In this lesson, students will build on their discussion of bullying from Lesson 1. They'll start with a mindful movement, then listen to a story about bullying, reflecting on the emotional and physical impacts of bullying. They'll learn new words like "bystander" and "upstander," discussing why it might be easier to be a bystander than an upstander, and the power of combating bullying as a community. In pairs, they'll create their own Bully Blockers Club, premeditatively reflecting on how they'd act as bystanders, boosting confidence to speak up in the future.
This lesson will be focusing on bullying. This may bring up some trauma for students and some issues may arise in the classroom. Please let your school’s Mental Health provider or necessary personnel know that this topic is being covered for the next week and that students will be given their names as safe resources on campus if they need to talk. Include their name on Slide 15 before you teach this lesson.
Students will need their Feelings Wheel Handouts from Lesson 0 throughout this lesson and should have them out at the start.
In higher grade levels of You Belong Here lessons, students are encouraged to actively engage in their communities to foster a sense of belonging. This lesson marks their initial introduction to activism through the creation of their own 'Bully Blockers Club.' Students are prompted to envision the structure and operation of such a club within their schools. Although primarily a reflective exercise, this process is crucial for students to premeditate their responses in bullying situations, thereby boosting their confidence and likelihood of taking proactive measures. For this activity, students will be grouped into pairs. Each pair will need a copy of the Bully Blockers Club Activity Handout. Groups can then choose if they want to create an Announcement Ad, Social Media Post, or T-Shirt. There will need to be a few copies of each of these additional handouts for groups to choose from.
Please ensure to pre-check videos before class, as internet policies may vary among schools, to ensure accessibility.