BULLYING

Discussion Guide
& Activities

By Brynn Allison
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Table  of  Contents  
 
Page  4-­‐5       Usage  Guide  
Page  6       Digital  Usage  Guide  
Page  7       Common  Core  Anchor  Standards  
Page  8-­‐9     Discussion  Guide  and  Reflection  
Page  10-­‐11     “To  This  Day”  Writing  Activities  
Page  12-­‐13     Evaluating  Public  Service  Announcements  

All Rights Reserved © Brynn Allison 2016 theliterarymaven.com

Usage  Guide  
 
Activity  1:  Discussion  
Distribute  copies  of  the  discussion  guide  to  each  student.  Have  students  read  over  the  8  statements  and  
mark  in  the  before  discussion  column  whether  yes  they  agree,  no  they  disagree,  or  use  a  question  mark  if  
they  are  unsure  or  can't  decide.  Students  will  likely  want  to  ask  questions  about  the  statements  and  add  
qualifiers.  Tell  them  that  they  will  get  an  opportunity  to  discuss  the  statements  and  direct  them  to  
respond  to  the  statements  as  they  are  written.  
 
Once  students  have  responded  individually  to  the  statements,  they  will  get  into  groups  to  compare  and  
discuss  their  opinions.  You  may  assign  students  to  groups  or  allow  them  to  choose.  Groups  of  4  -­‐  6  
students  work  best.  Direct  students  to  tally  up  the  number  of  yes,  no,  and  unsure  responses  to  each  
statement.  Students  should  discuss  each  statement,  particularly  those  for  which  there  is  disagreement.  
Remind  students  that  all  voices  should  be  heard  equally  in  their  group's  discussion  and  that  they  should  
be  prepared  to  share  highlights  of  their  discussion  with  the  class  as  a  whole.  
 
After  students  have  a  chance  to  discuss  in  groups,  I  ask  one  member  of  each  group  to  record  the  group's  
number  of  yes,  no,  and  unsure  responses  to  each  statement  in  a  chart  on  the  board.  Then  as  a  whole  class  
we  will  briefly  discuss  each  statement,  focusing  on  those  where  there  was  the  most  disagreement.  I  will  
allow  students  to  volunteer  during  this  discussion,  but  will  also  cold  call  on  students  as  I  ask  questions  
like:  
-­‐What  was  one  strong  reason  for  agreeing  with  this  statement?    
-­‐What  was  one  strong  reason  for  disagreeing  with  this  statement?  
-­‐Would  a  slight  change  of  wording  change  how  group  members  responded  to  this  statement?  
-­‐Why  do  you  think  it  was  so  easy  for  all  of  your  group  members  to  agree  on  this  statement?    
-­‐Why  do  you  think  there  was  so  much  disagreement  among  your  group  members  in  response  to  
the  statement?  
-­‐What  caused  people  to  be  unsure  or  undecided  about  their  opinions  in  response  to  this  
statement?  
 
At  the  completion  of  the  whole  class  discussion,  students  complete  the  after  discussion  reflection  
questions  and  indicate  on  the  front  side  of  the  handout  it  their  opinions  have  changed  or  remained  the  
same.    
 
Note:  All  of  the  eight  statements  are  considered  myths  or  misconceptions  about  bullying.  For  more  
information  about  bullying  and  the  “answers”  to  these  myths,  you  can  visit  these  two  sites:  
 
http://www.greatschools.org/parenting/bullying/slideshows/3098-­‐10-­‐bullying-­‐myths.gs?page=1  
 
https://www.verywell.com/common-­‐myths-­‐and-­‐misconceptions-­‐about-­‐bullying-­‐460490  
 
You  could  also  ask  students  to  research  whether  the  eight  statements  discussed  are  fact  or  myth.  
 
Activity  2:  “To  This  Day”  
View  the  video  titled  "To  This  Day,"  which  is  a  spoken  word  poem  about  the  long  lasting  effects  of  
bullying.  Immediately  after  viewing,  allow  students  to  process  their  thoughts  about  the  video.  Give  about  
ten  minutes  to  just  write  and  think.  Then  open  up  the  class  to  discussion.  Students  can  read  what  they  
have  written  or  share  their  thoughts.    
 
