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OVERVIEW

 
          Letters to a Bullied Girl introduces readers to a fantastic young woman who
has struggled with epilepsy and being bullied.  This book is the starting point for
five interdisciplinary lessons designed to:
 
1.     Put a face on bullying and dealing with human issues such as epilepsy through
Letters to a Bullied Girl and other sources;
 
2.     Raise awareness about how being different can lead to bullying;
 
3.    Understand what bullying is, why people bully others, the effects bullying has
on all involved, how to deal with or confront a bully, and how bullying can
cause major societal problems;
 
4.    Motivate students to plan and develop an anti-bullying project for their school
and/or community.
 
          Lesson One introduces Olivia and the context in which her story develops. 
Students chart what they know and want to know about bullying.  Through a
survey and a series of comprehension and interpretation questions, students’
knowledge and awareness about bullying can be evaluated.
 
          Lesson Two develops the understanding of students about how differences
in people can cause uneasy reactions which may lead to bullying.
 
          Lesson Three develops the students understanding of bullying.  Students
learn why people bully, the different kinds of bullying, the effects bullying has on
everybody involved, and how to confront bullying.  Students will create different
sections of a fact booklet about bullying.
 
          Lesson Four allows students to read letters from bullies about why they
bullied and how they feel about it now.  Students also read letters from the targets
of bullying and how they felt about being a bullied.  Students also learn how to
develop empathy and sympathy for targets of bullying.  Students begin to
understand that there is no acceptable reason for bullying.  Students also begin to
understand the potential consequences for society as a whole if bullying is left
unchecked.
 
          Lesson Five puts all of the learning in lessons one through four into action. 
Students will develop an all school anti-bullying campaign.  The goal is that through
this project and other extension activities, bullying will disappear from schools
throughout the world.
 
          There are two reproducible handouts included in this guide; both are in
Lesson One. 
 
 
 
LESSON ONE
 
Understanding Olivia Gardner
 
SUBJECT AREA: Language Arts, Geography, Health, Sociology
 
TIMING:  Two to three class periods
 
 
OBJECTIVES:
 
(1)     To introduce, read, and discuss Letters to a Bullied Girl
 
(2)     To explore students' knowledge, understanding, and attitudes toward
bullying
 
(3)     To use a response journal to record students' reactions to Olivia's story and
situation
 
 
GETTING STARTED - PREPARING
 
1.      Introduce Letters of a Bullied Girl to the students.  Explain that they will be
active readers of the book as they will respond to it in writing, discuss it, and work
to help other students like Olivia.
 
2.      Ask students to use a response journal in which they will reflect on the book
and respond to writing prompts.  The response journal may be assigned as
homework and evaluated in class.
 
3.      Allow students time to respond to this prompt:  Olivia's story is true. What
does the title of the book suggest to you?
 
  
OPENING ACTIVITY- CHARTING
 
Tell students they will be taking an anonymous survey about bullying.  Students will
complete the survey and turn it in without their name on it.  The results will be
compiled and shared with the class.  Give Handout One to the students.
 
Students will create a K-W-L chart.  The chart will show what students currently
know about bullying, what they want to know about it, and what they learned
about bullying.  Students will fill in the K and W portions of the chart now.  The
learned portion will be filled in as they read through the book.
 
 
EXPLORATION 1 - WHO IS OLIVIA?
 
1.     Tell students Olivia is a girl from northern California who was bullied,
beginning in middle school, after she suffered a seizure in class with her
classmates present. (For younger students, bring out a map to show the
students where northern California is located.) The bullying occurred in many
places; in class, in the hallways at the school, and on the Internet.  Even when
she changed schools, the bullying continued when students found out about
her experiences in previous schools. 
 
2.    Read the dedication and introduction sections of the book.  Ask students to
write their thoughts about what they read in their response journals.
 
 
EXPLORATION 2 - RESPONDING
 
          Give Handout Two to students.  They should read it and then     answer the
questions in their response journal.
 
