Our social action curriculum to confront bullying has 13 modules, which can be used one by one or only a few of them, depending on time and circumstances. You can use them in any order you would like, but we do recommend you start with the module “Wonder”. Here are the 13 modules with short descriptions:
This module is centered around the best-selling novel, Wonder, by RJ Palacio. It will guide students to engage in meaningful and authentic conversations about bullying and choosing kindness. Students will also be introduced to terms such as bystander and upstander which will be used in subsequent modules as well.
In this module, students will learn what it means to effectively deliberate. Deliberation can be a powerful problem-solving tool for students who experience situations where bullying may occur. Students who exhibit strong deliberation skills listen to peers with differing perspectives and respectfully consider diverse or opposing viewpoints. The purpose of this module is not to teach students how to debate issues but rather to provide students with deliberation skills to engage in constructive conversations that arrive at solutions respectfully and effectively.
Standing Up in the Face of Injustice
This module has various videos and activities to push students to think critically about how to speak up in the face of injustice. Students will begin by reflecting on their personal experiences with bullying and contemplate how those encounters have lasting effects. Students will also be given scenarios to role-play, in small groups, so students can begin to visualize ways to be an upstander. Lastly, this module contains emotional videos that will aid in students having thoughtful conversations about the interplay of the roles of the bully, the victim, and the bystander. This module is so important because it encourages students to develop skills to stand up to bullying.
Communication Strategies – Presenting Arguments and Ideas
This module focuses on developing the students’ ability to present persuasive arguments and ideas. Clear and persuasive communication strategies will help students share information about bullying and springboard their own initiative to address bullying in their school.
Creating Multi-Media Presentations
This module provides resources and tips for creating multimedia presentations using web2.0 tools. This module was created to support teachers and students with promoting and raising awareness for an anti-bullying campaign.
This module provides opportunities for students and teachers to learn more about each other in order to create a safe learning environment and strong sense of community for all members of the class.
This module encourages students to delve into the history of Alabama. This includes the civil rights era, slavery, reconstruction, settlements etc. When addressing the content in this module, teachers should consider the age and knowledge of their students.
This module highlights children’s rights and encourages autonomy. Students will research the Birmingham Children’s Crusade of 1963 and put themselves in the children’s position to explore whether or not they would have made some of the same choices during the crusade. Students will also have the opportunity to generate a list of what they consider to be the “core” rights of their school. After creating this list, students will create a display for the rights they select.
This module focuses on the dangers of cyberbullying and the statistics associated with cyberbullying. Students will have an opportunity to look at cyberbullying data from their own class, as well as brainstorm ways to decrease its prevalence among their peers.
In this module, teachers will find anchor charts detailing ways to practice internet safety, internet precautionary situations, and lessons that will help students to practice interacting safely online.
Social Media and Cyberbullying
This module focuses on how social media platforms can be prime settings for cyberbullying. The lessons within this module teach students how to navigate the various challenges they may face while participating on social media platforms in a safe and responsible way. The lessons are designed to interactively explore the positives and negatives of social media usage, and how students can navigate safely through these platforms in this digital era. It is recommended to visit the cyberbullying module prior to completing this module.
This module explores the growing issue of misinformation and disinformation while students are online and on social media platforms. The lessons within this module helps students define misinformation and disinformation, recognize the difference between the two, and identify examples of mis/disinformation online. Students will learn about fake news and hate speech and explore social media algorithms and their widespread consequences. This module provides resources that students can use to distinguish between fake news and objective facts and help them become responsible netizens. It is recommended to visit the social media and cyberbullying module prior to completing this module. Many of the terms and topics explored in this module requires knowledge of basics.
Artificial Intelligence and Cyberbullying
In this module, students will learn about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how AI has exacerbated cyberbullying issues online. AI is relatively new to the digital sphere, and it’s important for students to be aware of the dangers of AI while also being able to use the AI tools effectively and responsibly. This module includes lessons on complex topics such as deep fakes, bots & fake accounts, and digital trafficking. Both students and teachers will also be introduced to AI tools they can use for academic and creative tasks. It is recommended for students to review the social media and cyberbullying module, as well as the misinformation and disinformation module before completing the lessons in this module.
