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Your Crew, Your Choice

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Jacqueline Rocha-Merida

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Your Crew, Your Choice Lesson Plan

Students will define bullying, identify its impact on individuals, practice showing empathy, and propose concrete actions to foster a sense of belonging for all members of their classroom community.

Fostering empathy and a strong sense of belonging is crucial for creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive learning environment. This lesson equips students with the understanding and tools to recognize and address bullying, supporting their peers and contributing to a positive school culture.

Audience

Upper Elementary / Middle School Students (Grades 4-7)

Time

40 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, relatable scenarios, and a collaborative activity.

Materials

  • Your Crew, Your Choice Slide Deck, - Discussion Guide: What is Belonging?, and - Empathy in Action Activity

Prep

Teacher Preparation

15 minutes

  • Review the Your Crew, Your Choice Lesson Plan, Your Crew, Your Choice Slide Deck, Discussion Guide: What is Belonging?, and Empathy in Action Activity in advance.
    - Prepare any necessary printouts for the Empathy in Action Activity (e.g., scenario cards, blank paper for student responses).
    - Ensure projector/screen is ready for the slide deck.

Step 1

Warm-Up: What Does Belonging Feel Like?

5 minutes

  • Begin by asking students to think about a time they felt like they truly belonged, either in school or somewhere else.
    - Ask for a few volunteers to share one word that describes that feeling. Write these words on the board. (e.g., 'safe,' 'happy,' 'seen,' 'important').
    - Introduce the lesson title: 'Your Crew, Your Choice' and briefly explain that today's lesson is about ensuring everyone in our classroom feels this way. (Refer to Your Crew, Your Choice Slide Deck - Slide 1)

Step 2

Defining Bullying and Its Impact

10 minutes

  • Use the Your Crew, Your Choice Slide Deck (Slides 2-4) to guide a brief discussion on what bullying is (repeated, intentional harm, power imbalance) and what it is not (accidental bumps, single conflicts).
    - Discuss the different types of bullying (physical, verbal, social, cyber).
    - Ask students: 'How do you think someone feels when they are bullied?' Emphasize the emotional impact (sad, lonely, scared, isolated). Connect this back to the 'belonging' words from the warm-up, highlighting the contrast.

Step 3

Empathy in Action Activity

15 minutes

  • Introduce the concept of empathy: 'putting yourself in someone else's shoes.'
    - Facilitate the Empathy in Action Activity. Divide students into small groups.
    - Provide each group with a scenario card (from the activity details).
    - Instruct groups to discuss: 'How might the person in this scenario feel?' and 'What could we do to show empathy and help this person feel like they belong?'
    - After discussion, have each group share their scenario and their ideas with the class. (Refer to Your Crew, Your Choice Slide Deck - Slide 5)

Step 4

Creating a Classroom Belonging Pledge

8 minutes

  • Lead a class discussion using the Discussion Guide: What is Belonging? to brainstorm ideas for how the class can collectively ensure everyone feels safe, respected, and included.
    - As a class, collaboratively create a short 'Classroom Belonging Pledge' on a large piece of chart paper or the whiteboard. It should include 3-5 action-oriented statements.
    - Example statements: 'We pledge to listen to each other,' 'We pledge to invite everyone to participate,' 'We pledge to stand up for what's right.'
    - Have students sign or put a thumbprint on the pledge. (Refer to Your Crew, Your Choice Slide Deck - Slide 6)

Step 5

Cool-Down: One Small Step

2 minutes

  • Ask students to think of one small thing they can do today to make someone else feel like they belong.
    - Encourage them to quietly commit to that action. (Refer to Your Crew, Your Choice Slide Deck - Slide 7)
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Slide Deck

Your Crew, Your Choice: Creating a Place Where Everyone Belongs

How do we make our classroom a place where everyone feels like they belong? Today, we'll talk about bullying, empathy, and how your choices build our community!

Welcome students and introduce the topic. Refer to the lesson plan warm-up. Ask students to share one word about belonging.

What Is Bullying?

Bullying is:

  • Repeated unwanted actions
  • Intentionally hurtful
  • An imbalance of power

It is NOT:

  • Accidental bumps
  • A single disagreement
  • Arguments between friends

Types of Bullying:

  • Physical: Hitting, kicking, pushing
  • Verbal: Name-calling, teasing, threats
  • Social: Spreading rumors, leaving someone out on purpose
  • Cyber: Mean messages, hurtful posts online

Guide students through the definition of bullying. Emphasize it's not a one-time thing, it's intentional, and there's a power imbalance. Discuss the types of bullying using examples relevant to their age group.

