Module 2
Theoretical Framework
Chapter 2: Good Practices
2.1 Good Practices in Greece: Role-playing
Role-playing as a tool to increase empathy and promote EU values
The first good practice that our school has implemented was a series of activities that were basically role plays that helped students put themselves into another human being’s shoes. The first activity that the teachers tried was Sailing to a New Land, followed by Can I come in?
Sailing to a New Land is a role play that puts the students into a story in which they imagine themselves sailing towards a new country. They have special ‘baggage’ with them, cards that represent basic needs and wants of people, such as money, clean water, opportunities to play and rest, medicine, democratic elections, etc. The students form small groups in imaginary boats, and while they are sailing, they encounter a series of dangers and impediments to their journey (a hurricane, a huge whale, etc).
What they need to do is discard some of their cards to keep their boat safe from sinking. The students discuss with their friends which cards to keep and which to get rid of as less important for their survival in the new country. The activity is designed to create suspense and to make important issues arise: what one really needs to start a new life, which human rights should definitely be protected, what one really needs for survival but also for life satisfaction.
Activities like Sailing to a New Land provide the students with the time and space to play a role, to stop and think, realize, and possibly change perspectives on what truly matters in life.
The second role play our school tried was Can I come in? which dealt with the issue of the refugee crisis much more explicitly.
This activity divides the students into three groups: the refugees, the border guards and the witnesses. The students are given role cards with some ideas and arguments to step on but they end up improvising. The refugees have just arrived on the border of two countries and want to pass from one to the other, the guards’ job is to deal with this situation, and the witnesses record what they see and hear, much like journalists do. The activity fosters empathy, as it puts the students into the refugees’ shoes but also the guards’ shoes, so it helps students see through different perspectives.
It is of vital importance to implement such practices in the classroom and to allow students to find things for themselves instead of being shown or lectured about matters. The students through role plays learnt what it feels like to sail towards an unknown destination, to lose certain amenities and rights, and understood the importance of basic human rights with minimal, if any, intervention from the teacher.
These role plays also enhance communication skills, empathy and self-awareness.
The first good practice that our school has implemented was a series of activities that were basically role plays that helped students put themselves into another human being’s shoes. The first activity that the teachers tried was Sailing to a New Land, followed by Can I come in?
Sailing to a New Land is a role play that puts the students into a story in which they imagine themselves sailing towards a new country. They have special ‘baggage’ with them, cards that represent basic needs and wants of people, such as money, clean water, opportunities to play and rest, medicine, democratic elections, etc. The students form small groups in imaginary boats, and while they are sailing, they encounter a series of dangers and impediments to their journey (a hurricane, a huge whale, etc).
What they need to do is discard some of their cards to keep their boat safe from sinking. The students discuss with their friends which cards to keep and which to get rid of as less important for their survival in the new country. The activity is designed to create suspense and to make important issues arise: what one really needs to start a new life, which human rights should definitely be protected, what one really needs for survival but also for life satisfaction.
Activities like Sailing to a New Land provide the students with the time and space to play a role, to stop and think, realize, and possibly change perspectives on what truly matters in life.
The second role play our school tried was Can I come in? which dealt with the issue of the refugee crisis much more explicitly.
This activity divides the students into three groups: the refugees, the border guards and the witnesses. The students are given role cards with some ideas and arguments to step on but they end up improvising. The refugees have just arrived on the border of two countries and want to pass from one to the other, the guards’ job is to deal with this situation, and the witnesses record what they see and hear, much like journalists do. The activity fosters empathy, as it puts the students into the refugees’ shoes but also the guards’ shoes, so it helps students see through different perspectives.
It is of vital importance to implement such practices in the classroom and to allow students to find things for themselves instead of being shown or lectured about matters. The students through role plays learnt what it feels like to sail towards an unknown destination, to lose certain amenities and rights, and understood the importance of basic human rights with minimal, if any, intervention from the teacher.
These role plays also enhance communication skills, empathy and self-awareness.
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