Teaching about bullying: 5 Anti-bullying activities and video lessons

Why is teaching about anti-bullying important?

Bullying is everywhere in today’s headlines. All too often, we read tragic stories of children driven to desperation because of bullying or harassment from their peers. Sadly, the phenomenon is far from new. All of us can recall being bullied at least once in our lives, or perhaps even being the bully ourselves.

What is different in today’s school environment, however, is that bullying doesn’t just happen face to face – students are now grappling with it online and through relentless social media. This can leave a student feeling like there is no escape, which is why it’s more important than ever to make the classroom a positive environment and a safe haven from bullying.

Teaching about bullying: 5 Anti-bullying activities and video lessons

The following Flocabulary songs center around bullying and teach ways to deal with it. Flocabulary offers educational hip-hop videos and instructional activities that promote literacy and spark creativity. With the power of Flocabulary, you can spark engagement and understanding with relevant, rigorous educational videos your students will love.

Below the videos, we have questions you can use to facilitate a discussion with your students. Also, make sure to follow Flocabulary’s lesson sequence with your students to complete activities and assessments after reviewing the lesson.

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Bullying (Grades 4 to 8)

In life, not everybody treats you the way you deserve to be treated. This is a message in our social and emotional learning rap, which takes on bullying. In this lesson about Bullying, students learn to identify physical, verbal, social, and cyberbullying, as well as tips for taking action when they’re a victim or a bystander.

Here are the lyrics to the chorus:

“Don’t be anything but you,
Even if a bully says, you’re too fat, too short, or smart in school.
Nah, rock to your own beat, stay true,
Stand up for yourself and for other people too.”

Have Compassion (5th Grade)

The Have Compassion video lesson demonstrates to students the courage it takes to stand up to a whole group of people. Ask: What does it mean to have compassion? What change did the main character make? Why might it be scary to stand up to a group of people who are bullying others? Students will see how hard it can be to stand up for what is right, especially when everyone else is doing something that they know is wrong.

It also includes fifth-grade vocabulary words that students are likely to encounter on state tests. It teaches the following words: abuse, compassion, course, dictate, duplicate, feeble, moral, nonchalant, senseless, and taunt.

Respect (Grades K-5)

This lesson is all about Respect—what it is, why it’s important, and how we can show it. Students will learn specific ways they can demonstrate respect for their family, friends, classmates, neighbors, and other members of their community.

Here are the lyrics to the chorus:

“When it comes to respect,
Follow the Golden Rule:
Do unto others
As you would have them do unto you.
That means treat people
Like you want to be treated.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T,
Everybody needs it.”

Sticks and Stones (3rd Grade)

The Sticks and Stones video lesson can be used to show students that there are clever ways to stand up against bullying. Ask: How did the bully treat others in this song? What did the main character decide to do? What can we learn from this story about dealing with bullies? Students will learn methods for dealing with bullies.

This song includes third-grade vocabulary words that students are likely to encounter on state tests. It teaches the following words: advantage, avoid, bold, coward, fierce, harsh, opponent, struggle, triumph, and wit.

Scarface (7th Grade)

The Scarface video lesson shows students that one bold act can change someone’s life for the better. In this song, Keena does a good deed to change the life of a kid in her neighborhood. Ask: Why was Jay being bullied? What did Keena decide to do? What can we learn about bullying from this story?

This song includes seventh-grade vocabulary words that students are likely to encounter on state tests. It teaches the following words: allege, bellow, beseech, clamber, consult, despondent, detach, endure, gruesome, legacy, maul, mortify, obnoxious, pelt, and vengeance.

Anti-bullying discussion questions for students

• What did the characters in the video do when they witnessed someone being bullied? What can we do if we witness bullying or are being bullied?
• Bullying doesn’t just happen in school. Where are some other places you’ve seen bullying?
• What kind of behavior do you associate with bullying?
• What are some consequences of bullying?
• What do you think bullies can do to change their behavior?

Start teaching ant-bullying with Flocabulary’s support

Promoting a safe and inclusive environment in our classrooms is paramount to ensuring the well-being and development of our students. By incorporating anti-bullying activities and video lessons into our teaching strategies, students to recognize and address bullying behaviors, foster empathy and understanding, and cultivate a culture of kindness and respect.

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