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United We Stand: Building a Bully-Free Zone

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Denisse Mejia

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

United We Stand: Building a Bully-Free Zone

Students will understand the importance of empathy, kindness, and celebrating differences in preventing bullying and creating a positive school community.

Proactive efforts to build a positive school culture are essential for long-term bullying prevention. This lesson empowers students to be agents of change, fostering an environment where bullying is less likely to occur.

Audience

7th Grade Students

Time

15 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, reflective activity, and game-based learning.

Materials

United We Stand: Building a Bully-Free Zone Slide Deck, and Kindness Connect Four

Prep

Review Materials

5 minutes

  • Review the United We Stand: Building a Bully-Free Zone Slide Deck and Kindness Connect Four to familiarize yourself with the content.
  • Prepare a whiteboard or large paper and markers to draw a Connect Four grid for the game.
  • (Optional) Prepare small slips of paper or sticky notes for students to write down one act of kindness if you choose to extend the cool-down activity.

Step 1

Recap & Hook

2 minutes

  • Briefly recap the previous lessons: What is bullying? Why does it happen? How can we respond?
  • Introduce today's final question: How can we prevent bullying from happening in the first place? How can we create a school where everyone feels safe and valued?
  • Ask: "What's one thing that makes our school a good place to be?"

Step 2

Building a Positive Community

6 minutes

  • Using the United We Stand: Building a Bully-Free Zone Slide Deck, discuss the core components of a bully-free zone:
    • Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of another. "How can putting yourself in someone else's shoes help prevent bullying?"
    • Kindness: Being friendly, generous, and considerate. "What are small acts of kindness you can do daily?"
    • Respecting Differences: Celebrating what makes each person unique. "Why is it important to appreciate that everyone is different?"
    • Inclusion: Making sure everyone feels welcome and belongs. "How can you make sure new students or quieter classmates feel included?"
  • Facilitate a brief discussion for each point, connecting it back to bullying prevention.

Step 3

Kindness Connect Four Game

4 minutes

  • Draw a Connect Four grid on the board.
  • Divide the class into two teams.
  • Explain the rules of Kindness Connect Four: Teams take turns suggesting acts of kindness, empathy, or inclusion. If accepted, place their team's

Step 4

Our Collective Responsibility & Wrap-up

3 minutes

  • Emphasize that creating a bully-free zone is everyone's responsibility – students, teachers, and staff.
  • Reiterate that standing up to bullying, reporting it, and actively promoting kindness are all vital.
  • Conclude by asking students to think about one small action they can take this week to contribute to a more positive and inclusive school environment.
  • Thank students for their engagement throughout the bullying prevention series.
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Slide Deck

United We Stand: Building a Bully-Free Zone

We've talked about what bullying is, why it happens, and how to respond.

Today: How can we prevent bullying and create a school where everyone feels safe and valued?

Recap previous lessons: definition, reasons, and responses. Introduce today's focus: preventing bullying by building a positive school environment. Ask what makes the school a good place.

Key to Prevention: Empathy

Empathy: The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

  • When you understand how someone else feels, you're less likely to hurt them.
  • Try to see things from their perspective. "How would I feel if...?"

Discuss empathy. Ask students how putting themselves in someone else's shoes can prevent hurtful actions. Encourage examples.

Key to Prevention: Kindness

Kindness: Being friendly, generous, and considerate to others.

  • Small acts of kindness can make a big difference.
  • A smile, a compliment, offering help – these build positive connections.

Discuss kindness. Ask for examples of small, everyday acts of kindness. Emphasize that these small actions add up.

Key to Prevention: Respecting Differences

Respecting Differences: Valuing and appreciating what makes each person unique.

  • We all come from different backgrounds, have different interests, and look different.
  • These differences make our community rich and interesting. Celebrate them!

Discuss respecting differences. Emphasize that everyone is unique and that differences should be celebrated, not mocked.

Key to Prevention: Inclusion

Inclusion: Making sure everyone feels welcome, supported, and belongs.

  • No one likes to feel left out.
  • Invite others to join you, listen to their ideas, and make sure everyone has a voice.

Discuss inclusion. Ask how students can make sure new or quieter classmates feel welcome and part of the group. Connect it to preventing social exclusion.

Game Time: Kindness Connect Four!

Let's build our bully-free zone with acts of kindness!

  • We'll play in teams, like Connect Four.
  • Each team suggests a specific act of kindness, empathy, or inclusion they can do at school.
  • If it's a great idea, your team gets a 'chip' on the board! First to connect four wins bragging rights and a more positive school!

