Key Takeaways:
- Use library databases to help students explore diverse perspectives and strengthen social awareness.
- Design research projects that build empathy by connecting real-world issues to students’ lives.
- Integrate SEL goals into student research assignments to support both academic and emotional growth.
Social emotional learning (SEL) is a process that helps students build the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to successfully navigate a complex world. SEL encompasses five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making. Among these, social awareness is essential for helping students understand others’ perspectives and emotions.
School librarians play an important role in fostering social awareness by connecting students with library databases that expand their understanding of different cultures, histories, and lived experiences. Through student research, learners can explore real-world topics that build empathy and cultural awareness.
Building Social Awareness Through Perspective-Taking
Melissa Schlinger, Vice President of Practice and Programs at the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), describes social awareness as “the ability to take the perspective of others, to think through how other people might feel in a certain situation, to appreciate diversity, to recognize emotions, to read body language — really to understand how other people fit into the bigger picture.”
Her description echoes the wisdom of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view ... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Encouraging students to see from others’ perspectives can be a powerful way to nurture empathy and inclusion through SEL-based learning experiences.
Using Literature to Foster Empathy and Connection
The first post in this SEL blog series explored how stories foster self-awareness by acting as mirrors that reflect students’ own lives and experiences. But stories also serve as windows — offering insight into the lives, cultures and perspectives of others.
Library databases such as Literary Reference Ultimate give students access to classic and contemporary texts, literary criticism and author biographies that support English Language Arts curriculum. Short stories such as “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, “Woman Hollering Creek” by Sandra Cisneros, “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin, and “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell challenge readers to consider different social structures and deepen their understanding of experiences beyond their own.
Exploring History to Develop Cultural Understanding
Beyond literature, library databases help students explore historical and cultural topics that connect directly to social emotional learning. For example, History Reference Ultimate includes hundreds of full-text articles and primary source documents on events such as the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, and U.S. immigration. Educators can use these materials to supplement course textbooks, enhance student learning and enrich class discussion.
By guiding student research with historical context and authentic sources, educators can enrich classroom discussions and promote social awareness. These resources encourage students to recognize the struggles and triumphs of others, building perspective and compassion through research-based learning.
Investigating Science and Environmental Justice
Library databases also support social emotional learning in science classrooms. Science Reference Ultimate helps students explore environmental and social issues — from air pollution to pesticide use — through full-text science magazines, e-books and classroom-ready experiments.
When students study topics such as environmental justice or unequal access to clean air and water, they begin to see how human actions affect communities differently. This awareness supports both scientific literacy and SEL competencies such as empathy, social awareness, and responsible decision making.
Empowering Student Research to Strengthen SEL Skills
Using library databases, school librarians empower student research that builds empathy, understanding, and social responsibility. When students explore diverse perspectives across literature, history and science, they practice the social emotional learning skills they’ll need to succeed in school and beyond.
