"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” -Dr. Seuss
It is true; you are the only you in this world. Nothing should stop you from being you! Bullying, however, has caused many people to stop being themselves. Sadly, bullying has become a problem in many schools. You may think that you can't do anything to help; that you're just one person and can't make a difference. Maybe you think that you've never had to deal with a bully, but actually you've been part of the bullying itself, without even knowing it!
This blog has three lesson plans (for the 4th grade level) that can be used in October, which is Bullying Prevention Month. The lessons include picture books, novels and some first-hand accounts from famous authors and their experiences with bullying.
This blog was created to share lesson plans about bullying and how to make students more aware of their actions. So many people are affected by bullying, whether they realize it or not. These lesson plans are for the 4th grade level and include non-fiction, picture books and novels. Stop bullying....read a book instead!
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Non-fiction
This lesson uses excerpts from Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories. The book is a great compilation of stories from many different authors about their experiences with bullying; whether they were the victim or the bully. Some of the stories contain language and subject matter that is not appropriate for the 4th grade level, so I chose three that were more suitable. I picked the stories from R.L. Stine, Jon Scieszka, and Lisa Yee.
Eastern Connecticut State
University Lesson Plan Format
Grade Level: 4th Date of
lesson: during October
Length
of Lesson: 1 hour
Content
Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.1 (Refer to details and examples in a text
when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from
the text.) CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.9 (Integrate information from two texts on
the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.)
Prior
Knowledge/Connections: This will be
the closing lesson for the bullying unit. Students already have done activities
and read books about bullying leading up to this lesson.
Student
Learning Objective(s): Students will
create a comic strip depicting an experience of their own or one from the
author’s stories (from Dear Bully). They will include feelings and
connections made between other texts. Students will also be encouraged to think
about their actions and how situations may turn out differently based on their
choices. With the readings, students will think and discuss how the author’s
experiences could have been different if a small change had been made (i.e. not
laughing at another person, standing up to the bully, etc).
Vocabulary: Karma- the effects of a person’s actions
that determine his destiny
Assessment-Essential
Key Questions: How did you feel
after reading the author’s stories about their personal experiences with
bullies? Can you use this information to make connections to your own life? How
have you used negative feelings and turned them into something positive?
Materials/Resources: Copies of excerpts by R.L Stine (pg 74), Jon
Scieszka (pg 37) and Lisa Yee (pg 129) from Dear Bully.
Technological resources: Computers with internet access.
Learning
Activities:
Instructional Strategies: Have a
discussion as a whole group. Ask the students who some of their favorite
authors are, and see if any of them say Stine, Scieszka or Yee. Ask the
students if they think that authors are immune to bullying (either growing up
or even now). After the group discussion, they can go to work on their project
(on their own or with a partner)
Grouping
Strategies: Either individual or with partners (students may choose)
Initiation:
Display a poster/Glogster of each
author (Stine, Scieszka and Yee) with pictures of them, some of their books,
and a few important facts about them (awards won, recognitions, number of books
sold, etc). Introduce each author to the class and then explain that each of
them was somehow affected by bullying. Ask those who have read books by R.L.
Stine if they would have guessed that he was bullied as a kid. Tell students
that negative experiences/situations can be used to spark creativity and
inspiration. Encourage them to keep that in mind while reading the stories from
the authors.
Lesson
Procedures:
·
Hand out
copies of excerpts from Dear Bully. Each student needs at least 1,
however if they choose to read more that’s great!
·
Read
story independently, encouraging to use highlighter or mark important
passages/parts they want to remember, as well as connections they can make to
their own life or other texts read.
·
Once
they’ve read their story, they can either work independently or with a partner
to create a comic strip (www.pixton.com) that depicts a personal experience they’ve
had in regards to bullying. It may be an experience where they were being a
bully and didn’t even realize it at the time. They will use the authors’ stories
as a model for storytelling.
·
When
finished (and if time permits), students can create another comic strip
depicting the same situation as they used before, however, this time, what
could they have done differently at the time.
Closure:
Students will have the opportunity
to share their comic strips and if agreeable, we’ll create a class comic book
about bullying. Take ideas from the students for possible titles for the book.
