This lesson can be done by using Nearpod or by following the lesson plan.

Essential Question

What can you do when someone is mean to you online?

Lesson Overview

Students learn that children sometimes can act like bullies when they are online. They explore what cyberbullying means and what they can do when they encounter it. Students first read a scenario about mean online behavior. They then discuss what cyberbullying is, how it can make people feel, and how to respond. Then they use their knowledge to create a simple tip sheet on cyberbullying. Students recognize that it is essential to tell a trusted adult if something online makes them feel angry, sad, or scared.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to ...

• analyze online behaviors that could be considered cyberbullying.

• explain how to deal with a cyberbullying situation.

• recognize the importance of engaging a trusted adult when they experience cyberbullying.

Key Vocabulary

Online: connected to the internet

Cyberbullying: doing something on the internet, usually again and again, to make another person feel angry, sad, or scared

Warm-up (5 minutes)

ENCOURAGE

Have students share what they know about bullying.

ASK

What kinds of things count as bullying?

How does bullying make other people feel?

What is the best thing to do when you feel bullied, or when you see someone else being bullied?

EXPLAIN

That they will be learning about a kind of bullying that can take place when they use the Internet.

Teach 1

What Is Cyberbullying? (15 minutes)

DEFINE

Vocabulary term online.

DISCUSS

That some kids don’t go online very much at all, either because of their family’s rules or because they don’t like it very much. Other kids do go online to do different things.

ASK

What do you do online, or what do you think you might like to do?

SHARE

Let students know that most of the time when they go online it is to do fun or interesting things. But sometimes people can be mean to each other online and this is called cyberbullying.

DEFINE

Vocabulary term cyberbullying

EMPHASIZE

When children are mean to someone else online, even if they only do it one time, it isn’t nice. Also stress that cyberbullies usually bully repeatedly, with the intention of causing hurt feelings. When children do something very mean and/or scary, or do it over and over again, then they are cyberbullying.

SHARE

Review with students some examples of cyberbullying.

These might include:

• sending a mean email or IM to someone

• posting mean things about someone on a website

• making fun of someone in an online chat

• doing mean things to someone’s character in an online world like Club Penguin or WebKinz

ASK

Did you ever see someone make someone else feel bad online?

EXPLAIN

That they will be learning more about how cyberbullying occurs, and what to do when it happens to them or to someone they know.

Teach 2

What to Do About Cyberbullying (20 minutes)

DISTRIBUTE

Handout the STOP Cyberbullying Student Handout, one for every student.

GUIDE

Help students through the scenario on the handout. After allowing students time to read it on their own, you may wish to read it aloud.

Jada’s parents let her play on a website where she can take care of a pet pony and decorate its stall. Her friend Michael has played with her in the past and knows her user name and password. One day Jada goes to the site to care for her pony. She finds that her pony’s stall is a mess and that there are some things missing.

ENCOURAGE

Help the class to answer the questions on their handouts. Invite them to share their answers.

ASK

What do you think happened?

How do you think this made Jada feel?

DIRECT

Review the four rules for dealing with cyberbullying at the bottom of their STOP Cyberbullying Student Handout. Use the following questions to guide discussion.

ASK

How will you know when someone is cyberbullying you?

Why do you think it is important to stop using the computer when someone starts cyberbullying you?

If someone makes you feel angry, sad, or scared online, which grown-ups can you tell and ask for help?

Why is it important to go online only with an adult, or when an adult says it is OK?

How can you decide whether you should play or chat with someone online?

Which of the four things do you think is the most important?

REVISIT

Look at the scenario in the STOP Cyberbullying Student Handout, and have students apply the S-T-O-P rules to Jada’s situation.

• Jada should STOP using the computer.

• Jada should TELL an adult she trusts what happened.

• Jada should not go back online or return to the pony website when an adult says it is OK.

• If Jada and Michael are good friends, Jada may want to tell Michael how his actions made her feel, after she gets advice from an adult.

• But if Michael continues cyberbullying her, she should play with other kids who don’t take part in cyberbullying.

Closing

Wrap-up (5 minutes)

You can use these questions to assess your students’ understanding of the lesson objectives.

ASK

What is cyberbullying? How does it make people feel?

What four things can you do to help stop cyberbullying?

What is the most important thing to do if someone starts cyberbullying you?