You  can  then  ask  students  to  write  their  own  spoken  word  poem  in  response.  Their  writing  didn't  have  to  
be  focused  on  bullying,  as  not  all  students  have  had  experience  with  it  (or  at  least  will  claim  that  they  

All Rights Reserved © Brynn Allison 2016 theliterarymaven.com

haven't).  Instead,  the  poem  prompt  asks  them  to  imagine  themselves  as  adults  looking  back  on  their  
childhood  or  high  school  experience  and  detail  the  memories  that  they  think  will  stand  out  to  them  
 
Activity  3:  Public  Service  Announcements  
Build  students’  media  literacy  skills  by  evaluating  the  audience,  purpose,  and  effectiveness  of  a  series  of  
public  service  announcements  about  bullying.  You  can  find  the  five  videos  I  used  here  or  choose  several  
of  your  own.  Most  of  the  videos  are  about  30  seconds  to  a  minute  long.  The  final  video  is  longer,  closer  to  
five  minutes,  but  doesn't  have  to  be  shown  in  its  entirety.  The  videos  cover  a  variety  of  audiences  and  
purposes.  Be  sure  to  push  students  to  be  as  specific  as  possible  when  identifying  audience  and  purpose.  
Just  saying  "for  kids"  or  "to  stop  bullying"  are  too  vague  of  answers.  You  can  probe  by  asking  questions  
like  "what  age  range  of  kids?"  or  "what  actions  do  they  want  the  viewer  to  take  to  stop  bullying?"  You  can  
allow  students  to  discuss  their  responses  in  a  small  group  before  sharing  with  the  class.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Digital  Usage  Guide  
 
Is  your  classroom  1:1  or  paperless?  Do  your  students  complete  and  submit  all  of  their  assignments  
through  Google  Classroom  or  another  learning  management  system?  Read  on  to  find  out  how  to  use  
access  editable  student  versions  of  these  resources  and  share  them  with  your  students  online.  
 
Option  1  
Step  1:  Click  on  the  link  of  the  desired  resource  below.  
Step  2:  Sign  in  to  Google,  and  then  share  the  resource  directly  with  your  students  via  their  email  
addresses.  
Step  3:  Students  will  download  the  resource,  save  it  as  directed  by  you  (if  you  have  a  specific  way  of  
naming  files),  fill  in  the  editable  PDF,  and  then  email  the  completed  document  back  to  you.  
 
Option  2:  
Step  1:  Click  on  the  link  of  the  desired  resource  below.  
Step  2:  Download  the  PDF  and  then  upload  it  as  an  assignment  to  your  Google  Classroom.  
Step  3:  Students  can  use  DocHub,  a  Google  Classroom  add-­‐on,  to  complete  and  submit  the  assignment.    
 
You  can  find  a  short,  explicit  video  with  directions  for  students  here:  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRmJb6n9xm8  
 
Resources  
 
Discussion  Guide  
 
“To  This  Day”  Writing  Activities  
 
Evaluating  Public  Service  Announcements  

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Common  Core  Anchor  Standards  
 
CCSS.ELA-­LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1  
Prepare  for  and  participate  effectively  in  a  range  of  conversations  and  collaborations  with  diverse  
partners,  building  on  others'  ideas  and  expressing  their  own  clearly  and  persuasively.  
CCSS.ELA-­LITERACY.CCRA.SL.3  
Evaluate  a  speaker's  point  of  view,  reasoning,  and  use  of  evidence  and  rhetoric.  
CCSS.ELA-­LITERACY.CCRA.SL.4  
Present  information,  findings,  and  supporting  evidence  such  that  listeners  can  follow  the  line  of  
reasoning  and  the  organization,  development,  and  style  are  appropriate  to  task,  purpose,  and  audience.  
 
CCSS.ELA-­LITERACY.CCRA.R.1  
Read  closely  to  determine  what  the  text  says  explicitly  and  to  make  logical  inferences  from  it;  cite  specific  
textual  evidence  when  writing  or  speaking  to  support  conclusions  drawn  from  the  text.  
CCSS.ELA-­LITERACY.CCRA.R.6  
Assess  how  point  of  view  or  purpose  shapes  the  content  and  style  of  a  text.  
CCSS.ELA-­LITERACY.CCRA.R.7  
Integrate  and  evaluate  content  presented  in  diverse  media  and  formats,  including  visually  and  
quantitatively,  as  well  as  in  words.  
 
CCSS.ELA-­LITERACY.CCRA.W.10  
Write  routinely  over  extended  time  frames  (time  for  research,  reflection,  and  revision)  and  shorter  time  
frames  (a  single  sitting  or  a  day  or  two)  for  a  range  of  tasks,  purposes,  and  audiences.  
 
 

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Name:                           Period:  
Bullying - Discussion Guide
Directions:  Mark  each  statement  “Yes”  if  you  agree,  “No”  if  you  disagree,  and  “?”  if  you  are  not  sure  or  
can’t  make  a  decision.  After  our  discussion,  you  will  return  to  this  set  of  statements  to  see  if  your  opinions  
have  changed.    
 
Before After
Discussion Statement Discussion
(Yes, No, ?) (Yes, No, ?)
  1.  Bullying  isn’t  a  big  deal,  it’s  just  kids  being  kids.    
 