Wrap up with a discussion about interesting things learned during the unit and
ways they can be more aware of their actions.
Intervention: These students who may have difficulty creating a comic strip of a
personal experience can use one of the authors’ stories and use that for their
project.
Enrichment:
These students will read all 3
stories and create a comic strip depicting what would have happened if the
author had done something different. How would their life have changed? Would
they still be a successful author? Why or why not?
References:
*Common Core State Standards
Initiative (English Language Arts Standards Grade 4)
*Kids.Net.Au
Novels
This lesson uses Blubber by Judy Blume and There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom by Louis Sachar.
Eastern Connecticut State
University Lesson Plan Format
Grade Level: 4th Date of lesson during October
Length
of Lesson 1 hour
Content
Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.9 (Compare and contrast the treatment of
similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of
events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from
different cultures.)
Prior
Knowledge/Connections: Students
have been discussing bullying and how it affects all parties involved. This
will be the second lesson in a series of three during Bullying Prevention
Month.
Student
Learning Objective(s): Students will
evaluate their own lives and experiences in regards to being a bully. Although
they may not have realized, at one time or another, they may have bullied
another person. Students will pretend to be principals of their own school and
come up with a presentation for Bullying Prevention Month that they would like
their faculty to see and use with the students.
Vocabulary: none
Assessment-Essential
Key Question(s): What were the
teachers’ roles in both stories? Could they have done more? If you were a
principal of a school (or one from a book), what advice would you give to your
staff in regards to potential bullying problems? What would you want your
students to know? (Who could they go to for help, are there “safe places”
around school, etc)
Materials/Resources:
Copies of Blubber and There’s
a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom.
Technological resources: Computers with internet access.
Learning
Activities:
Instructional Strategies: First, take
reactions students may have had to each book (students must have finished their
book before this lesson). Some students read Blubber and others read There’s
a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom. Ask students if they could relate to any of
the characters (how?). Second, have a student (who read each book) give a brief
(1 to 2 sentence) summary of each book (without giving away specific details).
Grouping
Strategies: Individually or in small groups (no more than 3 per group). If
working in a group, it can be a mixture of students who read different books.
Initiation:
Do a Google search for “bullying
prevention in schools” and show the students the vast amount of information and
websites that come up. (Have this displayed on the screen so they can see all
of the results) Have a discussion about why there are so many, what qualifies
as a “good” program and what are some aspects they would not want to have in a
program. Show a few examples of the sites that come up with search, just to
give students a brief idea of what kind of information is out there.
Lesson
Procedures:
·
After
introductory discussion, those who choose to work in groups can meet with their
group members (no more than 3), while others who decide to work individually
can begin on their own.
·
Students
will make a graphic organizer of good qualities and bad qualities of the
teacher(s) in the book they read. They will use this information to help decide
what kind of administrator they will be for their imaginary school. (Have them
think of their own school career; was there a teacher they felt comfortable
talking to if there was a problem? What qualities did this teacher have? What
did they do to makes students feel at ease?)
·
Once they
have the qualities to work from, students will use a Glogster, Prezi or Power
Point presentation to visualize their ideas. Have them keep in mind that this
will be presented to their employees, so design it in a presentation
(informational) format. Encourage them to use connections (with their own life
or another text) to really make their point.
Closure:
The lesson will close with a few
students (who choose to) presenting their ideas as if they were the principal
and the rest of the class was their staff. Once the presentations are over, the
class will have a discussion about specifics from the presentations; what they
liked/thought would work and what parts they think would be more troublesome in
the school environment.
Intervention: Students who need accommodations can work either individually or with a
group (with others who may need some assistance). They can focus on the teachers
in the book they read and try to come up with ideas of how the teachers could
have been more helpful to the students in the story. Create a Glogster or Prezi
with their ideas.
Enrichment:
These
students can create the ideal school environment for a bully-free learning
experience. What would the school look like? What kinds of resources would you
have? Use Glogster or Prezi to make a visual tool to go along with the plans.