 
WRAP UP 
 
1.     A picture has been painted of Olivia in these sections of the book.  Have
students draw a picture representing Olivia's life while being bullied.
 
2.    Have students draw a picture representing their life.
 
 
HANDOUT ONE
 
Directions:  Please complete the survey below without putting your name on it. 
Answer each question as honestly as you can.  Survey results will be compiled and
shared.  Again, please no names on the survey.
 
1.      I am    ____  Male        ____Female
 
2.      Have you ever been bullied?    ____Yes                   ____No
 
3.      If you have been bullied, has it been
 
          ____by a student in your grade
 
          ____by a student in a grade lower than yours
 
          ____by a student in a grade higher than yours
 
4.      If you have been bullied, what kind of bullying have you experienced and how
often have you experienced it?
 
          Example                      Daily            Weekly              Monthly
 
a.       Property stolen,
          damaged, or
          destroyed
 
b.      Taunting
 
c.      Being called names
 
d.      Excluded from activities
 
e.      Physical attacks
 
f.       False things being
          said about you
 
 
5.      If you have been bullied, where has it happened?  (Check all that apply)
 
          ____in class                 ____in the lunchroom
 
          ____at recess              ____on sports teams
 
          ____in gym class         ____on the school bus
 
          ____in the locker room or bathroom
 
 
6.      If you have been bullied, has it been by
 
          ____one person           ____two people
 
          ____three people        ____four or more people
 
 
7.      When you see somebody being bullied, do you
 
          ____tell the bully to stop
 
          ____tell an adult
 
          ____ignore it
 
          ____support the bully
 
8.      If you were to tell somebody about bullying, who would it be?      
          (Check all that apply)
 
          ____a parent                ____a teacher
 
          ____a sibling                ____the principal
 
          ____the guidance counselor
 
9.      People who are bullied usually deserve it.
 
          ____Agree                   ____Disagree
 
10A.  Is bullying a major issue in our school?
 
          ____Yes                       ____No               ____I don’t know
 
10B.  If yes, how often does bullying occur?
 
          ____Every day             ____A few times a week
 
          ____A few times a month
 
11.    Have you ever bullied somebody?
 
          ____Yes                       ____No
 
  
HANDOUT TWO
 
 
1.     How is your school similar to Olivia’s school?
 
2.    Have you ever been bullied?  Describe the situation(s) and how it felt.
 
3.    Have you ever bullied somebody?  Describe the situation(s) and how it felt.
 
4.    Have you ever witnessed someone being bullied?  What did you do and why?
 
5.    In your opinion, how serious is bullying in your school?  Explain your answer.
 
6.    What are your thoughts about the Buder sisters?
 
7.    Are you willing to stand up to wrongdoing?  Why or why not?
 
 
TEACHING TIPS
 
1.     You may want to begin reading some of the chapters of the book, beginning
with Part One.  Since the next lessons will cover the Foreword and Author’s
Note sections, you should skip those for now.
 
2.    You may want to wait until day two of the lesson to share survey results.  It
will take some time to compile the results.
  
 
 
LESSON TWO
 
DIFFERENT IS REALLY OK
 
SUBJECT AREAS:  Health, Language Arts, Art, Social Studies
 
TIMING:  Two to four class periods
 
 
OBJECTIVES:
 
1.     To help students recognize that differences in people is acceptable
 
2.    To help students understand how bullying can start
 
3.    To prepare students to be ready for a more in-depth study of bullying in the
remaining lessons
 
 
OPENING ACTIVITY
 
1.     Review the K-W-L chart the students created in Lesson One.  Explain to
students, they will be able to learn more about how bullying can easily begin.
 
2.    Have students think about what characteristics a person may display which
would make them stand out as different from the group. Students should
write at least five characteristics in their response journals.  (Potential
answers could include a physical or mental disability, different facial features,
an accent, different religious beliefs, racial differences, shyness, being
unaware of social customs, poverty, wealth, and clothing/dress styles are
some examples.  Students may develop other examples also.)
 
