Home›Lesson Plans›Social-Emotional Learning›Social Awareness · Grade 7

Digital Empathy

Seventh graders learn digital empathy — treating people online with the same kindness they’d show in person — by remembering there’s a real person behind every screen and choosing to be an upstander.

Grade 7CASEL: Social Awareness40 minutes1 class periodCASEL SELExplicit teaching4 StandardsCASEL
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain digital empathy.
  • ✓Think before you post.
  • ✓Be an upstander online.
  • ✓Be kind online.
Essential Question

It’s easy to forget there’s a real person on the other side of a screen. Digital empathy means remembering — and being kind online. How do you show it?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

Digital Empathy Check

Project each item and have students answer about digital empathy. The tool explains being kind and thoughtful online.

📱 Understand digital empathyTry it
Answer each question about digital empathy.
The Lesson · SEL Flow (Check-In · Learn · Practice · Apply · Reflect)

40 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Check-In — Behind the Screen

5 min

It’s easy to forget there’s a real person on the other side — how do you remember?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Do a check-in.
  • Ask about online kindness.
  • Be caring.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Check in.
  • Reflect.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — Digital Empathy

10 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Digital Empathy Check.
  • Note thinking before posting.
  • Note being an upstander.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Note it.
  • Reflect.
3

Practice — Practice

11 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask “would I say it in person?”
  • Rewrite an unkind comment.
  • Plan a kind response.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Ask it.
  • Rewrite it.
  • Plan it.
4

Apply — Apply

9 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Apply empathy to a scenario.
  • Choose an upstander action.
  • Explain it.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Apply it.
  • Choose it.
  • Explain.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Explain digital empathy.
  • Give an example.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explain it.
  • Give one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the CASEL 5 Social & Emotional Learning Competencies.

CASEL
Social Awareness

Show empathy in digital spaces.

CASEL
Social Awareness

Take others’ perspectives online.

CASEL
Relationship Skills

Communicate kindly online.

CASEL
Responsible Decision-Making

Make ethical online choices.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Online scenario cards.
  • Sentence frame: “Before I post, I ask ___.”
  • Discuss real examples.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with “be kind online.”
  • Use one clear example.
  • Practice one action.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Make an online-kindness pledge.
  • Role-play being an upstander.
  • Discuss anonymity.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 📱Scenario cards
  • 💻Digital Empathy Check
  • 📝A kindness pledge
  • ✏️Pens
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

digital empathykindness toward people onlineempathyunderstanding others’ feelingsonlineon the internetupstandersomeone who helps, not watchescyberbullyingbeing unkind onlineperspectivesomeone’s point of viewtrusted adulta grown-up who helpsrespecttreating others with care
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is digital empathy?
Treating people online with the same kindness you’d show in person.
QUESTION 2
What’s a good question to ask before posting a comment?
“Would I say this to their face, and how might it make them feel?”
QUESTION 3
What can you do if you see someone being bullied online?
Support them privately and tell a trusted adult.

Reflect: be kind online.

Have students name one way they can show digital empathy this week. A printable digital-empathy sheet is in the SEL library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Social Awareness: Digital EmpathyFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Social Awareness: Digital EmpathyQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Social Awareness: Digital EmpathyPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: cyberbullying, digital empathy, empathy, online, perspective, respect, trusted adult, upstander
  1. on the internet
  2. treating others with care
  3. being unkind online
  4. someone who helps, not watches
  5. understanding others’ feelings
  6. a grown-up who helps
  7. someone’s point of view
  8. kindness toward people online

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is digital empathy?
  2. What’s a good question to ask before posting a comment?
  3. What can you do if you see someone being bullied online?
Answer key — Part A: 1) online · 2) respect · 3) cyberbullying · 4) upstander · 5) empathy · 6) trusted adult · 7) perspective · 8) digital empathy
Part B: 1) Treating people online with the same kindness you’d show in person. 2) “Would I say this to their face, and how might it make them feel?” 3) Support them privately and tell a trusted adult.