Character Education Lesson Plan — Bullying
Character Education Can Stamp Out
Bullying with Ease in Just 1 Month
That is Worth a Month of Class Time!
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Copyright © 2005 by Elizabeth L. Hamilton
Best-selling author of Character-in-Action® books
Character Coach/Author
Co-creator of Character-in-Action.com
Grade Levels: Preschool, K, 1, 2, 3
Subject: Character Education
Duration: Four weeks, with a minimum of 90 minutes per week.
Subject:
Your goal is to so immerse your students in the study of bullying that they will:
- understand the meaning of bullying.
- understand why people resort to bullying.
- recognize the smallest expression of bullying.
- understand the character traits that are the antithesis of bullying.
- replace bullying with the character traits of self-control and compassion.
- help one another overcome bullying.
Objectives:
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Students will read books on Compassion and Self-control to acquire knowledge of two character traits that, built into their lives, will exterminate bullying.
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In conjunction with their reading, students will complete worksheets to increase comprehension of these character traits.
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Students will get involved in character education classroom activities found in the Character-in-Action® Program. These activities carry the knowledge gained into other disciplines, and reinforce the lessons in the books.
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Students will attack the unwanted behavior as a class rather than individually.
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To further encourage change in their actions, students will create a chart, using stickers to reward clear class improvement.
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Students will take home trading cards as reminders of the focus character traits.
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The class, as a whole, will have achieved the goal when bullying is gone from every activity of the school day.
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Two tests will assess comprehension during the unit.
Prerequisites:
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Students will understand the meaning of character. A clear, age-appropriate definition is found in Christopher Cat's Character Club, (Character Companions Series, Vol. 1).
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Students will be able to read, or will have good listening skills.
Materials:
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Order copies of these two books for classroom reading: |
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 Pandora Puppy's Caring Circle
If students will be reading (recommended for those who are able), be sure you order enough copies of the book to share or pass around. Children will need access to the book while completing their worksheets. |
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Stinky Skunk's Self-Control
If students will be reading (recommended for those who are able), be sure you order enough copies of the book to share or pass around. Children will need access to the book while completing their worksheets. |
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| 4. |
Order character stickers for Compassion and Self-Control
These stickers come in sheets of 30, so plan what you expect to need throughout the month for your "classroom bullying extermination chart." |
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| 5. |
Print out the picture charts for each book, using card stock if available. Print out one copy for each student of the accompanying worksheets and tests for each book. These materials are continued in each book's complete lesson plan.
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| 6. |
Order character trading cards for Compassion and Self-Control.
Trading cards give a colorful reminder of the story on the front of each card, and the clear definition of each character trait on the back of the cards.
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Lesson Description:
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Bullying, an attempt to intimidate smaller or weaker persons, is common, but unnecessary. This lesson helps students identify and conquer bullying. Students love these books and materials, and quickly begin to model the behavior presented, helping one another overcome bullying. Catchy songs to sing and act out, crafts, and other activities address the needs of all learning styles, yielding high-level comprehension and application of the lessons. Take-home reminders continue to reinforce after the unit is completed.
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Lesson Procedure:
Introduction
| 1. |
Begin by talking briefly about bullying. Draw out from students actions that show bullying:
- Spreading bad stories about others.
- Keeping certain people out of a group.
- Hitting or threatening to hurt others.
- Teasing in a nasty way.
- Pushing people around.
- Demanding money from younger persons.
- Getting a group to join against other children.
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2. |
Discuss reasons that children decide to bully others:
- They see other children bullying.
- The "in crowd" insists on bullying if you want to be a member.
- Bullying gives you a feeling of control.
- Bullying keeps others from bullying you.
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3. |
Tell students that they will do something wonderful this month. They all will make bullies extinct, and will help one another end the bullying in their class / school.
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4. |
Tell children you are going to give them 2 secret weapons with which to make bullies extinct: compassion and self-control.
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5. |
Pass out character trait buttons for one or both of these traits. These are their secret weapons, and they are to wear them every day during this month.
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Main Activity — weeks 1 and 2
| 1. |
Read a portion or all of Stinky Skunk's Self-Control, (Character Companions™ Series, Vol. 4). Children who are able to read may take turns, passing the book around. Younger students will listen as the teacher reads the book. Take time during the reading to ask, "What do you think will happen now?" types of questions. |
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Allow several students to answer before continuing, but do not say whether their answers are good or bad. The story will tell them as you continue. The reading may be broken into parts to fit the time you have in each session. |
2. |
Act out one or two brief scenes from the book if time permits after the reading.
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3. |
Use worksheets, assigning only the questions covered in the reading. Non-reading students may do the worksheets as a group oral activity.
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4. |
Sing the song in the book, using actions. Students love to draw out, "Psssssst!"
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5. |
Memorize the definition of self-control, presented in different ways. Be sure children repeat the definition frequently for the next two weeks as they memorize it. Those who can write should write out the definition several times.