  2.  Bullies  struggle  with  self-­‐esteem.    
 
  3.  Being  bullied  makes  you  stronger  and  helps  build  character.    
 
  4.  Boys  are  more  likely  to  be  bullied  than  girls.    
 
  5.  Cyber-­‐bullying  leads  to  other  forms  of  bullying.    
   
  6.  Kids  are  bullied  because  they  have  a  victim  personality.    
 
  7.  Bullying  always  includes  physical  aggression.    
 
  8.  Kids  who  are  bullied  need  to  learn  how  to  handle  the  situation  on    
their  own.  
 
Directions:  Now  that  you  have  formed  an  opinion  about  each  of  the  statements  above,  compare  your  
opinions  with  those  of  your  group  members.  Tally  the  opinions  of  your  group  in  the  chart  below.  Discuss  
the  statements,  particularly  the  ones  where  there  is  disagreement  in  your  group.  Allow  all  voices  to  be  
heard  equally  and  be  prepared  to  share  highlights  of  your  discussion  with  the  class.  
 
Statement # # of Yeses # of Nos # of ?s

1        
 
2        
 
3        
 
4        
 
5        
 
6        
 
7        
 
8        
 

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After Discussion Reflection
1.  Which  of  the  statements,  if  any,  did  your  group  completely  agree  upon?  Why  did  you  all  agree?    
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.  Which  of  the  statements,  if  any,  did  your  group  disagree  about  most?    What  caused  the  disagreement?  
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.  Which  of  the  statements  did  your  group  have  the  most  interesting  discussion  about?  What  were  three  
key  points  that  were  discussed?  
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.  Which  of  the  statements  did  you  feel  most  strongly  about?  Why?  How  did  it  feel  when  others  agreed  
with  you  on  this  statement?  How  did  it  feel  when  others  disagreed  with  you  on  this  statement?  
 
 
 
 
 
 
5.  Which  of  the  statements  did  you  change  your  mind  about  after  your  group  discussion?  What  was  said  
that  made  you  change  your  mind?  If  you  didn’t  change  your  mind  about  any  of  the  statements,  why  not?  
 
 
 
 
 
 
6.  How  did  your  group  manage  your  discussion  to  ensure  that  all  voices  were  heard  equally?  If  all  voices  
were  not  heard  equally,  what  would  you  do  differently  to  make  sure  that  they  are  next  time?  
 
 
 
 
 
7.  Give  a  shout  out  to  a  future  lawyer.  Who  in  your  group  had  the  best  reasoning  to  support  his  or  her  
opinions?  Was  he  or  she  able  to  convince  others  to  change  their  opinions?  How?      

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 Name:                          Period:!
“To This Day” by Shane Koyczan – Reflection  
Direc.ons:  Reflect  on  your    viewing  of  “ To  This  Day”  by  Shane  Koyczan.  This  is  a  free  wri=ng  ac=vity,  so  focus  
on  your  ideas  rather  than  organiza=on  or  structure.  

If  you  are  stuck,  consider:    

What  words,  phrases,  lines,  or  images  stood  out  to  you?      
Could  you  make  any  connec=ons  based  on  personal  experiences  or  events  you  observed?  Explain.    
How  do  the  images  in  the  video  add  to  or  take  away  from  the  meaning  of  Shane’s  words?  
What  was  Shane’s  purpose  in  wri=ng  this  poem?  Was  it  effec=ve?  Why  or  why  not?  

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 “To This Day” by Shane Koyczan – Writing Extension  
Direc.ons:  Write  your  own  piece  =tled  “ To  This  Day.”  You  may  write  about  your  own  childhood,  middle  school  
or  high  school  experiences,  or  about  the  experiences  of  children  or  teenagers  in  general.  Think  about  what  
you  will  remember  when  you  look  back  on  this  part  of  life.  

You  may  include  the  following  phrases  or  lines:  

*When  I  was  a  kid          *To  this  day  
*But  I'm  not  the  only  kid  who  grew  up  this  way  *So  we  grew  up  believing  
*Kids  used  to  say          *And  they'll  never  understand  
*But  I  want  to  tell  them  

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Name: Period:

Public Service Announcement #1

Who is the intended audience of this video?

What is the purpose of this video?

Does this PSA communicate its message effectively? Why or why not? Use examples from the
video to support your argument.

Public Service Announcement #2

Who is the intended audience of this video?

What is the purpose of this video?

Does this PSA communicate its message effectively? Why or why not? Use examples from the
video to support your argument.

Public Service Announcement #3

Who is the intended audience of this video?

What is the purpose of this video?

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Does this PSA communicate its message effectively? Why or why not? Use examples from the
video to support your argument.

Public Service Announcement #4

Who is the intended audience of this video?

What is the purpose of this video?

Does this PSA communicate its message effectively? Why or why not? Use examples from the
video to support your argument.

Public Service Announcement #5

Who is the intended audience of this video?

What is the purpose of this video?

Does this PSA communicate its message effectively? Why or why not? Use examples from the
video to support your argument.

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