Introduce the 'Kindness Connect Four' game. Explain that teams will suggest acts of kindness or inclusion to earn a spot on the board, reinforcing positive actions.

Our Collective Responsibility

Creating a bully-free zone isn't just one person's job; it's everyone's responsibility!

  • Be Empathetic.
  • Be Kind.
  • Respect Differences.
  • Be Inclusive.

Together, we can make our school a safer, happier place for all!

Conclude by reiterating that a bully-free zone is a collective effort. Ask students to commit to one small action this week to promote a positive environment.

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Game

Bully Basics Bingo

Objective: To reinforce understanding of bullying definitions and types in a fun, interactive way.

Instructions:

  1. Each student receives a Bingo card with terms related to bullying (e.g.,
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Lesson Plan

Stand Up, Speak Out: Responding to Bullying

Students will learn and practice strategies for responding to bullying as a target and as a bystander (upstander).

Empowering students with response strategies reduces the power of the bully and fosters a supportive school environment where students feel capable of addressing hurtful situations.

Audience

7th Grade Students

Time

15 minutes

Approach

Direct instruction, guided discussion, role-playing scenarios, and game-based learning.

Materials

Stand Up, Speak Out: Responding to Bullying Slide Deck, and Upstander Challenge: Choose Your Own Adventure

Prep

Review Materials

5 minutes

  • Review the Stand Up, Speak Out: Responding to Bullying Slide Deck and Upstander Challenge: Choose Your Own Adventure to familiarize yourself with the content.
  • Prepare hypothetical bullying scenarios for discussion or quick role-play (e.g., "Someone is spreading rumors about a classmate online. What can you do?").

Step 1

Introduction & Hook

2 minutes

  • Briefly recap: What is bullying? Why does it happen?
  • Introduce today's focus: What can we do when bullying happens? Emphasize the importance of having a plan.
  • Ask: "What's one thing you think someone could do if they see bullying?"

Step 2

Strategies for Targets

4 minutes

  • Using the Stand Up, Speak Out: Responding to Bullying Slide Deck, discuss strategies for students who are being bullied:
    • Say NO firmly: Practice saying "Stop!" or "Leave me alone!"
    • Walk Away: Remove yourself from the situation.
    • Don't Respond/Block: Especially for cyberbullying, don't engage with the bully.
    • Tell a Trusted Adult: Emphasize that this is not "tattling" but seeking help for safety.
    • Document: Save evidence (screenshots, messages) if it's cyberbullying.

Step 3

Strategies for Upstanders

4 minutes

  • Using the Stand Up, Speak Out: Responding to Bullying Slide Deck, discuss strategies for students who witness bullying (upstanders):
    • Directly intervene (if safe): Say "That's not cool" or "Leave them alone." (Stress safety first!)
    • Distract: Change the subject or draw attention away.
    • Get Help: Tell a trusted adult.
    • Befriend the Target: Offer support and include the person being bullied.
    • Report Anonymously: If available, use school reporting systems.
  • Discuss the concept of "upstander" vs. "bystander." Briefly discuss the courage it takes to be an upstander and the positive impact.

Step 4

Upstander Challenge Game

4 minutes

  • Present students with scenarios from Upstander Challenge: Choose Your Own Adventure.
  • Ask students to choose their response based on the strategies discussed.
  • Facilitate a quick discussion on the effectiveness and safety of each choice.

Step 5

Wrap-up & Commitment

1 minute

  • Reiterate that everyone has a role in preventing and stopping bullying.
  • Emphasize that the most important thing is to do something and that seeking adult help is always a strong and smart choice.
  • Ask students to silently commit to one strategy they will try to use if they encounter bullying.
  • Thank students.
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Game

Why People Bully Charades

Objective: To creatively reinforce understanding of the various reasons people bully.

Instructions:

  1. Prepare slips of paper with different reasons people bully (e.g., Insecurity, Need for Power, Learned Behavior, Lack of Empathy, To Fit In, Jealousy).
  2. Divide students into small groups or pairs.
  3. One student from each group picks a slip and silently acts out the reason for bullying.
  4. Their group guesses the reason.
  5. The first group to correctly guess gets a point.
  6. Rotate until each group has had a chance to act. The game lasts for approximately 3-5 minutes, allowing for quick rounds and multiple guesses.
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Slide Deck

Stand Up, Speak Out: Responding to Bullying

We've learned what bullying is and why it happens.

Today: What can you do if you are bullied or see someone else being bullied?