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6. |
Create a large chart for the classroom. Explain that this chart will help record progress in learning self-control. Just as Stinky learned, each of them will learn to control his or her actions. They will work on it as a class, and at the end of each day the class will receive a self-control sticker if they have earned it.
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7. |
Use other activities in your lesson plan, including crafts, and bring the concept of self-control into other disciplines to provide total immersion throughout two weeks of study.
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8. |
Discuss self-control and bullying throughout the day.
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Questions for discussion might include these:
- In what way did Stinky Skunk bully others?
- What were the reasons Stinky Skunk bullied others in each case?
- Did the others like Stinky more after her bulling or less?
- What could Stinky Skunk have done instead of bullying?
- How do children sometimes bully others in order to get food?
- How do children bully others to get their own way on the playground?
- What character trait weapon can conquer bullying? How?
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9. |
Self-control trading card reminders are given to your students at the end of two weeks' concentration on self-control, a take-home reminder of the work they have been doing.
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10. |
Assess comprehension of this half of the unit with the written or picture test in the lesson plan.
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Main Activity — weeks 3 and 4
| 1. |
Read some or all of Pandora Puppy's Caring Circle, (Character Companions™ Series, Vol. 5). Children who are able to read may take turns, passing the book around. Younger students will listen as the teacher reads the book. Take time during the reading to ask, "What do you think will happen now?" types of questions. |
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Allow several students to answer before continuing, but do not say whether their answers are good or bad. The story will tell them as you continue. The reading may be broken into parts to fit the time you have in each session. |
2. |
Act out one or two brief scenes from the book if time permits after the reading.
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3. |
Use worksheets, assigning only the questions covered in the reading. Non-reading students may do the worksheets as a group oral activity.
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4. |
Sing the song in the book, using actions. Students love to add "Bow-wow" at appropriate points.
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5. |
Memorize the definition of compassion , presented in different ways. Be sure children repeat the definition frequently for the next two weeks as they memorize it. Those who can write should write out the definition several times.
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6. |
Create a large chart for the classroom. Explain that this chart will help record progress in learning compassion. Just as Pandora learned, each of them will learn to care for others. They will work on it as a class, and at the end of each day the class will receive a compassion sticker if they have earned it.
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7. |
Use other activities in your lesson plan, including crafts, and bring the concept of compassion into other disciplines to provide total immersion throughout two weeks of study.
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8. |
Discuss compassion and bullying throughout the day.
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Questions for discussion might include these:
- In what way did Pandora Puppy help others who were smaller or weaker?
- What were the reasons Pandora showed compassion to others in each case?
- Did the others like Pandora more after her caring or less?
- What did Pandora Puppy do that was the opposite of bullying?
- How do children sometimes show caring to others in the classroom?
- How do children sometimes show caring to others on the playground?
- How do children sometimes show caring to others at lunchtime?
- What character trait weapon can conquer bullying? How?
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9. |
Compassion trading card reminders are given to your students at the end of two weeks' concentration on compassion, a take-home reminder of the work they have been doing.
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10. |
Assess comprehension of this half of the unit with the written or picture test in the lesson plan.
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Conclusion:
Plan a "Bully Extinction" party for the last day of the month.
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Invite parents or another class. Create invitations.
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Wear character trait buttons. Make cardstock buttons or name tags for guests.
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Decorate with ideas from the two books read in this study unit. Use items created in your craft time. Hang orange and dark green crepe paper streamers to tie in with the book covers. Display picture charts from both books. Display students' written definitions of both character traits.
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Serve appropriate refreshments: cherry punch to remind students of self-control; snail cookies to remind students of compassion. Any swirl cookie will work.
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Play "Pin the Smile on the Bully." Draw a big, mean, scowling bully on craft paper, and hang it on the wall at an appropriate height. Cut out large, sweetly smiling lips to fit the bully. Back them with Velcro, and put a matching piece on the bully's mouth (color to match). Then blindfold children by turn, spin them a few times, and let them try to stick the smile on the bully.
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Create other games that might cage the bully or otherwise indicate extinction without cruelty.
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Present a skit or two about bullying, showing how your two secret weapons conquer it.
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Sing and act out "Self-Control Song" and "Compassion Song" from the two books.
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End your party with a celebratory burial for the craft paper bully on the wall.
Assessment/Evaluation
Once each week, take a few minutes at the end of the day to talk about what students have done to show self-control or compassion. Sing one of the songs. This will help ensure that your students reach the intended goal. Occasionally ask students to write the definition of compassion or self-control. If a student slips and commits an act of bullying, ask the class to help him or her with what they learned.
For your own benefit, evaluate what parts of this lesson worked well for you. Where did you find it out of keeping with the temperament or personality? Revise those sections and make notes to which you can refer the next time you teach this class in character education.
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