Lesson #4: "It Gets Better: Videos of Hope"

Unit: Bullying

Unit Essential Question: What is bullying, and how can we deal with it as a classroom community in a positive, healthy way?

Grade Level: 6th – 8th

Lesson: “It Gets Better: Videos of Hope”

Lesson Essential Questions: How can we offer support to people who experience bullying? What messages of hope can we deliver?

MMSD Standards:
  • Key Concept: Analysis of Issue
  • Participation Skill: Show respect for the views of others

NCSS Standards:
  • Individual Development and Identity
  • Individuals, Groups, and Institutions

Goals/Objectives:
  • Students will be able to develop an understanding of what victims of bullying may need, and how we can support them.
  • Students will be able to practice creating messages of hope and support for those who have experienced bullying.
  • Students will be able to plan and then record "It Gets Better" videos of hope for victims of bullying using the messages they have created.

Materials Needed:

  • “It Gets Better” video clips (several examples - many more can be found online)
    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHfM_iV-554 (Max Adler from "Glee")
    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RKmnAJ3ZWM&feature=related (Chris Colfer from "Glee")
    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzcAR6yQhF8&feature=related (President Barack Obama)
    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xg-8CZuN7A&feature=related (Jason Derulo - musical artist)
  • Video Cameras/Camcorders 
  • Paper or Notebook

Procedure:
  • Begin by having students recall their experiences during the last bullying exercise. They will remember listening to both of the songs, and the reflection that they took part in afterwards. 
  • Lead students in a class discussion to brainstorm a list of emotions that victims of bullying may experience. Write these emotions on the front board. Hopefully students will list such feelings as lonely, depressed, rejected, hopeless, etc.
  • Help the students brainstorm ways to help victims of bullying, especially what kinds of things anyone can say to offer support and help to those who need it. Here are some questions to help guide the discussion: 
    • What are some ways to lend a helping hand to those who have experienced bullying? 
    • How can just listening and lending an ear be helpful? 
    • What else can we do - what are some things we can say to help? 
    • How can validating their feelings be helpful? 
    • What strategies/suggestions can we give to victims of bullying to "make things better?"
  • Play several "It Gets Better" videos for the class (These are just some examples of these videos - many more can be found online): 
    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHfM_iV-554 (Max Adler from "Glee")
    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RKmnAJ3ZWM&feature=related (Chris Colfer from "Glee")
    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzcAR6yQhF8&feature=related (President Barack Obama)
    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xg-8CZuN7A&feature=related (Jason Derulo - musical artist)
  • Students can then discuss as a class what they thought of the videos. Here are some questions to help guide the discussion: 
    • What were some commonalities amongst the videos?
    • What kinds of things did the speakers in the videos say?
    • What was effective about the messages?
    • Would you add or change anything about the videos?
  • Instruct students to brainstorm, and then write out an "It Gets Better" message of their own. They will have the choice to work independently or with a small group of 2-3 students. Their message must be at least 2 minutes long, and can be longer if they wish. They should think carefully about how they can most effectively deliver a supportive message in a sensitive manner. They should consider several options for their message - they can share a personal experience to empathize and relate with the viewer, validate the viewer's feelings by stating them, share hope and how it will get better, suggest tools for how to deal with bullying, etc. 
  • Students should spend some time planning their message, and rehearsing it. They can practice delivering it on their own or for a classmate.
  • Students will then record their message on the video camera/camcorder. Teacher should operate the camera as students record their messages.
  • After all of the messages have been recorded, watch all of the videos as a class. (If any students feel uncomfortable with the class watching their video, it will not be shown and the teacher will instead watch it privately.)
  • Debrief as a class, and discuss the experience and the videos. Students will also get a chance to reflect on their own in their notebooks.

Assessment:

            Students will be assessed both formally and informally throughout these activities. I will monitor their participation in the class discussion and brainstorming activities. They should be listening actively, and hopefully contributing to the conversation, as well. I will also assess their participation in the planning stage of the videos - they should demonstrate hard work and effort, and thoughtfulness while writing and rehearsing. I will assess each video to be sure each student took the task seriously, was thoughtful and sensitive, and used what they learned about bullying, what victims may feel, and how to help. I will also assess the students' writing in their notebooks to be sure they reflected and thought about their experiences in this activity. 

Differentiation:
            In terms of differentiation, I believe that this lesson includes content, process, and product that is all varied for the different students and different needs in a classroom. The content on bullying is varied so that students of varying readiness levels can be successful in grasping it. The goals of this lesson, and the content that I am teaching, are concerned with developing tools for offering support and hope to victims of bullying – I believe that students of different readiness levels will grasp this in varying ways, and the lesson allows for that. The processes in this lesson are varied to allow for different students’ preferences and such. There is large group discussion, independent reflection, and a creative process that involves writing and recording a video, so different students can respond and thrive with what suits them best. I am assessing the “product” in varied ways – by observing behavior, monitoring participation, and analyzing reflection. Students have many varied ways to respond and show what they have learned and gleaned from the activities.