Exploring the value of empathy through the story of The Good Samaritan.
GEMMA: Hello, Treasure Champs. I'm Gemma and we are here to tell you the story of The Good Samaritan.
Go on, you two, run ahead.
One day, a Jewish man was going on a journey.
He set off on a path. He was on his way to another town. But then… It was going to be a long, hard journey.
It was a dangerous path known to have robbers and bandits. Uh-oh, the robbers spotted the traveller and decided to steal his things.
BOY: Agh!
ROBBER: Ha ha ha!
GEMMA: Ouch! The man was hurt and couldn't walk any further. He was left at the side of the path all alone. But then he saw someone coming. It was a religious man from the temple.
The traveller thought, 'This man must be good and kind and is sure to stop and help me.'
BOY: Help!
GEMMA: But the religious man didn't. In fact, he crossed over to the other side of the path and carried on walking by.
But then, along came another man, a man who was rich and important. So, once again, the traveller cried out for help.
BOY: Help me, please!
GEMMA: But he didn't stop to help either. He did nothing, he just carried on walking by on the other side of the path. The traveller was beginning to give up hope. Why was no one stopping to help him? But just then…
Another man came along. 'Uh-oh,' thought the traveller, 'this man won't help me. I'm Jewish and he's a Samaritan. Jews and Samaritans don't like each other.'
But, to his surprise, the Samaritan did stop to help. He could see that the traveller was hurt and decided to help him. The Samaritan had empathy for the traveller. He thought how horrible it must have been to be attacked and left on the path.
SAMARITAN: Okay?
GEMMA: The Samaritan washed and bandaged the injured traveller and then they both set off looking for shelter. Eventually, they found an inn, where the Samaritan paid for the traveller to be looked after.
The Samaritan even said that he would come back another day and check that the traveller was okay.
Isn't that amazing? That one man's act of empathy has been told so many times that now, if somebody does something kind for a stranger, they're often called a Good Samaritan.
That's a story that Jesus told and it's found in the Bible. Thank you both very much for helping me tell today's treasure story. We'll see you again soon. Bye!
KIDS: Bye!
The story of The Good Samaritan is found in the Bible in the Gospel of Luke (Chapter 10) and is a parable that Jesus told. Parables are stories with ‘hidden’ meanings that teach a moral.
The story teaches people to put aside differences, recognise the needs of others, and respond to the needs of others in a helpful way.
This story can help us to reflect on the value of empathy and what can happen if we put ourselves in someone else’s shoes and consider what it might feel like to be in someone else’s situation. If we try to understand how someone is feeling, we might be more likely to help them in an appropriate way.
Duration: 3' 25"
Final words: 'We'll see you again soon! Bye! / Bye!'
- Why is the journey that the man is going on dangerous? (It was long and there were robbers and bandits)
- Who does the injured man see approaching first? (A religious person from the temple)
- What does the religious person do? (He carries on walking and does not stop to help)
- Who arrives next? (The Samaritan)
- What does the Samaritan do and why? (The Samaritan washes and bandages the traveller - he has empathy for him)
Teacher Notes
Here are two questions to help children apply the learning from the story. 1: What is the meaning of this story? 2: How can we use the teaching of this story today?
What do the children think is the best description of the story and why? Is it: Understanding others? Know how others feel? Be considerate of others? Put aside your differences? Remember we might be in that situation one day ourselves? Or is it something else?
If you had written this story, what would you call it?
Ask the children for examples of ways people can put aside differences and show care for one another. Give the children ‘shoe templates' for them to draw or write their scenarios in. You might like to use these as a display encouraging children to consider what it feels like to be in someone else’s shoes.
Curriculum Notes
This short film will be relevant for teaching KS1 Religious Education in England and Northern Ireland, the Curriculum for Wales (particularly RVE as part of Humanities), and Early and 1st Level Religious and Moral Education in Scotland.
Further resources
Related BBC Teach content
Who is my neighbour? - An assembly focusing on the what the children might learn from the parables of The Good Samaritan and The Lost Sheep.
