Gossip is like Feathers (Mr. Peabody's Apples)

I recently did a lesson with my fifth graders on Rumors and Gossip.  This is a 2-3 day lesson depending on how much time you have with the class.  Side note:  my principal evaluated me doing this lesson...she loved it:)

Lesson 1:  

assessment piece:  Anticipation Guide for Mr. Peabody's Apples

Read Mr. Peabody's Apples to the class.  You can purchase the book HERE.  

Pre-Reading and Post-Reading Questions:  HERE

Lesson 2-3:  PowerPoint, Activity, Discussion

This is the presentation that I created for this lesson:  PowerPoint Presentation: Mr. Peabody's Apples: Rumors and Gossip

Activity:  The rules for the activity are in the PowerPoint.  I found the activity HERE.  I changed the activity in that I had the students try to put the glitter back into the original container.  

You can also use Mr. Peabody's Apples to teach trustworthiness.  Great lesson idea HERE and HERE.

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Frenemies, Mean Girls and Relational Aggression

Mean-girl behavior, typically referred to as relational aggression, happens in every school and can begin as early as kindergarten. The victims of mean-girl behavior often suffer from stomach aches and have anxiety about coming to school. As a counselor I have spent a lot of time addressing this issue. I think it's important to cover this topic in large-group settings as well as in small-group and individual sessions. I own almost every resource listed below. I use the video for my classroom lesson as it is appropriate for both genders.

Frenemies Video (with support material...pre-test, post-test, activities, etc...) or Video

Friendship Pack - Dealing with Frenemies - Lessons for Girls - Drama Free Class

Friend or Frenemy Poster - Lessons for Girls - Drama Free Class (free)

Friendship Quiz Show (Teachers Pay Teachers)

Lesson from the Crafty Counselor

What to Do When Friends Turn Mean

Mean Girls: 101 1/2 Creative Strategies for Working With Relational Aggression w/ CD

Bullying in the Girl's World: A School-Wide Approach to Girl Bullying (Grades 3-8)

The I Hate Wendy Club

Friends and Frenemies: The Good, the Bad, and the Awkward

Understanding Girl Bullying and What to Do About It: Strategies to Help Heal the Divide

Frenemy Jungle (GIRL POWER: Believe in Yourself)

Stand Up for Yourself and Your Friends: Dealing with Bullies and Bossiness and Finding a Better Way

Friendship Tug-of-War (GIRL POWER: Believe in Yourself)

Connecting Bully Prevention with Common Core Standards

Way back in March (of 2013)  I stated that I would be posting some of my own bullying lessons. You may have read this blog post about bullying and common core standards.  Well, life happened and the post never happened.  I'm back and am going to try this blogging thing again.  I wanted to connect to some more great resources that I have been using.  Once again the topic is bullying and once again the lessons are connected to Common Core Standards.  I did not create the lessons but wanted to share them because they are GOOD!

The common core lessons are on Trudy Ludwig's Resource page: http://www.trudyludwig.com/resources_core.html

The books:

My Secret Bully:  I highly recommend this book for girls in 4th-6th grade. I am currently using it for a fourth grade girl group.  The story is about two girls who are "friends".  One of the girls, Katie, talks about the other behind her back and begins excluding her from activities.  Katie begins suffering from stomach problems and her mother provides advice/coping skills for Katie to use.  There are some discussion questions at the end of the book as well. You can find more lesson connections HERE, HERE,  and HERE.

Sorry!:  I am currently using this book in my fourth grade classroom guidance lessons.  The story line explains that saying sorry doesn't cut it, especially when you have done something mean on purpose. I love that the teacher prompts the character to "make it right" to show that they are truly sorry.  Here is another lesson that you can use with this book:  https://www.researchpress.com/sites/default/files/books/addContent/4986A.pdf

Confessions of a Former Bully:  Confessions of a Former Bully is a follow up to My Secret Bully. This time Katie gets caught teasing a schoolmate and meets with the school counselor to learn how to be a better friend.  This book is full of tips for dealing with bullying as well as ways to turn bully behavior around.  I love the fact that the school counselor is involved!!!  More Connections to this book can be found HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE

The Invisible Boy:  This is a good book for elementary students.  I am currently using it with a small group of second grade boys.  The story is about a student, Brian, who is isolated/excluded by his peers.  Brian imagines what it would be like to be a part of the group and the artwork in this story leads to its own discussion.  The story includes discussion questions as well.  You can find more lessons HERE, HERE and HERE.

Gifts from the Enemy:  I don't own this book but I am going to include it anyway because it looks like it could be a good one.  I just added it to my amazon shopping cart and plan to order it later today.  After reading the book description, it sounds like a book that would be great for a Junior High classroom lesson following a Social Studies lesson on the Holocaust.    

Just Kidding:  I don't have a common core lesson linked to this book but it is still a good book to use. If you need another lesson (other than the one on Trudy Ludwig's page) I have used the one shared Here by Coffee Cups & Lesson Plans.