P3 Empathy Museum

In our P3 transdisciplinary unit, “Who We Are,” we inquired into the theme of what it means to be human. One of our key lines of inquiry was, “How cultivating empathy encourages meaningful action.” Through this exploration, learners identified empathy as a crucial part of our identity.

P3’s journey of the museum was inspired by Clare Patey’s Empathy Museum video [CS1] , motivating the learners to create a similar experience. This project enabled them to explore the theme of empathy in a fun and creative way.

P3 learners chose to create an Empathy book library. Each learner selected a book they loved from either our school library or their home collection. They chose to cover the books, emphasizing the concept of not judging them by their covers. After selecting their books, learners got creative with poetry! They wrote poems to showcase their favorite stories for the Empathy Museum. The goal was to connect with the emotions and experiences presented in their poems. The types of poems they created included limericks, acrostic poems, haikus, and alliteration. These poems not only summarized the books but also sparked curiosity among their classmates and visitors.

Poems created by learners

Collaborating with Mr. Arif, our secondary design teacher, we brainstormed ways to bring our students’ vision to life. Mr. Arif guided the P3 team to Makey-Makey, a tool that would enable interactive experiences. The poems were recorded to allow visitors to empathize with each book. Using Scratch, Mr. Arif programmed codes that could be connected to Makey-Makey, enhancing the interactive aspect of the museum. We invited P4, P2, and P1 learners and teachers to guess the book based on the poems.

The purpose of this activity was to inspire a love for reading within our class and the wider community. Each learner aimed to excite others about their chosen books, fostering a shared appreciation for literature.

This project empowered our P3 students to articulate their thoughts and feelings while fostering empathy, enabling them to forge meaningful connections with both the poetry and their peers.

Empathy Museum presentation

Authored by the P3 learning community.

Photos by the P3 Teaching Team

Work cited:

Wyatt, Paul. “It’s Strangely Powerful – Step Inside the Empathy Museum.” Empathy Museum, YouTube Video, 8 Sept. 2016, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60em6n_j8Io. Accessed 12 April 2025.

Palmer, Nicolas, and IB Exchange. “Openness: Mini Empathy Museum (PYP up 9.1.2).” Ibo.sabacloud.com, Dec. 2022, ibo.sabacloud.com/Saba/Web_spf/NA10P1PRD047/app/shared. Accessed April 2025.

Human systems and economic activities	The study of how and why people construct organizations and systems; the ways in which people connect locally and globally; the distribution of power and authority.
Social organization and culture	The study of people, communities, cultures and societies in the ways in which individuals, groups and societies interact with each other.
Continuity and change through time	The study of the relationships between people and events through time; the past, its influences on the present and its implications for the future; people who have shaped the future through their actions.
Human and natural environments	The study of the distinctive features that give a place its identity; how people adapt to and alter their environment; how people experience and represent place; the impact of natural disasters on people and the built environment.
Resources and the environment	The interaction between people and the environment; the study of how humans allocate and manage resources; the positive and negative effects of this management; the impact of scientific and technological developments on the environment.

Living things	The study of the characteristics, systems and behaviours of humans and other animals, and of plants; the interactions and relationships between and among them, and with their environment.
Earth and space	The study of planet Earth and its position in the universe, particularly its relationship with the sun; the natural phenomena and systems that shape the planet and the distinctive features that identify it; the infinite and finite resources of the planet.
Materials and matter	The study of the properties, behaviours and uses of materials, both natural and human-made; the origins of human-made materials and how they are manipulated to suit a purpose.
Forces and energy	The study of energy, its origins, storage and transfer, and the work it can do; the study of forces; the application of scientific understanding through inventions and machines. (IBO, 2009)

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