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No More Bullying: Understanding the Problem, Building Bully-Free Environments
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| Author |
Mary E. Shea
Lockport, New York
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| Grade Band |
6-8
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| Estimated Lesson Time |
Five 45-minute sessions and extended time for project work
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| Overview |
In this lesson, students investigate the phenomena of bullying. First, they consider its juxtaposition with the concepts of social justice and empathetic responding. Next, they examine research findings that describe the characteristics and frequencies of bullying. Finally, students apply their knowledge by working in teams to plan the first steps of a multifaceted “No More Bullying” campaign targeted at schools, students, parents, and the community.
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| From Theory to Practice |
Neufeld, P. (2005). Comprehension instruction in content area classes. The Reading Teacher, 59(4), 302–312.
Metacognitive readers self-monitor comprehension; they have a plan for success that includes strategic application of strategies before, during, and after reading. They know how to construct meaning and to use fix-up strategies when they are confused. The following strategies are used by expert readers:
Before reading
- Decide on their purpose for reading by answering the question, “Why am I reading this text?”
- Skim through the pages they will read, examining the titles, subtitles, bold type, captions, labels, charts, and illustrations. This gives readers a sense of what the story or article will be about.
- Make predictions about what they will learn. These predictions add additional purposes for reading as they read to find out if the selection followed what they predicted.
- Activate what they already know (or think they know) about the topic. What they know about the topic is called schema.
- Make a plan for how they will successfully read and understand the text, including the use of fix-up strategies.
During and after reading
- Pose good questions and try to answer them as they read.
- Make connections to the text, including text-to-self (with personal experiences), text-to-text (with other sources), and text-to-world (with their experiences) connections.
- Reread, when needed, to clarify something that was confusing or to figure out new words.
- Take notes or use graphic organizers to help remember the main ideas and important details.
- Summarize key ideas by retelling what they have read to others or by writing a summary.
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| Student Objectives |
Students will
- Synthesize information from multiple sources as they collaborate during discussions to brainstorm, respond to issues and questions, create web organizers, research topics online, and organize information for class presentations
- Develop and improve comprehension skills by identifying the before, during, and after reading strategies they use and citing specific instances of each strategy’s application
- Construct an intellectual rationale for resisting bullying behaviors and promoting behaviors that demonstrate respect for others by examining the concepts of social justice and empathetic responding in connection with the phenomena of bullying
- Examine the prevalence, consequences, roles, and emotional aspects of bullying by reading online research articles and analyzing the results of class and grade-wide surveys related to bullying
- Demonstrate an understanding of the emotional aspects of bullying by composing a fictional narrative from the perspective of someone involved (i.e., bully, victim, or bystander)
- Develop online research skills by using Internet sources to gather information about bullying and expand their own ideas about the issue
- Demonstrate growth in verbal expression as they clearly and succinctly share ideas with group members and the class
- Apply their learning to life situations by engaging in social action and planning the first step of a “No More Bullying” campaign that targets a specific population (i.e., parents, students, teachers, and the community)
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| Resources |
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| Instructional Plan |
Preparation
| 1. |
Write the definition of social justice on a transparency or chart paper.
Justice is associated with what is right and fair. We have laws and courts to ensure that justice is delivered to both victims and criminals. Social justice also deals with what is right and fair, but it is not grounded in a specific code of laws. Social justice is based on universal moral principles of good and bad conduct toward others. These principles also imply obligations to others in a society. To display an intention of social justice, one can, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Review also the definition of social justice provided by Wikipedia to become familiar with the etymology and ramifications of the concept. This information will help you extend and clarify students’ ideas during the discussion in Session 1.
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| 2. |
Review the definition and purposes of empathy provided on Listening and Empathy Responding. If you do not have access to the Internet and an LCD projector, make copies of this information to distribute to students during Session 1.
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| 3. |
Visit the ReadWriteThink Webbing Tool and familiarize yourself with its use so you can explain it to students. You will be creating a concept web for the terms social justice and empathy. If you have a classroom computer with Internet access and an LCD projector, arrange to use them during Session 1. If not, create two blank webs on chart paper.
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| 4. |
Prepare a basic map of the school for students to use during Session 2. Students will be asked to mark places on the map where they feel bullying most frequently occurs.