Recap previous lessons: defining bullying and why it happens. Introduce today's focus: what to do when bullying occurs. Ask for initial ideas on responding.

If You Are Being Bullied...

1. Say NO firmly: Tell the person to stop or leave you alone.
2. Walk Away: Remove yourself from the situation.
3. Don't Respond/Block: Especially online, don't engage with the bully.
4. Tell a Trusted Adult: This is the most important step for safety and support.
5. Document: Save messages, screenshots, or notes if it's cyberbullying.

Discuss strategies for targets. Practice saying a firm 'NO' or 'Stop.' Emphasize that telling an adult is seeking help, not tattling. For cyberbullying, highlight documentation.

If You See Bullying (Be An Upstander!)

An Upstander is someone who sees bullying happening and chooses to act.

What you can do:
1. Intervene (if safe): Say "That's not cool" or "Leave them alone." (Think safety first!)
2. Distract: Change the subject or draw attention away.
3. Get Help: Find a trusted adult and tell them what happened.
4. Befriend the Target: Offer support and include the person being bullied.
5. Report Anonymously: Use school reporting systems if available.

Discuss strategies for upstanders. Emphasize safety first for direct intervention. Highlight getting adult help and befriending the target as powerful actions. Introduce the term 'upstander.'

Challenge Time: Upstander Choose Your Own Adventure!

Let's practice being Upstanders!

Scenario: You see a new student eating alone every day and hear some classmates making quiet jokes about them.

What do you do?

  • A) Ignore it; it's not your problem.
  • B) Go sit with the new student and strike up a conversation.
  • C) Tell your teacher what you observed.

Introduce the 'Upstander Challenge' game. Present a scenario and have students choose an action. Discuss the choices and their potential outcomes.

Your Role Matters!

Every one of us has a role in making our school a safe place.

  • Doing something is better than doing nothing.
  • Asking for adult help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Let's be Upstanders!

Reinforce that everyone has a role. Reiterate that seeking adult help is always a valid and important choice. Ask students for a silent commitment to one strategy.

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Game

Upstander Challenge: Choose Your Own Adventure

Objective: To practice applying upstander strategies in realistic scenarios.

Instructions:

  1. Present students with a hypothetical bullying scenario (e.g., "You see a classmate being excluded from a group at lunch.").
  2. Offer 2-3 choices for how they could respond, based on the upstander strategies discussed (e.g., A) Tell a trusted adult, B) Go sit with the excluded classmate, C) Confront the group directly).
  3. Students choose their preferred action (e.g., by raising hands, standing up, or a quick silent vote).
  4. Discuss the potential outcomes of each choice, emphasizing the importance of safety and effectiveness.
  5. Repeat with 1-2 more scenarios as time allows.

Example Scenario:

You overhear a group of students making fun of another student's clothes in the hallway. What do you do?

  • A) Tell a trusted adult (teacher, counselor, principal) as soon as possible.
  • **B) Go up to the group and say,
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Lesson Plan

Unmasking Bullying: Why?

Students will be able to identify common reasons why individuals bully others and understand that bullying often stems from complex issues rather than simple malice.

Understanding the 'why' behind bullying can help students develop empathy, reduce retaliation, and empower them to respond to bullying more constructively. It shifts the focus from victim-blaming to addressing root causes.

Audience

7th Grade Students

Time

15 minutes

Approach

Discussion-based exploration, visual prompts, and game-based learning.

Materials

Unmasking Bullying: Why? Slide Deck, and Why People Bully Charades

Prep

Review Materials

5 minutes

  • Review the Unmasking Bullying: Why? Slide Deck and Why People Bully Charades to familiarize yourself with the content.
    * Ensure projector and computer are working properly.
    * Prepare slips of paper with different reasons people bully for the Why People Bully Charades game (e.g., Insecurity, Need for Power, Learned Behavior, Lack of Empathy, To Fit In, Jealousy).

Step 1

Recap & Hook

2 minutes

  • Briefly recap the previous lesson: What is bullying? What are its types?
  • Introduce today's question: Why do people bully? Ask students for initial thoughts (e.g., "What's one reason you think someone might bully another?").

Step 2

Exploring Reasons for Bullying

6 minutes

  • Using the Unmasking Bullying: Why? Slide Deck, present common reasons why people bully.
  • Discuss each reason:
    • Insecurity/Low Self-Esteem: They feel bad about themselves and try to make others feel worse.
    • Need for Power/Control: They want to feel strong or in charge.
    • Learned Behavior: They see bullying at home or from friends and copy it.
    • Lack of Empathy: They don't understand or care how their actions affect others.
    • To Fit In/Peer Pressure: They bully to be accepted by a certain group.
    • Jealousy: They are envious of someone else.
  • Facilitate a brief discussion for each point, asking students for anonymous, hypothetical examples (e.g., "How might someone try to feel powerful by bullying?").