The Impact of Bullying: How Does It Feel?

Bullying can make people feel:

  • Sad
  • Lonely
  • Scared
  • Angry
  • Unsafe
  • Like they don't belong

When someone is bullied, it hurts more than just their feelings. It hurts their sense of belonging in our community.

Discuss the deep impact bullying can have. Ask students how they think someone might feel. Connect these feelings to the idea of 'belonging' from the warm-up. Highlight how bullying makes people feel isolated and alone.

What Is Empathy?

Empathy is understanding and sharing the feelings of another.

It's like:

  • Putting yourself in someone else's shoes
  • Trying to imagine how they feel
  • Understanding why they might feel that way

Empathy helps us connect with others and build a stronger crew!

Introduce empathy. Give a simple definition: 'stepping into someone else's shoes.' Ask students for examples of how they've shown empathy or how someone has shown empathy to them.

Empathy in Action Activity

Work in small groups:

  1. Read your scenario card.
  2. Discuss: How might the person in the scenario feel?
  3. Discuss: What could you do or say to show empathy and help this person feel like they belong?
  4. Be ready to share your group's ideas!

Explain the upcoming activity. Divide students into groups and distribute scenario cards. Remind them to think about feelings and solutions.

Our Classroom Belonging Pledge

What actions can we take as a class to make sure everyone feels:

  • Safe?
  • Respected?
  • Included?

Let's create our own pledge together!

Lead the class in creating a 'Classroom Belonging Pledge.' Write down their ideas on the board or chart paper. Encourage concrete, actionable statements.

Make a Difference Today!

Your choice matters.

Think about one small thing you can do today or this week to help someone else feel like they belong. It could be a kind word, an invitation, or simply listening.

Let's all be belonging-builders!

For the cool-down, ask students to reflect on one small, personal action. Reinforce that even small acts of kindness and inclusion make a big difference.

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Discussion

Discussion Guide: What is Belonging?

This discussion aims to engage students in thinking about what it means to belong and how they can actively contribute to a positive and inclusive classroom environment.

Part 1: Reflecting on Belonging (Warm-Up Connection)

  1. Think back to our warm-up when we talked about what belonging feels like. What are some of those feelings again?


  2. What does it look like when everyone in a group or a classroom feels like they belong? What would you see people doing or hear people saying?


Part 2: Building Our Classroom Crew

  1. Safety: What actions can we all take to make sure everyone in our classroom feels safe from unkind words or actions?


  2. Respect: How can we show respect to each other, even when we have different ideas or opinions?


  3. Inclusion: What are some ways we can make sure no one is left out during group work, playtime, or discussions?


  4. If you see someone who looks lonely or left out, what is one thing you could do to help them feel like they belong?


Part 3: Our Classroom Belonging Pledge

  • Based on our discussion, what are the most important things we want to promise each other to make our classroom a true "crew" where everyone belongs? Let's brainstorm 3-5 statements for our pledge.
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Activity

Empathy in Action Activity: Scenario Cards

Objective: To practice empathy by considering others' feelings and brainstorming supportive actions.

Instructions for Students:

  1. Your group will receive a scenario card.
  2. Read the scenario carefully.
  3. As a group, discuss the following questions:
    • How might the person in this scenario be feeling? (Try to use specific emotion words!)
    • What could you do or say to show empathy and help this person feel like they belong or feel better?
    • What might happen if no one helps?
  4. Be ready to share your scenario and your group's ideas with the whole class.

Scenario Cards (Cut these out for groups)

Scenario 1: The New Kid

Maria just moved to town and is the new student in your class. During lunch, she sits alone, looking down at her food while other groups are laughing and talking. You notice she hasn't talked to anyone all day.












Scenario 2: Project Partner Problem

Liam is really excited about the upcoming science project, but his usual partners are ignoring his ideas and making all the decisions without him. He looks frustrated and keeps sighing, but doesn't say anything.












Scenario 3: Hurtful Words

A group of students is whispering and laughing at another student, Sam, who just tripped in the hallway. You hear someone say, "What a klutz!" Sam quickly picks up his books and rushes away, looking embarrassed.












Scenario 4: Exclusion from a Game

During recess, Maya really wants to play soccer with a group of classmates, but every time she tries to join in, one student says, "We have enough players!" or "You're not good enough." Maya walks away and sits by herself on the bench.

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