SEL competency social awareness
As CASEL states here, socially aware individuals can understand other perspectives and empathize with them, including those from diverse backgrounds. It also includes understanding social and ethical behavioral norms. Social awareness initiatives should focus on...
- Perspective-taking
- Empathy
- Appreciating diversity
- Respect for others
Watch the video interview below, hosted by Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Rachelle Dene-Poth, on how Buncee was used to foster empathy and make meaningful connections in communities.
Social awareness plays an important role in lifelong success and emotional wellbeing. It builds a positive school culture, strengthens relationships, and prepares students to be leaders and good citizens outside the school walls.
As the students and educators conducting the YPAR research project found, viewing art is one way to reflect on another’s perspective, empathize with others, and learn about each other through storytelling. Art is also an important element of educating students on cultures other than their own.
Get creative! Project idea
Fiction writing to build empathy
Students will create a fictional story using Buncee’s graphic tools. Start with a lesson on fictional story writing, then have students write and share their own creative story using Buncee’s multimedia and templates. Encourage students to explore Buncee's built-in library of animations, graphics, and templates as they begin the creation process. The finished fictional tale can be shared online using Microsoft Teams or in a Buncee Board. If a student wants to print it out, they can generate a QR code for the digital Buncee within the Buncee creation canvas. Once printed, the reader of their story can scan the QR code to interact with digital elements.
The fictional writing could be a wide range of styles: a graphic novel, a children’s story to share with younger students, a chapter book series, and more. Here’s an example of a children's story.
"Fiction gives us empathy: it puts us inside the minds of other people, gives us the gifts of seeing the world through their eyes"
—Neil Gaiman, Author