3.    Students will share the examples they wrote, and a master list will be
created.
 
4.    Discuss with students how they feel when they encounter somebody who is
different from them.  Ask students to write in their response journals how
they react when they see major differences and/or weaknesses in another
person.  Students will share their responses with the class.
 
5.    Ask students to write in their response journal if they ever were in a situation
where they were different from everybody else.  Ask them to describe how
they felt and what happened to them in the given situation.
 
6.    Based on the students answers, ask them to discuss how bullying could begin
toward somebody who is different.
 
 
WORKING TOGETHER - CREATING AND SHARING
 
1.    Working in pairs, students will choose two of the examples from the list
developed in number two above.  For each example, students will role play
with each other how to properly react toward somebody who has the
difference they chose and how not to react.  For the first situation, one
student will role play the proper reaction and the other student will role an
unacceptable response (usually in the form of bullying.)  In the second
situation, students will reverse roles.
 
2.    Students will share their role playing with the class.
 
 
WRAP UP
 
1.     Discuss with students why they may feel uneasy about those who are
different than they are.  Analyze what took place during the unacceptable and
acceptable responses during the role playing activity. 
 
2.    Ask students to write in their response journal what they can do when they
feel uncomfortable about somebody who is different from them.  Students
should share responses with the class.
 
3.    Students will write in their response journal how they think bullying can start. 
 
 
EXTENSION
 
1.    Students will work in groups of two or three and create posters which could
be displayed at school showing how being different is ok.
 
2.    Students could create short thirty second messages which will be read over
the PA system at school supporting the “different is ok” message.
 
 
TEACHING TIP
 
Since this lesson is focusing on students' thoughts and feelings, avoid reading the
foreword section until Lesson Three.  Kids should be talking about their thoughts
and perceptions at this point.
 
 
  
LESSON THREE
 
UNDERSTANDING BULLYING
 
SUBJECT AREAS: Language Arts, Social Studies, Art, Health
 
TIMING:  Two to three class periods
 
 
OBJECTIVES:
 
1.    To present students with facts and information about bullying
 
2.    To help students understand the seriousness of bullying
 
 
OPENING ACTIVITY
 
Review the K-W-L chart the students created in Lesson One.  Explain to students
they will be able to learn more about bullying.
 
Review the results of the survey students took in Lesson One.
 
Students will read the foreword section of the book.
 
 
WORKING IN GROUPS - CREATING
 
1.     Students will visit the following websites to create a handout which will be
put together from the students’ work on the topic of bullying.
 
    Stop Bullying Now
    Focus
    Kid's Health
 
2.     Students will also use the foreword section of the book to help create the
handout.    
 
3.    Divide students into groups of two or three students.  Each group will be
responsible for researching one of the topics below, using the websites and
the foreword section of the book.  
 
a.      What are the reasons for bullying?
 
b.     What are the psychological advantages of bullying?
 
c.      Describe the four elements of bullying.
 
d.     Describe the types of bullying.
 
e.    What are some characteristics of a bully?
 
f.        What are some characteristics of a person being bullied?
 
g.     What are some characteristics of the bystanders to bullying?
 
h.     What are the costs of bullying?
 
i.         How can the cycle of violence be broken?
 
 
SHARING
 
1.     Each group will present a summary of the topic they researched. 
 
2.    Each group will prepare a fact sheet on their topic which will be compiled with
the work of the other groups to produce a “Fact Book” on bullying.
 
 
WRAP UP
 
1.     Students will write in their journals where they now stand  on the concept of
bullying.  
 
2.    Students will explain in their journals if their viewpoints have changed, and
how they have changed.  They will share if their thoughts of Olivia have
changed, and how they have changed.  They will also share if they are ready
to do something to stop bullying.
 
3.    Students will discuss in their journal if they believe bullying is ever acceptable.
 
 
EXTENSION
 
          Students will create anti-bullying posters and display them in school.
 
 
TEACHING TIPS
 
1.     Students can use the interactive sections of the websites in this lesson to
further their understanding about bullying.
 
