A group of students form a club.  They write up rules and decide who can join and who is to be excluded.  They pre-arrange how they will wear their hair and avoid all those not included in their group.

What is wrong with this behavior?

How do the excluded students feel?

Are these the type of people that you would look up to or want to be like?

What should be said to the group?

Should this behavior be punished?

How can this behavior be avoided?

What should the group have done differently?

Week 3 – Verbal Bullying

During recess you notice some younger students playing with a group of older students.  They are playing a softball game and one of the older students uses his physical size and ability to dominate the game.  He constantly yells at the younger players, telling them off and making them feel inferior.  You have seen this happen many times before.

1. Why is this kind of behavior wrong?

2. What should you do as a responsible person, seeing that these students were being picked on and pushed around?

3. How can verbal abuse be just as mean as pushing someone around?

4. Should younger students be allowed to play with older students so situations like this won't happen?

5. Why is using our bodily size to boss and push other around wrong?

Week 5 – Theft

John, a first grade boy, is physically much bigger and taller than the other students.  During class, he often takes markers and stickers from the other students.  If students argue with him, he is likely to push them around or make threatening statements.

Remember last week…we talked about a little boy named John.  Discussion questions were included.  This week, you may do a journal entry with the students.  This will be an extension of our lesson on stealing.

   The original story…John, a first grade boy, is physically much bigger and taller than the other students.  During class, he often takes markers and stickers from the other students.  If students argue with him, he is likely to push them around or make threatening statements.

Questions for the Journal Entry

· Have you ever been a victim of theft at school?
· How did you feel when your things were stolen?
· Who did you ask for help?
· Did the thief decide to change his/her ways?
· What could be done to prevent or stop this from happening again?

At playtime Jan and two new friends have begun to follow younger students around. They tease and taunt them then laugh and run away. When the incidents were reported to Jan and her friends were asked to apologize to the students. Their apology lacked sincerity 

Week 9 – Gossip

Sara is a grade 4 student. Sara reports to her teacher that a group of girls are hurting her feelings. When she walks past them they start whispering and looking at her then laughing. When she tells them to stop it they tell her that they weren't talking about her and that she should mind her own business. Sara reports that they do this every time she walks by and because there are no other girls her age in the school, she has no friends.
1) Who else can Sara turn to besides her teacher?
2) How would you feel if you were Sara?
3) Why might a group of girls do this to another?  Why is that wrong?
4) What can you do to make sure you do not treat someone that way?
5) How should those girls change the way they act?

Last week, we discussed gossip and teasing and the effects these can have on people.  The follow-up activity involves creating a poster that depicts this theme.  You can draw or cut out magazine photographs that represent proper behavior, you can choose to show the harmful effects of teasing, or you can show a situation that was improved by a change of behavior.

 A poster from each homeroom will be chosen for display.
 

At recess Lizzie, is always by herself. She busies herself with her work to hide the fact that she is upset. She tries to be friendly and make conversation with some of the other girls in class but they either ignore or often speak to her rudely. The teacher always uses Lizzie as an example of a good worker but this doesn’t make her feel happy.

Discussion
1. Should Lizzie approach the girls and ask why they won’t include her?

2. Would that be a difficult thing to do?

3. Are the other girls misjudging Lizzie as a person because she is a good worker? 

4. How should the other girls treat Lizzie?

5. Do you think if Lizzie tried to get to know some of the girls in after-school activities they would be more excepting of her? 

6.  What might the teacher do differently to help Lizzie be included with the girls in the classroom and at recess?

Week 16 - Teasing

Jeff is a popular boy who has represented the school in track and field events and has a group of friends who look up to him as a role model. In class Jeff teases a couple of boys when they are working. Sometimes he scribbles on or destroys their work; other times he calls them names like ‘nerds’ or ‘geeks.’ His classmates laugh at his antics.

1.  In your group of friends, whom do you look up to as a role model?  What character traits make this person a good role model?

2.  Do you tease people?  Do you tease when they are working?  Do you like it when your friends tease you?

3.  Why would it be inappropriate to scribble on someone's work? Have you ever destroyed a friend's class assignment by chance?

4.  If you hear name-calling like 'nerd' or 'geek' would you laugh? Why?

5.  What do you consider important to make a person popular?

Week 18 – Rudeness 

A student walks up to the front of the school store line and says “I’m getting in front of you” and cuts in front of other students who have been waiting in line.

Discussion questions:

1. Why is it a problem if people are allowed to do this?

2. What should you do if you see this happening? Will you handle it differently if an adult is running the school store?  What if students are in charge?

3. Should the store have a "Take a Number" system?

4.  Discuss manners when lining up.

You are waiting in line at the grocery store with your older brother.  He notices that the woman behind him only has one item to purchase.  Your brother offers to let her go in front of him in line. 

Do you agree with your brother’s actions? 

How do you think it made the woman feel?

Which is more important, being first in line or being kind to others?

Week 20 – Exclusion

Students are getting on the bus.  No one is having trouble finding a seat, except for Sally who is coming down the aisle.  Other students scoot over in their seats so she will not sit beside them. 
 “Is anyone sitting here?” asks Sally. 
 “Yeah, this seat is taken,” says Jan. 
“I really should help that girl find a seat. People are being so mean to her,” thinks Bob.
“Is anyone sitting here?” Sally asks Susie.
“No, but I don’t want you sitting here” says Susie.
“There isn’t anywhere else to sit.  I won’t take up much room,” said Sally
“Fine, you get inside and scoot all the way over.  I don’t want anyone thinking we are friends.”
Sally sits down next to the window.  She listens to all the other kids laughing and is ready to cry.

1. How would you feel if you were Sally?
2. Should she have something differently?
3. What should Bob have done?
4. Why do you think he did nothing?
5. What should Sally do when she gets to school?

It’s the end of the school day and kids are waiting for their busses to arrive.  Sally is standing by herself when some girls begin to approach her.  Out of the blue a girl comes up to Sally.  The girls see the other girl with Sally and walk away. 

“My name is Lisa.  I saw those kids coming over and I thought I would help you.  I have seen those girls pick on you in the halls.”

“Thanks, some of them give me a hard time because I don’t dress the way they do or act the way they do.”

“Well, I think it’s great that you are able to be you are and don’t let them bug you too much.  I am having a party at my house this weekend.  It is just going to be some friends and stuff.  You are welcome to come if you want.”

“That sounds like fun.  I hope your friends like me.”

“If you be yourself, I’m sure they will.”
 

How can you show your support for someone who is being bullied?
How can you express disapproval of bullying behavior?
Whom can you go to for help in any bullying situation?

One student writes a nasty note in class about another student’s physical appearance. The letter is passed on to several other students who read it, laugh, and pass it on. Eventually it is passed to the person it is written about. 

How do you think the student felt when he saw the note that was written about him?

Who do you think made poor choices in this situation?

What would you do?