4th Grade Bullying Unit, Lesson 1

This school year fourth grade students will participate in a unit of study on bullying when they come to counseling class each  month.  I am using lessons and videos from The Bully Proof Kit put out by Human Relations Media.  During the month of September, students participated in the first lesson of the unit called "Are You A Bully?"  The objectives for this lesson are listed below.

• Identify common bullying behaviors
• Better understand why some people resort to bullying
• Distinguish between teasing and bullying
• Determine the types of bullying we have occurring at our school and when/where this bullying is taking place
• Identify one thing we can start doing NOW to treat others better

The lesson began with the students completing a pre-test on bullying to assess how much they know about what makes a bully a bully.  Next, students watched a video from The Bully Proof Kit entitled "Are You A Bully?"  During the video, students witnessed kids their age going through situations including being teased, being left out, having a rumor spread about them, and being intimidated or threatened by other children.  After each video segment, we discussed what was taking place in each situation, why the bully was acting that way, and how the child being treated unkindly felt.  The students realized that many of us are guilty of displaying bullying behaviors and we do not even realize it!

After the video concluded, students worked in groups to write a definition of bullying.  They also worked with other students to identify what kinds of bullying we have going on at Paine Intermediate and when/where the bullying at our school usually takes place.  They recorded their thoughts on their handout and turned the handout in to me at the end of class.  I will use these handouts to identify bullying situations in our school and will share the results with school administrators so we can work together to combat any issues going on at Paine Intermediate.

At the end of the lesson, all students were asked to answer the following question:  What is one thing you can start or stop doing today to treat others better?  I stressed the fact that all of us are not bullies, but we can all do something small each day to brighten someone's day and to make others feel valued.

The next lesson in our unit on bullying will be entitled "5 Ways to Stop A Bully".  This lesson will take place during the month of November.  In the meantime, if students feel that they are dealing with a bully, they should tell an adult immediately so we can help address the situation. I look forward to continue working with your children.  If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.