2.    Students can also view the Kaiser Foundation site to learn more about the
survey they did in conjunction with Nickelodeon.
   
    Kaiser Foundation
 
 
 
 
LESSON FOUR
 
THE BULLIES AND THE BULLIED
 
SUBJECT AREAS: Language Arts, Social Studies, Health
 
TIMING:  Four to seven class periods
 
 
OBJECTIVES:
 
1.     To share with students letters from bullies in order to understand why they
bullied and how they feel about it now
 
2.    To share with students letters from those who were bullied in order to
understand why they thought they were bullied, and how they felt about it
 
3.    To develop an understanding of how to deal with a bully
 
4.    To practice developing empathy and compassion for the target (the bullied
person)
 
5.    To understand the potential consequences if bullying were to spread
throughout a society
 
 
OPENING ACTIVITY
 
1.     Review the K-W-L chart the students created in Lesson One. 
 
2.    Review the results of the survey students took in Lesson One.
 
3.    If students haven’t read parts two and/or three of the book, they should read
these sections now.
 
 
WORKING IN GROUPS - EXPLORING THE BULLY, THE BULLIED, AND DEALING WITH
EACH GROUP
 
1.       Students will visit the following website to explore why bullies do this to
other people.
 
        Stop Bullying Now
 
2.        Students will click on the following sections of the website.  These sections
are “Why do kids bully?,” “Signs that you bully others,” and “Do you bully
others?”  
 
3.       After visiting the site and reading part one of the book, students will work in
groups of the three to develop a three act play.  Act one will focus on
showing what bullying is and why people bully. 
 
4.        Students will choose one of the letters from a bully, and they will write a
letter to that person in their response journal.
 
5.        Students will return to the website below and explore the section “Effects of
bullying” and “Do you witness bullying?”

 Stop Bullying Now


 
6.        Students will also view the website below and go to the section labeled “Kids
Say.”  Then they will click on “Real Life Stories” and read the featured story
by clicking on that section.
 
    Pacer Kids Against Bullying
 
 
7.       Students will read part two of the book.
 
8.        Students will develop act two of their play which will show what happens
when a person is bullied.
 
9.        Students will read part three of the book.
 
10. Students will choose three of the letters written by the person being bullied
and write a letter to each person in their response journal.
 
11. Students will write part three of the play emphasizing that there never is an
acceptable reason for bullying, showing how to stand up to a bully, and
showing how to comfort and care for the target (the bullied) in their play.
 
 
SHARING
 
1.        Each group will perform their play for the class.
 
 
SPECULATING
 
1.       Ask students to explain the meaning of the words contempt, bigotry,
holocaust, discrimination, sexual harassment, racism, prejudice, and genocide . 
Students may use a dictionary if needed.
 
2.        Discuss what could happen if bullying went beyond the school and into the
larger arena of society.
 
3.        Ask students to write in their response journal how they think bullying, if
unchecked and able to spread throughout society, could lead to
discrimination, sexual harassment, a holocaust, racism, and prejudice. 
Students should share their answers and discuss their thoughts.
 
 
WRAP UP
 
1.        Students will write in their journals how they would individually respond if
they saw a bully in action. 
 
2.        Students will explain in their journals how they are now feeling if they have
ever bullied somebody.
 
3.        Students will discuss in their journal how they feel about taking their anti-
bullying message to the public.
 
 
EXTENSION
 
1.     Students would perform their play for other students at their school.
 
2.    Students would perform their play for other schools in their area.
 
3.    Students would write anti-bullying editorials to their school or local
newspaper.
 
4.    Students will write a poem about bullying.  For sample ideas, students should
visit the website below and go to the section labeled “Kids Say.”  Then they
will click on “Real Life Stories” and click on the section labeled “Poems.”

Pacer Kids Against Bullying


 
 
TEACHING TIP
 
The play students write will be developed in sections as they go through the
lesson.  The play will be performed at the end of the lesson.
 