Step 3

Why People Bully Charades Game

3 minutes

  • Divide students into small groups or pairs.
  • Explain the rules for Why People Bully Charades: One student silently acts out a reason for bullying, and their group guesses. The first to guess correctly wins a point.
  • Play a few quick rounds to reinforce the different reasons.

Step 4

Complexities of Bullying & Wrap-up

4 minutes

  • Emphasize that bullying is often a complex issue with multiple factors, and it's rarely just about the target.
  • Reiterate that understanding these reasons doesn't excuse the behavior but can help us address it more effectively.
  • Conclude by reminding students that while understanding the 'why' is important, the focus is always on stopping the bullying and supporting those who are targeted.
  • Thank students for their thoughtful participation.
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Game

Kindness Connect Four

Objective: To encourage students to identify and commit to acts of kindness and inclusion that build a positive school climate.

Instructions:

  1. Draw a simple 4x4 or 5x4 grid on the board, representing a Connect Four board.
  2. Divide the class into two teams (Team A and Team B).
  3. Each team takes turns suggesting an act of kindness, empathy, or inclusion they can do at school. Examples include: greeting a new student, helping a classmate with a dropped item, inviting someone to join a group, complimenting someone, listening actively to a friend, standing up for someone being teased (safely), including quieter classmates in discussions, sharing supplies, offering encouragement, picking up trash.
  4. If the act is appropriate and unique, the teacher places a
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Slide Deck

Unmasking Bullying: Why?

Last time, we defined bullying and its types.

Today, let's explore: Why do people bully others?

Recap the previous lesson about what bullying is. Introduce the central question for today: Why do people bully? Ask students for quick initial thoughts.

Reasons People Bully: Insecurity

1. Insecurity or Low Self-Esteem

  • They might feel bad about themselves.
  • They try to make others feel worse to boost their own feelings of importance.

Discuss insecurity. Explain how someone feeling bad about themselves might try to put others down to feel better.

Reasons People Bully: Power

2. Need for Power or Control

  • They want to feel strong or superior.
  • They like having control over someone else.

Discuss power and control. Explain how bullying can be a way to feel dominant or in charge.

Reasons People Bully: Learned Behavior

3. Learned Behavior

  • They may have been bullied themselves.
  • They might see bullying modeled at home, by friends, or in media and think it's normal.

Discuss learned behavior. Explain that some might have seen or experienced bullying and copy it.

Reasons People Bully: Empathy

4. Lack of Empathy

  • They don't understand or care about how their actions affect others' feelings.
  • They might not realize the pain they are causing.

Discuss lack of empathy. Explain that some might not understand or care how their actions hurt others.

Reasons People Bully: Peer Pressure

5. To Fit In / Peer Pressure

  • They want to be accepted by a certain group.
  • They might feel pressured by friends to join in bullying.

Discuss peer pressure. Explain how some might bully to fit in with a group or gain popularity.

Reasons People Bully: Jealousy

6. Jealousy

  • They might be envious of someone else's popularity, grades, or possessions.
  • They try to bring others down to their level.

Discuss jealousy. Explain how envy can lead to trying to diminish others.

Game On: Why People Bully Charades!

Let's put our understanding to the test in a fun way!

  • One person acts out a reason for bullying (without speaking!).
  • Their team guesses the reason.
  • Quick rounds to see who can guess the most!

Introduce the 'Why People Bully Charades' game. Explain that students will act out different reasons for bullying and guess them. Emphasize it's a quick, fun way to review.

Understanding, Not Excusing

Bullying is often complex, with many reasons behind it.

Understanding the 'why' helps us to:

  • Respond more effectively.
  • Focus on solutions, not just blame.
  • Remember, there's never an excuse for bullying, but understanding can help us find ways to prevent it.

Conclude by emphasizing the complexity and that understanding doesn't excuse, but helps address. Reiterate focus on stopping bullying and supporting targets.

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Lesson Plan

Bully Basics: What Is It?

Students will be able to define bullying and identify different types of bullying (physical, verbal, social, cyber). They will also understand the initial impact bullying has on individuals.

Understanding what constitutes bullying is the first step in preventing it and addressing it effectively. This lesson helps students recognize bullying in its various forms, empowering them to speak up or seek help when they encounter it, creating a safer school community.

