute to share moments of empathy in the vignettes. Then have students share their ideas as a class, and add them to the chart as you go.

• reading at least 10 points of view; feeling someone else’s pain and carrying a burden for them; learning the Low Cuts aren’t bad at all; Stevie feeling bad about breaking Pia’s skateboard; readers feeling bad for Stevie when he does something bad

• Say: We’ve been looking at empathy, but sometimes a character can show compassion or sympathy.

• Ask: What do you think the difference is between them?

• Say: Empathy, sympathy, and compassion have similar denotations—their dictionary definitions all point to caring about what someone else is feeling. But each word carries its own connotation, a slightly different feeling or association, and writers and speakers choose between them on purpose.

• Ask: If empathy, sympathy, and compassion share a similar denotation, what is the shared literal meaning? And why does it matter that we still have three different words for it?

• They all denote caring about another person’s feelings, but their connotations differ. Sympathy suggests feeling sorry for someone, empathy suggests understanding or sharing the feeling, and compassion suggests understanding plus a desire to help.

Scaffold student responses to associate empathy with understanding and sharing someone’s feelings, sympathy with feeling sorry for someone, and compassion with empathy combined with a desire to help someone.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Today, we’re going to discuss how the stories in Look Both Ways demonstrate empathy and how we feel empathy for different characters as we see things from their points of view. As we discuss, we’ll also note any instances of compassion or sympathy in characters.

Write or project the following Knowledge-Building Question (KBQ), and read it out loud for the class.

Say these Directions: Look at the following Knowledge-Building Question (KBQ).

• How can stories help us see through someone else’s eyes?

Explain to students that they will discuss the answer to this question based on the stories in Look Both Ways and that they will need to listen to, build upon, and clarify each other’s ideas. Briefly model how sentence frames can help.

• Say: Discuss the question using details from the stories in Look Both Ways. As you talk, listen carefully to one another, build on each other’s ideas, and ask questions to clarify your thinking. Use sentence frames if they help you respond clearly.

• Say: If someone says something you think is good, but you think they could go deeper, you could use a sentence frame like “I hear your idea that ___, and it makes me want to know more. Can you expand?” For example, if someone brought up the empathy that Stevie feels for Pia after helping ruin her skateboard, I might say, “I hear your idea that Stevie feels empathy for Pia, and it makes me want to know more about the empathy that readers feel for Stevie, knowing he was bullied into doing that in the first place.”

• Say: Another sentence frames you could use is “You said you thought ___ was a moment of empathy, but can you tell me more about why you think this?” Or you can say, “Another way to think about ___ is ___,” to challenge an idea or present a different way of thinking.

Lead a class discussion on the KBQ using the following prompt.

Say these Directions: Discuss the KBQ using the prompt below. Support your ideas with details from the text, listen carefully to others, and build on each other’s thinking.

• Ask: What moments from Look Both Ways help us see through someone else’s eyes? As you discuss, decide whether the moment shows empathy, sympathy, or compassion. Be ready to explain the difference in meaning.

  • • Student 1: One moment from Look Both Ways that helped me see through someone else’s eyes was the story of Pia and her skateboard, because it tells us about Pia and Stevie from their own points of view. We even learn about Marcus from Pia’s point of view.

  • Student 2: Another way to think about that is that if we only saw Pia’s point of view, we would just think Stevie and Marcus were all mean jerks. But because we see the other points of view, we understand that Stevie got bullied into doing something mean to Pia, he didn’t want to do, and that even Marcus, who is kind of mean, is only that way because of his own terrible experiences that Pia knows about. We empathize with Pia and Stevie—and even with Marcus—because we get to see a little bit of where each is coming from.

Preview the second essential question (EQ), which students will focus on more in the second investigation, by displaying it:

• Say: Read the second essential question below. You will return to this question in the second investigation and explore it in more depth.

• How does sharing our stories help build community and empathy?

Lead a brief class discussion on the next EQ using the following prompt.

• Say: Discuss the next essential question using the prompt below. Share your ideas, listen carefully to others, and build on one another’s thinking.

• Ask: When you share your own stories, how do you think you might use them to build community and empathy?

  • My story would show that everyone is dealing with things they might not know about, and that we would all be closer as a community if we understood that.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Now that you’ve practiced discussing these kinds of questions, you’re going to use discussion to deepen your thinking. As you share ideas, focus on explaining how moments in the text build empathy and support your thinking with evidence. Using sentence frames will help you clearly connect ideas, respond to others, and develop stronger explanations that you will later use in your writing.

Part A: Academic Discussion: Empathy in Look Both Ways (SL.6.1d, RL.6.6) (20 minutes)

Before beginning, remind students that strong discussions are built on clear, text-based ideas. Set the expectation that each student should come into the conversation ready with at least one specific moment of empathy from Look Both Ways (character + what happened). Emphasize that the goal is not just to identify moments, but to explain how those moments build empathy by helping readers understand a character’s perspective. You may need to ensure that students distinguish between what the text explicitly shows and what they infer about characters’ motivations. Provide a few moments for students to prepare their thoughts.