 
 
LESSON FIVE
 
PUTTING A PLAN INTO ACTION
 
SUBJECT AREAS: Language Arts, Social Studies, Health, Art
 
TIMING:  Ten to fifteen class periods
 
 
OBJECTIVES:
 
1.    To take what students have learned in order to develop an anti-bullying
action plan
 
2.    To summarize how these lessons have affected their thoughts about bullying
 
 
OPENING ACTIVITY
 
1.    Review the K-W-L chart the students created in Lesson One.  Students should
complete the L portion of the K-W-L chart if they haven’t done this already. 
                 
 
2.    Students will review part three of the book.
 
 
WORKING IN GROUPS - DEVELOPING AN ACTION PLAN
 
1.     Students will visit the websites below to gather additional information about
bullying.
 
    Safe Youth
 
    Squidoo

On the squidoo.com site students should watch the video Hero in the Hallway:
Statistics You Didn't Know.
 
2.    Students will review materials created from previous lessons.  This includes
entries in their response journal, the Fact Book on bullying created in lesson
three, the K-W-L chart, the readings from each part of the book, and the
notes from the websites they viewed in Lesson Four in order to create their
play. 
 
3.    Students will develop a 20-30 minute lesson plan to teach other students
about bullying.  This lesson should include the topics of why people bully, the
effects of bullying, and how to deal with a bully. Students should work in
groups of three or four to develop their lesson.   
 
4.    Groups of eight or ten students will create a video or DVD to go with their
lesson plans.  The video or DVD should be shown after the lesson is taught. 
The video or DVD will show the following scenes:

 
a.      Examples of bullying in different places in the school;
 
b.     Examples of how a bullied person is affected by the bullying;   
 
c.      Examples of how to confront a bully;
 
d.     Examples of a bully changing his/her behavior.
 
5.            If students haven’t created anti-bullying posters, they should create these
now.  These will be displayed throughout the school once the anti-bullying
campaign begins.
 
6.            Public service announcements will be made over the school’s PA system
announcing the beginning of the anti-bullying campaign.  Teachers will also
speak to their students about what will happen during the campaign.  The
school’s public relations team will notify the newspapers and television
stations about the campaign to publicize the campaign to the community.
 
7.            Students will teach their lesson to the students for whom the lesson was
designed. 
 
8.            Students will show their video to each class after the lesson is presented. 
This may be the same day or the day after the lesson is taught.
 
9.            Student teachers, with assistance from the classroom teacher, will then
discuss with the students what they have learned from the lesson and the
video.
 
10.       Students will distribute copies of the “Fact Book on Bullying” to those to
whom they presented.  This book may need to be modified to be appropriate
for the grade level to which the lesson was taught.
 
11.       Students will distribute anti-bullying pledge cards for all students to sign
and carry.  All students who sign the anti-bullying pledge card will have their
name published in a special anti-bullying newsletter.
 
 
WRAP UP
 
The students (who developed the lessons and the video) will write an essay
explaining how this unit and this book have affected their lives. 
 
 
EXTENSION
 
1.     Working with the guidance department, create a peer mediation program to
help resolve conflicts.
 
2.    Working with the school principal and guidance department create a student
run court system to deal with bullying issues and other problems.
 
3.    Students will write anti-bullying editorials to their local newspaper.
 
4.    Students could lobby their state legislators to develop an anti-bullying law for
their state.
 
5.    Consider taking the lesson plans and the videos to other schools so they can
start an anti-bullying campaign.
 
6.    Have an all school assembly with speakers discussing bullying and its effects. 
Invite lawmakers and the local media to participate in this assembly.
 
7.     Consider a letter writing campaign to help the target of bullying in your school
or your community.
 
 
TEACHING TIPS
 
1.    Teachers should help students with setting up the parts of a lesson plan. 
This includes setting objectives for the lesson, explaining how to develop
activities to introduce and teach the main ideas of the lesson, and how to
determine if students understand the main points of the lesson.
 
2. The lesson plan should be appropriate and include appropriate activities for the
grade level to which it will be presented.
 

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