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| 5. |
Review the General Information About Bullying sheet to find a definition of bullying and some characteristics of bullies, victims, and bystanders. This sheet can be used to give students some examples for their homework assignment in Session 2 (see Session 2, Step 7).
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| 6. |
Before Session 4, print out and distribute the Bullying Survey for students to complete anonymously. Collect the surveys when students are finished and tally the results in graph form. This can be done using a computer program that generates a graph (e.g., Excel). Prepare the results for discussion in Session 4.
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| 7. |
Before Session 5, have students introduce the first four questions from the Bullying Survey to an assembly of grade-level peers. Students can ask their peers to anonymously complete the survey the next morning during homeroom period. Surveys should then be collected and returned to the class for analysis during Session 5.
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| 8. |
Make multiple copies of the Examination of Bullying Characteristics, Online Examination of Bullying Characteristics, Working Together for a Bully-Free Environment, and Bullying Intervention Campaign Project.
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Instruction and Activities
Session 1
| 1. |
Explain to students that in this lesson they will examine two broad concepts that describe ways people relate to one other—social justice and empathy. They will then apply their knowledge as they examine the characteristics and prevalence of bullying—a behavior that continues to occur in most communities and reflects the absence of these concepts. The goals for the next several sessions are
- To construct an understanding of moral behavior
- To examine bullying
- To plan the first steps of a campaign for building a bully-free environment
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| 2. |
Write the phrase social justice in the center of a web and the word empathy in the center of another. (Note: If you have Internet access and an LCD projector, you can use the online ReadWriteThink Webbing Tool to create these webs.)
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| 3. |
Present the definition of social justice (see Preparation, Step 1). Discuss the etymology and meaning of the phrase, as well as how it compares with legal justice. Brainstorm applications of social justice in one’s daily life. What does the expression, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” imply? What implications does this expression have on one’s attitude toward social problems or needs? Ask students to explain their answers and give examples. Record their ideas on the web for social justice.
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| 4. |
Have students read the definition of empathy and the bulleted list of “Purposes” from Listening and Empathy Responding. Allow students to discuss what they have learned from the reading, considering how it connects to what they know and to their own experiences. How might empathetic responding resolve conflicts and why? Discuss students’ ideas as they are presented and record them on the web for empathy.
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| 5. |
Allow students to brainstorm additional associations they have with these two terms. Add ideas from this discussion to the webs. How does empathy and social justice reflect respect and compassion for others? How are these concepts related to fairness? How do they encourage action for positive social change? Post the two webs in the classroom for later reference.
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| 6. |
Display the Before Reading Strategies Star and the During and After Reading Strategies Star. Draw students’ attentions to the strategies that expert readers use before, during, and after reading (Neufeld, 2005). Have students identify the star strategies they have used, giving specific examples to verify instances of each strategy’s use.
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Session 2
| 1. |
Explain to students that they will be investigating a serious problem that appears to be escalating in intensity and violates the principles of social justice—bullying. Confronting this problem is important because the impact of a bullying experience lasts a long time—perhaps forever.
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| 2. |
Have students read two sections from Bullying: Information for Parents and Teachers: “What Causes Bullying?” and “What are the Long-term Consequences for Victims, Bullies, and Bystanders?” Discuss these consequences and statistics with students. Did they expect higher or lower frequencies of bullying? Why? Did the consequences surprise them? Why?
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| 3. |
Give students a map of the school (see Preparation, Step 4). Ask students to place a large B on the map to mark areas in the school where bullying frequently occurs. Collect the maps, and have the class analyze commonly marked areas. Why does bullying occur at these places? What seems to spark instances of bullying? If they wish, students can share specific examples that they have observed without identifying participants.
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| 4. |
Direct students’ attentions to the online article “Bullying widespread in middle school, say three studies.” Tell students that this article presents several research findings about bullying. Have students also read sections from three other online articles to compare bullying statistics reported over different time periods:
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| 5. |
After reading and comparing the online articles, ask students if they think bullying is still a significant problem. Do the research findings accurately portray what they have observed or experienced? Why or why not? Ask students to also consider the feelings of those involved in bullying — the bully, the victim, and the bystanders (i.e., watchers or observers). What emotions are people in each of these positions feeling? Why do you think so?
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| 6. |
Point out that students need to remember the range of behaviors categorized as bullying to appreciate statistics on its frequency. They also need to understand the emotions felt by people in each of the positions involved before they can empathetically respond and suggest how to change these behaviors.
