Overview and Teacher Information

Bye-Bye Bully!

Teacher Page

A WebQuest for Upper Elementary Students
(Reading and Writing to be Informed, Health Education)

Introduction

In this WebQuest, students will examine the problem of bullying in school. Different sources of fiction and non-fiction will provide information for their study. From their investigation, they will develop a brochure for the student body which provides ways to identify bullies and advice for dealing with bullies.

Learners

This WebQuest will help upper elementary students read and write to be informed using the vehicle of health education issues. Students will need to have strong independent reading skills, effective note-taking skills and group discussion skills.

Curriculum Standards

This WebQuest supports Outcomes and Indicators in both the Maryland Health Education and Montgomery County Reading/Language Arts Curriculums.

Health Education:

Outcome 4: Students will demonstrate the ability to effectively use communication skills to enhance personal, family, and community health.

    Performance Indicators:
            Demonstrate healthy ways to express needs, wants, emotions, opinions, and information. (1.1)
            Demonstrate healthy ways to express needs, wants, emotions, opinions, and information. (1.1, 1.2, 1.5)
            Demonstrate ways to communicate care, consideration, and respect for self and others (1.5)
            Demonstrate asking, listening and responding skills to build and maintain healthy relationships. (1.5)

Reading/English Language Arts:

Enduring Understanding:
      Authors tell stories using many different forms to make their stories interesting and to convey a message.

Essential Questions:
     How are fables different from other forms of stories?
      Why do authors write fables?
      How are the cause and the effect related in the stories?

Performance Indicators:
     Identify different forms of literature 2.4.1.1
      Identify cause and effect relationships.   2.4.2.2
      Examine roles of characters in fables and connect them to prior experience or the experiences of others. 2.4.3.2

Enduring Understanding:
     Knowing the difference between facts and opinions can help when evaluating the credibility of a text.

Essential Question:
      What words in a text signal that an opinion is given?

Performance Indicators:
      Distinguish between facts and opinions 1.4.6.3

Enduring Understanding:
Writing with a clear organization and sequence makes the message more easily understood

Essential Question:
How can I structure my writing to make my message clear to my reader?

Performance Indicators:
Connect relevant descriptions including sensory details, personal experiences, observations, and/or research -based information in ways that make a topic or message clear to the reader.

Enduring Understanding:
Using an organized structure when researching a topic can help when writing to inform others.

Essential Questions:
      What are some of the tools I can use to locate information?
        How do I take notes to make sure that I include what I need to write a report?
        How do I organize my notes before writing my draft?
        What do I need to include in a problem/solution essay?

Performance Indicators:
Write information reports for an intended audience and purpose that:

Frame a key question
Present a literal understanding of the topic
include facts and details that illuminate the main idea

Process

Students will work cooperatively in groups of four. A range of ability levels is important to have in each group.
The goal of each group is to create a brochure suitable for dissemination to address the problem of bullying at school.
Students will collect information from internet sources that deal with bullying.
In their research, students will use fiction and non-fiction selections to collect examples of bully behavior. Students will come up with responses to bully behaviors as advice to their schoolmates.
The advice will be incorporated into a brochure for the school. Feedback can come from staff at school, such as the principal, the counselor, a teacher, and a fellow student.
The brochure will be revised and edited with teacher support and presented for publication.

Resources Needed

In order for students to participate fully in this WebQuest, the following resources are necessary:

computer scheduling for each individual to access this WebQuest
software suitable for publishing a brochure
paper and pencil for note-taking and drafting of the final product
facilities for small-group discussions
teacher supervision to help with individual reading work and facilitate groupwork

Evaluation

In order to evaluate the students' final product, a rubric will be used. Students can also be evaluated on their participation in the group discussion.

Conclusion

By working together to develop this Bully brochure, students can see that an awareness of a problem can give them the power to make changes in their lives, and those of their classmates. By making a comparison with others in the class, they can see how their fellow students approach the same problem. Students can understand that it is valuable to develop differing perspectives of the same problem. As a follow-up, students could identify and investigate other problems at school that trouble children.

Credits and References

Bully graphic provided by Microsoft Office Design Gallery Live.

Kowalski, Kathiann M. "How to Handle a Bully." Current Health 2 February 1999: NewsBank SchoolMate with Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD. 16 May 2002<http://infoweb.newsbank.com/>

Hall, Cyndy. "The lion and the hare." Calliope January 2000 NewsBank SchoolMate with Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD. 16 May 2002<http://infoweb.newsbank.com/>