A Study Guide for the Bringing Bullying to Bay Assembly
Jim Cogan Storyteller Grades 3-5
Assembly: 45-55 minutes (adjustable to fit time constraints)
Subject Areas: History, Language, Social Skills, Behavior Modification, Citizenship
Concepts: C.A.R.E. Cooperation, Action, Respect, Empathy through Storytelling
Educational Goal: SWL to recognize bullying, why bullying occurs, how a student gets “targeted” and highlight options they have to STOP bullying by fostering anti-bullying programs, inclusiveness, and human understanding through storytelling, action and good communication.
A. Program Description:
Storyteller Jim Cogan may introduce the assembly with a short participation story about the power of ONE! One action can make a huge difference. Jim engages students in a Q&A discussing various kinds of bullying. He uses one example from his childhood to show how things can get out of hand when nothing is done or how trouble can escalate. He also, again, shows how the power of one can make a world of difference. The rest of the assembly is wrapped around a personal tale from Jim’s youth: sometimes humorous, very poignant, filled with lessons and there is an incredible epiphany and positive impact at the end. The story is told with various pauses to include student comment.
C.A.R.E. - (Cooperation, Action, Respect, Empathy) a character-based code for eliminating bullying (student learn what an acronym is)
1. Jim’s Personal Short Stories:
Gloria the Great: Jim briefly recounts how he was bullied as a child and how one girl’s kindness wiped away any scars from the bullying.
Chin: Jim recounts a story about how escalating retaliations from a single minor event created an even worse situation.
Jim’s Main Story: Eugene
Basic Message: Use C.A.R.E. (Cooperation, Action, Respect, Empathy) to combat bias-based bullying.
Jim uses this true story from his childhood (5th grade) called Eugene: a personal tale about how EMPATHY and action changed everyone for the better...not just the target of a jealous rival but the rival himself. It shows bullying behavior for what it is, why it is and what a difference positive action can make.
The story is punctuated with storytelling skills to model how powerful a story and figurative language can be in combatting poor behavior and righting wrongs. It tells how a group of students led by a popular ringleader terribly treated a gifted but most unusual student in a Catholic elementary school in the late 1957. Some students bullied him because he was different. Some made fun of him because he had some strange mannerisms. Some mistreated him because he was new. The ringleader rallied many against him...because the ringleader was JEALOUS of his extraordinary talent.
Throughout the story there are stops where Jim freezes the story and in a Shakespearean-style asides to the audience, gets them involved to offer observations, opinions and judgments about behaviors while engaging students in group role-playing problem solving discussion.
For example, one lone student, Patti, draws upon EMPATHY and kindness for Eugene, by offering him friendship. The teacher, Sister Alice Marie, offers equality and acceptance with clear guidance to all about how to welcome a new student. Though he has a rough start, experiences a variety of bias-based bullying behaviors in a class filled with passive bystanders he seems to be OK with just who he is! Inclusion is a powerful action.
As the bullying escalates, students start to follow Patti’s example. Much of the class begins to “walk a mile in Eugene’s shoes.” In the climax of the story, the ringleader targets Eugene but these students have discovered what EMPATHY is. Everyone surrounds Eugene with friendship and support, finally rejecting the bullying tactics of the ringleader.
Eugene and Patti teach everyone an unforgettable lesson about acceptance, tolerance and understanding. Empathy and group action CAN isolate and combat bullying, build community and guard potential victims from this abusive behavior. The story also exalts Sister Alice Marie and shows how important it is to have a mentor who protects all. At the story’s end, even the ringleader has an epiphany. He finally sees Eugene in a different light and understands, “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” He sees how wrong labeling people can be. He eventually becomes the victim’s best friend…and a much better human being.
I know because…Eugene’s tormentor…was ME!
4. Conclusion: With the introduction, dialogue and the telling of Eugene, students become more aware of where bullying comes from, how it spreads and how harmful it can be to the victim, the aggressor and to the entire school environment. The vital role of the observer not to become a bystander but to protect the victim, the school, and ultimately themselves from bullying is stressed. EVERYONE MUST ACT. Various anti-bullying actions are discussed. Cyber bullying is described and methods to combat it are outlined. No one needs to feel trapped or helpless. It is the group consciousness and willingness to take a stand that will truly determine the school’s safety...an action easily taken when EMPATHY is evident, ACTION is taken, and RULES are enforced.
B. Six questions to ask before the assembly
1. Describe, as best you can, what bullying is and what it isn’t. Discuss what makes certain actions bullying and why some people demonstrate this unkind behavior?
2. How does an aggressor choose his/her target? Why do you think an aggressor always pick on someone, small, isolated, or vulnerable? Why do certain people get targeted?
3. Make a list with many ways as you can think of different kinds of bullying behavior: physical, verbal, social, emotional and today’s cowardly practice of cyber bullying?
4. What impact does bullying have on a victim? On the school? On himself?
5. Why is it important to let someone know that bullying is taking place? How can a school community help stop bullying and change the behavior of those who practice it?
6. What is your school’s present Anti-Bullying Code and how can it improve the quality of life for everyone in your school.
C. Six questions to ask after the assembly.
1. What is a bystander? Why is a bystander likely the most powerful and important person in the fight against bullying? How does that person become an upstander?
2. In the story Eugene, has Eugene done anything to deserve the treatment he is receiving? Did he ask for it? Why do you think he was singled out?
3. Eugene was the exception to the rule in that he never looked at himself as a target or a ‘victim’. His positive attitude eventually won over most of the class. Most victims are scared stiff by bullying and don’t know what to do. Several people help in this story. Who are they? What are some ways that you can help someone being bullied? What are some things you and others can do to prevent such incidents from happening again?
4. What does being inclusive mean to you? Do you think that has an influence on how much bullying there is at your school? Why or why not?
5. Why are people like Patti so important in any school? How can we all become a little like Patti? How can we find a Sister Alice?
6. How can the art of storytelling help you combat bullying? Give examples.
Three Common Core friendly activities to help combat bullying
1. Right the Wrong! Write a fictional story about a bullying situation in a school. Have the story include a ‘Bully’, a ‘Target’, and a group of ‘Bystanders’. Develop your story (no longer then one side of a page of paper) up to the peak of the bullying.
Then, read your story (or have it read) to the class and ask “How do I end this story in a way we want our school to be? Have various students chime in with ideas. Discuss the benefits/problems of different plans of action (‘What if the bully comes after me?’ ).
Then go back to write your conclusion with all your advice you received fresh in your mind. Finish your story in a way that emphasizes the way you want your school to be. Make an illustrated cover with a title. Bring it back. Your teacher can find a way to have all share their conclusions. Make a booklet of all the stories and keep them in a prominent place in your classroom as a bank of good ideas for you and future students for many years to come.
2. Role Play: Divide the class into teams of 6-8. Have each group collaboratively make up a story about a similar issue but with their own solution part of the story. Make a story map to show the flow of action. Then, have each group prepare their skit (short) and act out the story as a short play. Good discussion should follow. (Good practice for taking action, collaborating, and cooperating together.)
3. Make a video of 3-4 bullying scenarios in #1 then add several solutions the class votes as best. Have a team share part one of the video and lead a discussion of possible solutions with a class. Then show the solutions recommended by the film makers. Add new problem-solving ideas to the video as they arise.