Cultivating Empathy Through Art

These resources support social-emotional learning in the classroom by using artworks from the Norton Simon collections to explore how art can support and encourage the development of empathy in students. Materials have been created for teachers of both Kindergarten through 5th grade, and 6th through 12th grade, along with related curriculum connections. They include a curriculum packet on cultivating empathy through art, a PowerPoint of high-resolution images from the packet for use in the classroom, a loving-kindness meditation script to encourage compassion for oneself and others, a sketchbook journal activity with prompts to helps students chronicle their days and feelings with writings and sketches, and a coloring sheet for elementary students to explore how mood is expressed in art and in life.

These resources are available to download as a bundle (grades K-5 or 6-12), or you can download projects and materials individually through the links listed below. Please email us at educate@nortonsimon.org if you have any questions or feedback. We would love to know how you are using these materials with your students.