Empathy or sympathy?

Below are some scenarios in which students learn about people in other cultures and react to what they have learned. Decide which reaction “ empathy or sympathy ” best describes each scenario, and drag each scenario into the appropriate column. If you prefer, you can also do this activity using a form with radio buttons. Some browsers may work best with (or show only) one or the other format; use the one that works best for you.

Scenarios	Reactions
	Empathy	Sympathy
A student in Niger wakes up at 4 am to obtain water for her family, then attends school all day. After school she watches siblings, fetches wood, and pounds millet. The American students who learn about this are outraged by the injustices of poverty and take action in order to make a difference.
American students feel bad that the United Nations reports that 2.8 billion people are surviving on less than $2.00 per day throughout the world.
Students partner with ClearWater to learn about water issues and create water vessels that depict the significance of water. Students sell their vessels to raise money to donate to ClearWater to assist countries in need.
Students are taught that human trafficking is a form of slavery that is happening where they live. They feel outraged yet grateful it is not happening to them.
In an English class, students read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. The concerns this book raises about the meatpacking industry leads to a further investigation by students on foods that are currently being genetically engineered and the hazards involved. Students compile an information sheet on genetically engineered salmon and distribute to the community to educate others on the hazards.