Instructions Empathy Land

Brief explanation on video for all applications. Teachers are advised to be sure to also read the information below.

For home, language training or work click here for written instructions.

Instructions Empathy Land at school PDF

Citizenship Lesson and Empathy Land PDF

Empathy Land is an interactive board game played by three to six students. It takes advantage of the cultural diversity present in the classroom. Participants are confronted with statements regarding cultural values and customs. Are they correct or incorrect? Based on the answers, students develop awareness and understanding of each other’s cultural background. After Empathy Land is played out, a class discussion follows to share the experiences.

Learning Objectives

  • The participant develops awareness and understanding of differences and similarities in habits and values of classmates.
  • The participant will gain an understanding of different cultures, perspectives,, subcultures and gray areas in between.
  • The participant realizes that habits and behaviors are often an expression of deeper cultural values.

Players: 4-6 players per game board

Duration

50 minutes/ optional: 10-20 minutes extra

  • Explanation by teacher and formation of groups (10 minutes)
  • Playing Empathy Land (25 minutes)
  • Class discussion (15 minutes)

Supplies

  • One board game for each group
  • A set of playing cards for each group with questions
  • 1 dice per group (if there is no dice present, students can use “dice roller” on google)
  • Pawns (coins or anything else that can represent the player)
  • Blank A4 paper

Step 1: Preparing

  • For the teacher: For the class discussion after the game, it is recommended that the teacher read all the cards in advance, to better guide the class discussion. Cards that are still too difficult (social or cognitive) can be removed when first used in class and added on other occasions. If the teacher wants to connect the habits to a conversation about basic differences between cultures, it is helpful if he/she is familiar with the social dilemmas: https://connect2us.eu/de-sociale-dilemmas-in-onze-samenleving/
  • For the students: Each player has a piece of paper gets with “true” on one side and “not true” on the other. To do this, take a blank A4 paper and cut it into 4 to 6 pieces depending on the number of players there are and write the words on front and back, or have students in the class do that.

Step 2: Instructions

The teacher can begin by describing the objective of the game: The purpose of the game is to get to know each other better and discuss differences in customs and habits. Differences that just may be there and that it is fun and useful to know about each other.

  • The game begins with a player taking a card and reading it to the group
  • The other players decide whether they think this statement is “true” or “false” for the reader’s home situation
  • After everyone votes by holding up “true” or “false,” the reader gives the answer
  • The player(s) who answered correctly may roll the die and move as many spots on the board, clockwise
  • The player(s) who did not answer correctly may not roll the die
  • The reader may always roll the die.
  • In the event that no one player has the correct answer, the reader may take another card and players may vote again
  • If a player lands on a plane, they may jump forward along with the plane to the designated compartment
  • If a player lands on a submarine, they must return to the designated square
  • After a student takes a card and all those who had the answer correct have walked on the game board, it is the turn of the student to the left of the previous one (clockwise).
  • The player who reaches the No. 50 box first has won
  • Alternative: to keep the game going longer, a rule can be implemented that the player must land exactly on 50, if they throw too high they walk back on the board.

Step 4: Discussion

The teacher asks students some questions to begin a class discussion. Possible questions:

⟶ What did you notice? (Start with an open question)
⟶ Were there things that surprised you?
⟶ Was it always the same for everyone in the group?
⟶ What were the differences? If there was a discussion in one or more groups, the teacher can ask these questions:
⇢ How can you deal with those differences?
⇢ Could that have gone differently; how have other groups dealt with similar
issues dealt with?
⇢ How did it go when students indicated doing things differently than the
rest of the group?
⟶ Here the teacher can give extra attention to exclusion and freedom of expression:
⇢ Has everyone dared to share what they do at home?
⇢ How would you react if you belonged to the minority?
⇢ Where do you think the differences come from? (male/female, relationships,
hygiene rules, importance of family, religion, culture, etc.)