Lesson Sequence

• Pass out copies of the resource page Student Handout 1 - Reference Page: The 411 on Bystanders or provide the information on an interactive board.
• Have students take turns reading the information aloud to the class. (RI.6.1; RI.6.3)
• Divide students into manageable workgroups and give them 5 minutes to write out a draft of a simple scenario in which bystanders witness a cyber bullying incident and do nothing. (Anchor Writing 2, 3, 4; W.6.2; W.6.3; W.6.4; Anchor Language 1, 3; L.6.1; L.6.3)

Engage students in a short discussion with the following prompts: (SL.6.1; L.6.1; L.6.3)

Pass out the resource page Upstanders Take Action and go over it as a class. Go over the Think About It section.
Encourage students to share reasons why it can be hard to be an upstander to cyber bullying.
    • When you are a witness to cyber bullying, why is it not enough to just ignore bullying behaviors?
      Example responses: The bullying will just continue. The victim may think that the bystander(s) is
      in on the cyber bullying and will not know who to trust. The cyber bullying may escalate into offline
      bullying and possible violence.
   • Think about specific actions an upstander of your age would take if witnessing cyber bullying. What
      would an upstander do in the following situation?
        ◆ S/he receives an embarrassing photo message targeting a classmate. Example responses: S/he will
           call the victim and encourage him or her to tell a parent what’s going on. S/he will offer to be with
           the targeted student to offer support when telling a parent.

Have groups trade their scenarios with another group so that each group has a scenario written by another group.

Using the scenarios written in the first group exercise, students create cyber bullying scenarios that demonstrate how one or more bystanders become upstanders and present them as role plays. Option: Roleplay presentations may be videotaped. (Anchor Speaking and Listening 1, 2, 4, 5, 6; SL.6.1; SL.6.2; SL.6.4; SL.6.5; SL.6.6)

Presentation Exercise

Have groups trade their scenarios with another group so that each group has a scenario written by another group.
Using the scenarios written in the first group exercise, students create cyber bullying scenarios that
demonstrate how one or more bystanders become upstanders, and present them as role plays. Option: Role
play presentations may be videotaped. (Anchor Speaking and Listening 1, 2, 4, 5, 6; SL.6.1; SL.6.2; SL.6.4;
SL.6.5; SL.6.6)

Presentaton and Discussion

This section may be completed on another day.

Students present their live or videotaped presentations.

Create a master list of upstander behaviors: After each presentation, have students determine the positive
actions of the upstander(s). List the actions on the master list.

Conclude the lesson by reinforcing the need for witnesses to cyber bullying to take positive action against
the bullying.

Wrap-Up

Wrap-Up Class Discussion

• Invite students to point out the upstander behaviors that they identified during their classmates’ presentations.
• Compile students’ answers on a master list.
• Conclude the lesson by encouraging students to take positive action against cyber bullying as an upstander.
• Optional: Share student videos with iDrive Youth Outreach and Empowerment with administrative approval and parental permissions. (See Empowerment)

Empowerment

Youth Empowerment: Leave Your Mark

iDrive is the Youth Outreach and Empowerment program of ISAFE. Students, age 13+ can register as an iDrive Agent and participate in a number of campaigns and initiatives. Students under the age of 13 can participate in iDrive initiatives given that the teacher registers as the representative of their students under the minimum age requirement. As iDrive Agents in Training, middle school students engage in project-based learning activities to share with other classrooms that are part of the ISAFE community. By providing students with an authentic audience, they gain a greater sense of purpose for their digital citizenship and e-safety projects and presentations.

Teachers and students over age 13 register at www.idrivetvonline.com