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| 7. |
Divide students into four groups and assign the following questions for homework:
- Group 1: What is bullying?
- Group 2: What are the characteristics of bullies?
- Group 3: What are the characteristics of victims?
- Group 4: What roles do bystanders play?
Students should write the answers to their assigned homework question on the Examination of Bullying Characteristics worksheet. In the next session, group members will get together to share their answers and establish a composite of their ideas to share with the class.
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Session 3
| 1. |
Have group members gather to share their lists from the Session 2 homework assignment and present a combined list of their ideas to the class. Invite other students to share their reactions to the ideas on each group’s list. Would they add or delete anything on the list? Why?
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| 2. |
Have students remain in their four groups and assign each group the following online assignment:
Students should read independently at first, surveying the website(s) to locate areas that address their question.
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| 3. |
When all have finished reading, group members can then discuss the content of their reading and decide on an answer to their question. Students should also be confirming, refining, or expanding information they had collected on their own for homework. Each group will need to elect a recorder and spokesperson. The recorder writes the group’s answer on the Online Examination of Bullying Characteristics worksheet, and the spokesperson shares their answer with the class, explaining also how it compares with their first response. Hold a brief class discussion after each group’s presentation.
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| 4. |
Allow time for students to watch the Webisodes at Stop Bullying Now! that relate to the four questions groups have been examining. Invite students to share their comments, reactions, and questions after viewing these online videos. Are the episodes realistic? Why or why not? Did anything seem like a situation they have observed? Ask students to explain.
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| 5. |
Refer back to the Before Reading Strategies Star and the During and After Reading Strategies Star presented during Session 1. Ask students to identify the comprehension strategies they used during this session, citing specific examples.
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| 6. |
Ask students to think about whether they have ever been a bully, been bullied, or witnessed bullying. Ask them to think about how they felt in the situation.
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| 7. |
At the end of the session, have students write a journal entry in the form of a fictional narrative. Ask them to take the stance of a bully, a victim, or a bystander, and to describe the person’s feelings before, during, and after the bullying experience.
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Session 4
| 1. |
Share the results of the Bullying Survey with the class (see Preparation, Step 6). Explain how the graph was generated and guide students to read and analyze the information. Discuss the findings and their implications for your classroom. What can be concluded about the prevalence of bullying in the students’ school environment? Where does bullying occur with the greatest frequency? Have students explain their answers.
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| 2. |
Review the web for empathy generated in Session 1. Have students share their thoughts on the feelings of bullies, victims, and bystanders. They may also share the fictional journal narratives they composed at the end of Session 3 (Step 7).
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| 3. |
Direct students to the Stop Bullying Now! website, and have them read “Are you being bullied?”, “Do you witness bullying?”, and “Do you bully others?”
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| 4. |
Invite students to share their comments, reactions, and questions in response to these readings. Does there seem to be a lot of bullying in their school? Are there a lot of bullies? Are there many victims? What do bystanders in their school seem to do?
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| 5. |
Explain that anyone can be a bully, even in small ways. Sometimes we do not even realize that what we are doing is a form of bullying. We can bully family members, people in our class (or workplace), or friends. Ask students to explain some of the small ways that they have seen bullying occur.
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| 6. |
Have students share their responses to question #5 on the Bullying Survey.
List some of the actions you think parents, teachers, and other adults could perform to stop bullying.
Explain that discussing ideas is a first step toward building a bully-free environment. Record students’ ideas on chart paper.
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| 7. |
Explain that in the next session the class will discuss initiating a multifaceted “No More Bullying” campaign that involves students, parents, teachers, and the community. Their own ideas, as well as ideas they gather from others (e.g. friends, parents, teachers), will be helpful in the planning process.
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| 8. |
Refer back to the Before Reading Strategies Star and the During and After Reading Strategies Star. Ask students to identify the comprehension strategies they used during this session, citing specific applications of each.
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Session 5
| 1. |
Begin this session by having the class analyze the grade-level results of the Bullying Survey (see Preparation, Step 7). Facilitate as the class works together to tally the frequency of responses. One option is to divide the students into four groups with each group tallying the results for each question. Groups can then report their totals to the class.