Audience

7th Grade Students

Time

15 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, visual presentation, and game-based learning.

Materials

Bully Basics: What Is It? Slide Deck, and Bully Basics Bingo

Prep

Review Materials

5 minutes

  • Review the Bully Basics: What Is It? Slide Deck and Bully Basics Bingo to familiarize yourself with the content.
  • Ensure projector and computer are working properly.
  • Prepare/print enough Bully Basics Bingo cards for each student.
  • (Optional) Print out definitions of different bullying types for students who may benefit from a handout.

Step 1

Introduction & Hook

2 minutes

  • Greet students and introduce the topic: bullying. Ask students to quickly brainstorm what comes to mind when they hear the word 'bullying.'
  • Transition by saying that today we'll clarify what bullying really is and how it shows up in our lives.

Step 2

Defining Bullying

4 minutes

  • Present the definition of bullying using the Bully Basics: What Is It? Slide Deck.
  • Emphasize the three key components: repeated behavior, power imbalance, and intent to harm.
  • Ask students for examples of actions that might seem like bullying but don't fit all three criteria (e.g., a one-time fight, accidental harm). Discuss the differences.

Step 3

Types of Bullying

4 minutes

  • Using the Bully Basics: What Is It? Slide Deck, introduce and explain the four main types of bullying: physical, verbal, social, and cyber.
  • For each type, provide a brief, age-appropriate example. (e.g., Physical: pushing; Verbal: name-calling; Social: excluding from a group; Cyber: spreading rumors online).
  • Encourage students to think about how these types might look in their daily lives without asking for personal experiences.

Step 4

Bully Basics Bingo Game

3 minutes

  • Distribute the Bully Basics Bingo cards to each student.
  • Explain the rules: Call out terms related to bullying (e.g.,

Step 5

Wrap-up

2 minutes

  • Briefly discuss the immediate impact of bullying on the target (e.g., sadness, fear, isolation).
  • Conclude by reiterating that recognizing bullying is the first step towards stopping it. Inform students that in future lessons, they will learn more about how to respond.
  • Thank students for their participation.
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Slide Deck

Bully Basics: What Is It?

What does 'bullying' mean to you?

Welcome students and get them thinking about bullying. What comes to mind? A quick show of hands or one-word answers can work.

What is Bullying?

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance and is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.

Key Parts:

  • Unwanted & Aggressive: It's not accidental or friendly.
  • Power Imbalance: One person has more power (physical, social, etc.) than the other.
  • Repetitive: It happens more than once, or there's a clear threat it will happen again.

Present the formal definition. Emphasize the three key components: repeated, power imbalance, intent to harm. Ask for examples of situations that might seem like bullying but aren't (e.g., a single fight, accidental harm).

Types of Bullying: Physical

Hurting someone's body or damaging their belongings.

  • Pushing
  • Kicking
  • Tripping
  • Hitting
  • Taking or breaking things

Introduce physical bullying. Give an example like pushing or tripping.

Types of Bullying: Verbal

Using words to hurt or upset someone.

  • Name-calling
  • Teasing
  • Insults
  • Threats
  • Spreading rumors

Introduce verbal bullying. Give an example like name-calling or spreading rumors.

Types of Bullying: Social (Relational)

Hurting someone's reputation or relationships.

  • Excluding someone
  • Spreading gossip
  • Damaging friendships
  • Embarrassing someone publicly

Introduce social bullying. Give an example like excluding someone from a group.

Types of Bullying: Cyber

Using technology to bully others.

  • Mean texts or emails
  • Spreading rumors on social media
  • Posting embarrassing photos or videos
  • Creating fake profiles to harass someone

Introduce cyberbullying. Give an example like posting mean comments online.

Game Time: Bully Basics Bingo!

Time to test your knowledge!

  • Everyone gets a Bully Basics Bingo card.
  • Listen as I call out bullying terms or scenarios.
  • Mark off the square if it matches your card.
  • The first to get 5 in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) shouts "BINGO!"

Explain the Bully Basics Bingo game. Instruct students to mark off squares as you call out terms related to bullying. The goal is to get 5 in a row.

Why Does It Matter?

Bullying makes people feel:

  • Sad and upset
  • Scared and anxious
  • Lonely and excluded
  • Unsafe at school

Recognizing bullying helps us to:

  • Understand when it's happening.
  • Know when to get help.
  • Work together to stop it.

Briefly discuss the immediate impact on the target. Emphasize that knowing what bullying is is the first step to stopping it. Set the stage for future lessons.

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