Bully-Free Zone
How does bullying behavior affect the school community and what is each person's responsibility to address it?
Photo credit: Curious Children Collaborate by Julie Jordan Scott is licensed under
Students learn about bullying from literature to gain different perspectives. They take a survey and analyze the data collected to identify a need. They form groups to develop skits that illustrate "tools" for addressing bullying behavior.
In this lesson, students learn to identify bullying behavior using two literature books, Mr. Lincoln's Way and The Secret Bully. They compare and contrast two examples of bullying behavior portrayed in the books and create a peer/staff/family survey to research bullying behavior in their own school community.
The students experience and reflect on a literature book written from the view point of a reformed bully, Confessions of a Former Bully. They analyze the data collected from their survey to determine how bullying behavior affects their school. The students learn that addressing bullying behavior in their school community is an act for the common good - philanthropy. They form groups and develop skits that illustrate "tools" for addressing the behavior.
The students will present skits to illustrate strategies for addressing bullying behavior. They will compose a class pledge against bullying, and may choose to sign the pledge. The students will plan and implement a service project to inform the school community about bullying behavior and the strategies.