References:
*Common Core State Standards Initiative (English
Language Arts Standards Grade 4)
Picture Books
This lesson uses two picture books; The Two Bullies by Junko Morimoto and A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon.
Eastern Connecticut State
University Lesson Plan Format
Grade Level: 4th Date of lesson sometime during October
Length
of Lesson: 1 hour
Content
Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.9 (Compare and contrast the treatment of
similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of
events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from
different cultures.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.2 (Determine a theme of a story, drama, or
poem from details in the text; summarize the text.)
Prior
Knowledge/Connections: This lesson
is to be conducted during Bullying Prevention Month (October), after the
students have had discussions regarding bullying and the effects it has on its
victims, as well as the bullies themselves. Students will have knowledge of the
dictionary definition of bully(ing), as well as their own definitions (personally
and decided on as a class).
Student
Learning Objective(s): Students
will use technology to identify their definition/characteristics of a bully.
Students will also use two stories to make connections to their own lives/experiences,
in regards to bullying, as well as identify specific feelings associated with
bullies/bullying experiences.
Vocabulary: Bully: a blustering, quarrelsome,
overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker
people
Assessment-Essential
Key Question: In both stories, the
characters embark on a journey. Are they just physical journeys or does it go
deeper (to the emotional/internal level)? Use this information to think about
your own life. Can you make any connections to any of the characters and to your
life experiences? (ex: Were you ever teased for liking something others thought
was weird, such as lima beans?) Have you ever changed something about yourself
to “fit in?” Was it a good choice?
Materials/Resources:
3 (or more) copies of The Two Bullies
(Junko Morimoto) and A Bad Case of Stripes (David
Shannon).
Technological resources: Computers with internet connection.
Learning
Activities:
Instructional Strategies: First, have
an introductory discussion about bullying in general, asking questions about
what they think a bully is and see if they can give examples of bullying.
Second, give a brief (1 to 2 sentence) summary of each book (without giving
away specific details).
Grouping
Strategies: Begin lesson as a whole group, then have students break into a
few small groups (4 to 5 in each group). Students will be grouped with others
they will feel comfortable with (I want them comfortable enough to maybe share
some personal experiences).
and
engage in a “conversation” with it, where the character acts like a bully. Have
a discussion with the students after about what it feels like to be teased by a
bully and what might it feel like to be the person doing the bullying.
Introduce the two texts that will be read and give brief summaries (1 to 2
sentences) to prep their discussions.
Lesson
Procedures:
·
Read one
of the picture books aloud to the class, pausing to draw attention to certain
parts of the story that will encourage discussion in their groups.
·
Divide
the students into small groups and give each group a copy of both books. In
their small groups, they will read the other book (the one not read aloud to
the class).
·
In their
small groups, they will discuss each story and make connections between the
two. Prompting questions will be given if needed. (Was there just one bully?
Who was being bullied? What could have been done to change the situation?)
·
Students
will then be encouraged to think of their own lives and experiences. Using the
texts, they should try to make connections to experiences they’ve had. While
discussing these in their groups, they will be keeping track of specific
descriptive words that are used frequently to describe bullies/bullying
situations.
·
Once
they’ve finished their discussions, students will work as a group to create a
Tagxedo and/or Glogster using the information they’ve collected. For the
Tagxedo, they can use any words/phrases that they think describes a bully or a
bullying situation. For the Glogster, they can do the same, as well as add
pictures and other words that relate to specific personal situations that were
shared in the group.
Closure:
Students will have the opportunity
to share their creations and briefly talk about why they chose specifics for
their Tagxedo/Glogster. Any student who would like to share a personal story
will have the chance at this time. The lesson will close with a brief
discussion about the feelings that are elicited by bullies and the situations
associated with them.
Intervention: Students who require accommodations will be given a list of questions
(prompting their thinking) if needed. They may also be put in a group with
students who will encourage participation.
Enrichment:
These students may create a short
story/picture book of their own that retells an experience they had that
connects to one of the stories read in class. They may create their book by
hand or using technology.
References:
*Common Core State Standards Initiative (English
Language Arts Standards Grade 4)
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/4
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/4
*Dicitonary.com
www.dictionary.com
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