Lesson Plan
Bullying: What's Your Role? Lesson Plan
Students will be able to identify various forms of bullying and recognize the impact of their actions and the actions of others in bullying situations. They will also understand constructive ways to respond to and prevent bullying.
Bullying can have lasting negative effects on individuals and the school community. This lesson helps students develop empathy, promote a safe environment, and empowers them to be part of the solution by understanding how to identify, address, and prevent bullying.
Audience
8th Grade
Time
15 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion and reflective activities.
Materials
Bullying: What's Your Role? Slide Deck
Prep
Teacher Preparation
5 minutes
- Review the Bullying: What's Your Role? Slide Deck thoroughly.
- Ensure projector and computer are set up and working.
- Briefly go over the Warm Up: What is Bullying?, Discussion: Your Role, and Cool Down: One Small Step questions to familiarize yourself with the flow.
Step 1
Warm-Up: What is Bullying?
3 minutes
- Begin with the Warm Up: What is Bullying? activity. Have students quickly jot down their thoughts or share with a partner.
- Briefly collect a few responses to gauge initial understanding before moving to the slides.
- Transition by stating that today's lesson will delve deeper into what bullying is and how they can make a difference.
Step 2
Presentation: Understanding Bullying
5 minutes
- Use the Bullying: What's Your Role? Slide Deck to present the core concepts of bullying.
- Focus on defining different types of bullying (physical, verbal, social, cyber) and discussing the impact on targets, bystanders, and those who bully.
- Keep the pace engaging, pausing for quick questions if time allows, but primarily reserving deeper discussion for the next segment.
Step 3
Discussion: Your Role
5 minutes
- Facilitate a class discussion using the prompts from the Discussion: Your Role material.
- Encourage students to share their perspectives on how individuals and the school community can prevent bullying.
- Emphasize the power of bystanders and the importance of reporting.
- Guide the conversation towards actionable steps students can take.
Step 4
Cool-Down: One Small Step
2 minutes
- Conclude the lesson with the Cool Down: One Small Step activity.
- Have students reflect individually on one specific action they can take to contribute to a bullying-free environment.
- Collect responses as an exit ticket or simply ask for a few volunteers to share their commitment.
Slide Deck
Bullying: What's Your Role?
Understanding Bullying and Taking Action
- What is bullying?
- How does it affect us?
- What can we do to stop it?
Welcome students and introduce the topic. Emphasize that this is a conversation about making our school a better place for everyone.
What is Bullying?
Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.
Types of Bullying:
- Physical Bullying: Hitting, kicking, tripping, pushing, and destroying possessions.
- Verbal Bullying: Teasing, name-calling, inappropriate sexual comments, taunting, and threatening to cause harm.
- Social Bullying (Relational): Spreading rumors, excluding someone, embarrassing someone.
- Cyberbullying: Using digital technology to bully (texts, social media, emails).
Key Characteristics:
- Intentional: Done on purpose.
- Repeated: Happens more than once.
- Power Imbalance: One person has more power (physical, social, etc.) than the other.
- Harmful: Causes emotional or physical distress.
Ask students for their initial thoughts on what bullying is. Clarify common misconceptions. Define bullying using the 4 key characteristics: Intentional, Repeated, Power Imbalance, Harmful. Then, briefly explain the different types.
The Ripple Effect: Impact of Bullying
Bullying hurts everyone involved, not just the person being targeted.
Impact on the Target:
- Sadness, anxiety, depression
- Lower self-esteem
- Trouble sleeping, loss of appetite
- Difficulty concentrating in school
- Physical symptoms like headaches or stomachaches
Impact on Bystanders:
- Guilt, fear, anxiety
- Feeling unsafe or helpless
- May worry about becoming a target themselves
Impact on the Person Who Bullies:
- May struggle with relationships later in life
- Higher risk for substance abuse or aggressive behavior
- Misses opportunities to develop empathy and positive social skills
Discuss the impact. It's crucial to explain that bullying doesn't just affect the person being bullied. It impacts everyone involved: the target, the person doing the bullying, and bystanders. Emphasize emotional and mental health impacts.
What Can YOU Do?
You have the power to make a difference!
If you are being bullied:
- Tell a trusted adult (teacher, parent, counselor).
- Don't respond to the bully.
- Walk away.
If you see bullying (Bystander Power!):
- Speak Up: If it's safe, tell the bully to stop.
- Reach Out: Support the person being bullied.
- Report: Tell a trusted adult what happened.
- Distract: Change the subject or draw attention away.
- Don't join in: Even laughing or watching can make it worse.
Everyone can contribute to a positive school climate!
This slide focuses on solutions. Brainstorm with students, or present these options. Highlight that even small actions can make a big difference. Connect back to the 'Your Role' discussion.
Let's Talk: Your Role
How can you contribute to a school where everyone feels safe and respected?
- What are some small actions that can make a big difference?
- Why is it sometimes hard to speak up? How can we overcome that?
- What support systems are available at our school for bullying concerns?
Transition to the in-class discussion. Use this slide to set the stage for the Discussion: Your Role activity. Prompt students to think about how they can actively participate in creating a supportive environment.
One Small Step
Before you leave, think about this:
What is one small, specific action you can take to help prevent bullying or support someone in need this week?
Write it down or just keep it in mind.
Conclude with the Cool Down: One Small Step. Reiterate the main message: everyone has a role in preventing bullying.
Warm Up
Warm Up: What is Bullying?
Take 1-2 minutes to think about or write down your answer to this question:
In your own words, what does 'bullying' mean to you? How do you recognize it?
Discussion
Discussion: Your Role in Preventing Bullying
Let's discuss how we, as a school community, can work together to prevent bullying and create a safer, more respectful environment for everyone. Think about the following questions:
- What are some of the reasons people might not speak up when they see bullying happening? How can we encourage ourselves and others to overcome these fears?
- Beyond telling an adult, what are some supportive things you could say or do for a friend or classmate who is being bullied?
- How can we, as a class, commit to creating a culture where bullying is not tolerated and everyone feels valued? What specific changes could we make in our daily interactions?
- What resources (people, places, policies) exist at our school to help someone who is being bullied or who wants to report bullying?
Cool Down
Cool Down: One Small Step
Think about what we discussed today and write down (or simply reflect on) your answer to this question:
What is one small, specific action you can commit to taking this week to help prevent bullying or support someone in need?
This could be something as simple as including someone new, speaking kindly, or reporting an incident you witness.