Archives: Life Skills/Pressing Issues

How to Stop the Bullying — It's probably fair to say that teasing and bullying can poison the climate of any school. With this message and lesson plan, students explore the notion that kindness is the antidote to bullying.
Key Ideas: Kindness as an antidote to bullying - Safe and caring schools
Character Traits: Respect - Responsibility - Caring

Instant Mean — Most young people today spend a great deal of time using technology. They text messages to friends, instant message on their computers, and upload photos and videos to websites. Unfortunately, these great tools are being used for cyberbullying, which is as hurtful and damaging as any other kind of bullying, and sometimes worse because of the bully's anonymity.
Key Ideas: Cyberbullying - Using technology to bully others
Character Traits: Respect - Responsibility

Not Cool — Bullying is never cool. It's intentional and hurtful. Many think of bullying as a guy thing, but girls bully too; they just tend to bully in a more subtle and psychological way. Students explore how female bullying can be different, how girls can be unaware that their behavior is bullying, and that bullying behaviors should not be tolerated.
Key Ideas: Bullying by girls - One person can make a big difference - Gossip - Teasing
Character Traits: Kindness - Compassion - Caring - Respect - Fairness

Simple Kindness * — Consider all the bad situations in our world and in our lives that would completely go away - totally disappear - if everyone involved would show some simple kindness toward one another. There will always be mean-spirited and uncaring people in the world, but we can help reduce the pain caused by such behavior by showing simple kindness to those around us.
Key Idea: Kindness as an antidote to bullying, teasing, violence
Character Traits: Kindness - Respect - Tolerance
Note: This message and lesson plan also work well for either World Kindness Week or Random Acts of Kindness Week.

Sticks and Stones — We've all heard the words "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me." That's not true, is it? Anyone who has been the victim of harmful gossip knows that — unlike broken bones that will eventually mend — harmful gossip can leave wounds that never completely heal.
Key Ideas: Teasing - Gossiping - Bullying
Character Traits: Respect - Caring - Self-discipline

Think Before You Speak — Name-calling is a form of bullying. It's important for students to understand that when they belittle others, they belittle themselves. And on the other side of the coin, when they use words to empower and encourage others rather than put them down, they are contributing to the betterment of the world around them. With these materials, students will learn how important it is to treat one another respectfully.
Key Ideas: The words we speak affect those around us - Name calling - Insulting comments
Character Traits: Kindness - Respect - Showing appreciation - Encouragement

What's Happening? — Bullies like to have an audience. Bystanders, however, often don't realize that by giving a bully an audience, they are contributing to the problem. In this message and lesson plan, students will learn about some inspiring seventh graders who took action against cyberbullying and consider different ways to deal with bullies at school or online.
Key Ideas: Dealing with bullying and cyberbullying - Bystanders
Character Traits: Responsibility - Respect