PART 2: Feelings, Perspective Taking, Theory of Mind, Empathy and Mr. Hatch!

A recent (February 20) Mindwing blog contained a link to our Feelings Mini-Poster and a new feelings activity that included a partially completed template unique to The Snow Walker and a blank template for use with other stories of your choice.

The Snow Walker activity used the template with multiple Characters and their perspectives. Today, we will use this same template with a variation to the activity, using it with one Character and multiple Kick-Offs. This will reinforce the concept that a Character has a Feeling in response to a Kick-Off. Our ultimate goal is to lead students to an understanding of the Critical Thinking Triangle. Continuing today from the previous blog with the picturebook Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch we have provided the following partially completed template for today’s activity.

DOWNLOAD PARTIALLY COMPLETED AND BLANK TEMPLATES HERE

After reading Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch to the students, initiate a discussion of Kick-Offs in the story that lead to various feelings of Mr. Hatch using the Feelings Poster and template set up as follows:

Character: Mr. Hatch

Kick-Off: He gets a Valentine package in the mail.

Have students pay particular attention to pages 7-8. Re-read page 7 and look at the visual of Mr. Hatch on page 8.

Have students use their Feelings Mini-Poster to choose and list Feeling words to describe how Mr. Hatch was feeling. Students may work alone or with partners. Possible choices: confused, ecstatic, enthusiastic, excited, happy, hopeful, joyful, pleased, shocked, silly, surprised. Have students Turn and Talk with their partners about their selections and share their choices with the whole group. Ask students to explain why they have chosen certain feeling words.

Point out to the students that Mr. Hatch had multiple Feelings about the same Initiating Event. An excellent book to reinforce this concept of multiple Feelings for the same Kick-Off is Double Dip Feelings by Barbara Cain.

Character: Mr. Hatch

Kick-Off: The mailman returns and asks for the candy box and card.

Follow the same procedure as above, drawing students to the pictures of Mr. Hatch along with the text. Feeling Icon Possible Choices: ashamed, confused, depressed, disappointed, discouraged, embarrassed, surprised, etc.

Character: Mr. Hatch

Kick-Off: The neighbors throw a party for Mr. Hatch.

Internal Response: Follow the same procedure above. Suggestions: appreciative, ecstatic, excited, loved, etc.

The completed map.

Another student activity is found on the back of the Feelings Mini-Poster itself. Below is a completed version. This would be ideal for a center activity or with small group instruction, especially for older students. Many teachers have found it helpful for each student to have a copy of the mini-poster. The mini-posters are laminated so that students may use a write-on marker in this activity and reuse it for other stories.

Additional map templates related to the Critical Thinking Triangle® may be found in our book entitled Making Connections, a part of our Autism Collection.

Making a connection between the Kick-Off () and Feelings () of Characters helps to begin to develop understanding of the Critical Thinking Triangle. This provides the “thrust,” or motivation, behind why a Character does what a “Character” does (Plan ).

Next week: Join us for part 3 of this ongoing blog for Autism Awareness Month.