Reflect-and-Respond Dialogue

Say these Directions: You will have three minutes to discuss the following prompt with your partner. Then you will switch partners and discuss again to get a new perspective. As you are discussing the idea of empathy in this book, you should also practice empathy by listening respectfully to different perspectives.

Write or project the following academic discussion prompt:

• Ask: What are some moments of empathy in Look Both Ways, and how does the author use point of view to help us understand those feelings? Would you call this moment empathy, sympathy, or compassion? Why is that word more precise than the others?

• Say: As you begin to discuss with your partner, remember to listen closely and to build on, clarify, or challenge their ideas as you go. Use the sentence frames if you need them. I will let you know when your three minutes are up!

  • Student 1: I think one important moment of empathy is when we find out about the Low Cuts and why they are stealing.. The author helps us understand their perspective by showing more about their situation, which helps us see that there may be reasons behind their actions.

  • Student 2: I hear your idea that learning more about their situation helps us understand them better. Another way to think about it is that the author uses different points of view to show what different characters know or don’t know. This helps readers feel empathy because we understand more than one side of the story and can see why characters act the way they do.

Repeat this process as time allows, switching partners every three minutes. As students rotate partners, listen for growth in both content and discussion skills. Look for students moving beyond naming moments to explaining how point of view shapes empathy. If needed, pause briefly to highlight a strong example of a student building on or challenging an idea using evidence.

Part B: Academic Discussion: Empathy in Look Both Ways, Part II (SL.6.1d, RL.6.6) (10 minutes)

Reinforce that discussing with multiple partners helps refine thinking. Let students know they will now synthesize what they learned across conversations and prepare to share not just ideas, but how their thinking changed.

Return to a whole-group discussion so students can share what they learned from their discussions with their peers. Briefly model using sentence frames similar to the ones students used earlier to discuss what they learned.

Say these Directions: Return to a whole-group discussion and share what you learned from your conversations with your peers. Use sentence frames if they help you explain your thinking clearly.

• Say: You need to know not just what you learned in your discussion but also how you learned it and from whom. It might help to use some sentence frames like “I agree with ___, who said ___, because ___,” “I learned more about why ___ felt ___ by asking for more information about ___,” or “Hearing ___’s perspective on ___ make me think more about ___.”

Lead a whole-group discussion on what students learned, how they learned it, and from whom during their peer academic discussion.

• Say: As a class, discuss what you learned during your peer academic discussion, how you learned it, and from whom. Use examples from your conversation to explain your thinking.

  • I agree with [name], who said that learning why the Low Cuts were stealing change showed them how it’s important not to judge people’s actions right away. I learned more about why [name] felt like Marcus deserves empathy, too, even though he’s so mean to Stevie and Pia, by asking for more information about how hard things were for him.

If time allows, return to the word cloud you created as a class during the Launch, and prompt students to consider how their understanding has grown since then as a result of their discussion.

• Say: Look back at our word cloud. Think about what you would add to it now that you’ve had this discussion.

• Ask: What do you understand about how this book develops empathy that you didn’t understand before? Use the words empathy in your response.

  • I would add to the part about the Low Cuts that we don’t just feel empathy for them when we learn why they are taking the change. We also learn that it’s better not to judge people when you don’t know their whole story in general.

• Ask: Are there any moments that show compassion? What about sympathy? Use the words sympathy and compassion to describe the moment and explain why.

  • I think Simeon shows compassion when he helps Kenzi get to his locker safely. He understands what Kenzi feels and takes action to help him. I think the boy on the bus feels sympathy for Fatima when he sees her fall and when he sees her get drenched in the rain.

As students share, listen for clear attribution, specific text references, and evidence of revised or expanded thinking. If responses remain surface-level, prompt students to explain why the new idea matters for understanding empathy and point of view.

Close the discussion by reinforcing that empathy develops as readers (and classmates) consider multiple perspectives. Transition students to reflection by noting that they will now evaluate their own understanding and discussion skills.

Turn and Talk

Frame this reflection as an opportunity for students to independently demonstrate their understanding of empathy and point of view. Remind them to move beyond summary by clearly explaining how the author helps readers understand a character’s feelings. Encourage precise language: students should name the character, the moment, and the author’s technique (e.g., thoughts, perspective, actions) before explaining how it builds empathy.

Have students reflect on the day’s discussion with a seat partner using the following prompt.

• Ask: Identify one moment of empathy in Look Both Ways. How does the author help us understand the character’s thoughts or feelings? Hint: Think about how the point of view helps you understand the character.

  • • Optional Sentence Starter:

  • “In ____, the author helps us understand ____ by ____. This builds empathy because ____. This is different from sympathy/compassion because ____.”

    • In the vignette “Skitter Hitter,” the author helps us understand Stevie by showing his thoughts and guilt after he breaks Pia’s skateboard. This builds empathy because we see that he feels regret and understands how much the skateboard means to her. This is different from sympathy because we are not just feeling sorry for Stevie. We understand his feelings from his point of view.

Instruct students to read the vignette “Ookabooka” and take notes in their Journal on the following prompt:

• What do you learn about Cynthia from the way she tells her story? How does its organization help you understand her perspective?

Use at least one specific detail from the text.

As this is the end of the first investigation, instruct students to finish any incomplete reading assignments, writing assignments, and Exit Tickets/prompts.