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| 2. |
To further analyze the survey results, show students how to calculate a percentage by dividing the frequency of responses for each choice by the number of surveys collected. Direct students to What Kids Say About: Bullying and have them read the box halfway down the page labeled “What’s a Percentage?” Discuss the implications of tallying these percentages. What do the results indicate? Is there a high occurrence of bullying in their school? What form does this bullying most often take? Where are the hotspots for bullying? How do the results from the grade-level survey compare with the class survey?
Note: If you have an opportunity, enter the grade-level survey data on a spreadsheet to create a graph that displays the frequencies of the responses. Post this graph in a prominent place in the school and announce the results over the intercom the next day.
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| 3. |
Explain that students can act on what they know to bring about changes—changes that could transform their school into a bully-free environment. Divide the class into four new groups. By changing the groups, students have an opportunity to interact with more of their classmates, building stronger ties and empathetic relationships. Assign each group one of the following topics for investigation and creative planning:
- What can parents/families do to stop bullying?
- What can those involved (bullies, victims, bystanders) do to stop bullying?
- What can schools do to stop bullying?
- What can communities do to stop bullying?
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| 4. |
Allow students time to independently read and search the following websites for ideas:
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| 5. |
After reading, group members will need to elect a facilitator, recorder, and spokesperson. The facilitator will lead the group discussion of the readings, and the recorder will use the Working Together for a Bully-Free Environment sheet to compile a list of the intervention ideas that students propose.
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| 6. |
Invite the spokesperson from each group to share their list of intervention ideas with the class. After each presentation, encourage peers to ask questions and offer additional suggestions. These additions can be added to the group’s list.
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| 7. |
Have students identify the Before Reading and During and After Reading comprehension strategies they used during this project.
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| 8. |
Have each group use their ideas to initiate a Bullying Intervention Campaign directed toward the population they are targeting (i.e., from the question their group was assigned). As a recommended approach, ask them to select one idea from their list and use the Bullying Intervention Campaign Project sheet to write a plan for putting that idea into action. Emphasize that students should start with simple intervention ideas first. For example, students could foster parents’ awareness of bullying by publishing the results of their grade-level survey in the school newsletter.
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| 9. |
Circulate to assist groups while they are working. Upon completion, each group should submit their Bullying Intervention Campaign Project plan to you for approval or revision.
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Extensions
- Over the next several weeks, help students implement their “No More Bullying” intervention campaigns. Invite groups to periodically report their progress to the class.
- Invite students to present their school survey findings and Bullying Intervention Campaigns to the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and School Board for support during implementation.
- After implementing their “No More Bullying” campaigns for several weeks, redistribute the first four questions from the Bullying Survey to students at their grade level. Have students tally the results, graph the findings, and analyze the differences between the pre- and postcampaign surveys. Post the graph in a prominent place in the school and announce the results.
- Have students create bullying scenarios to be used in primary grades as a starting point for discussion of the issue.
- Have students prepare annotated booklists of stories with a bullying theme for primary and middle school readers.
- Have students role-play bullying episodes, portraying conflict and successful resolutions. These dramatizations can be performed for their classmates or for younger children.
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| Student Assessment/Reflections |
Assess how well students:
- Express meaningful contributions to the class discussions in Session 1 about social justice and empathy and to the development of webs for these terms based on their own experiences and readings from the Internet
- Read with comprehension as reflected in their contributions to class discussions, note-taking skills, and presentations to the class. Observations on students’ oral contributions can be recorded in anecdotal notes. Informal written responses (e.g., note-taking, journal writing) should be evaluated for clarity, content, and appearance.
- Appropriately identify when expert reading strategies are being used, by being able to cite specific examples of each strategy’s application.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the emotional aspects of people in positions of bullying (e.g., bullies, victims, bystanders) by writing a fictional narrative from the stance of one position, portraying how the person feels before, during, and after the bullying episode. These narratives can be evaluated using the Rubric for Bullying Narrative.
- Clearly and succinctly share information with the class and answer questions from peers. Observations can be recorded in anecdotal notes.
- Calculate, analyze, and report results from a class and grade-level bullying survey. Evaluate students’ abilities to work together, follow directions for collecting data, understand the implication of percentages, read completed graphs, and describe their findings. Observations can be recorded in anecdotal notes.
- Develop a realistic, step-by-step plan to initiate one idea in a Bullying Intervention Campaign targeted toward a specific population.
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1 - Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
3 - Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
4 - Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
5 - Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
6 - Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
7 - Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
8 - Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
11 - Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
12 - Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
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