How Would You Stop Bullying?

1. How Would You Stop Bullying? This WebQuest will ask students to analyze existing anti-bullying programs, evaluate their merits and justify which program they suggest the school adopt.

2. Introduction • Bullying is a problem. Not just in our school, but everywhere. But when 70% of the kids at our school have been bullied, that is not a problem, that is an epidemic that calls for drastic measures. The school must adopt an anti-bullying program ASAP and needs your help. As a member of a student taskforce you will examine existing anti-bullying programs, analyze and evaluate them and present your preferred choice to the class. You can even change, modify or combine different programs to create your own - whatever you think will work! When all taskforces have presented the program they endorse, the class will vote and the program receiving the highest number of votes will be presented to the Anti-Bullying Committee consisting of teachers, parents and concerned citizens.

3. Task • Our class has been chosen to be an anti-bullying taskforce selected to create an anti-bullying program for Gifford Middle School. Each team member is required to analyze and evaluate a different existing anti-bullying program and present his or her findings to the other class members. You are to identify which program is best suited to address the needs of the school and, if necessary, combine elements of different programs to create your own specialized anti-bullying program. Finally, you will present your recommendation and your reasons behind the program you have designed or selected to the other students.

4. Process • Bullying is a purposeful attempt to use power to make someone else feel bad or harm an individual. In a recent survey, 72% of boys and 68% of girls said that they had been bullied at school. The good news is that 90% of those students surveyed said they wanted to help stop the bullying. Today, you have been selected as a member of an anti-bullying taskforce and your mission is to design an anti-bullying program to eliminate bullying from the school

5. Process • Each student will pick a different anti-bullying program from a list of suggested websites. You will analyze and evaluate your program and present your findings in a Power Point presentation. You have 2 weeks to independently analyze and evaluate your selected program. You will have 2 weeks to prepare your final presentation. During exams, each student will present their endorsement to the class. Finally, a class vote will be conducted to determine which program will be submitted to the anti-bullying committee.

6. Step 1 • Using Internet Explorer as a web browser, each member needs to select an anti-bullying program from one of the following websites: • Don't Laugh at Me • Bully Busters for Kids • The Society for Safe and Caring Schools and Communities • Teasing and Bullying: Unacceptable Behaviour Program • Olweus Bullying Prevention Program • Bullying and Violence Prevention • Stop Bullying Now

7. Step 2 • Each student needs to independently analyze and evaluate their chosen program. Use Microsoft Word to make your notes. Here are some things to think about: • Why do you think students will embrace the program? • What measurable indicators are there that will let you know if the program is working? • How does the program work? • Who does the program target? • Who runs the program? • How are parents involved? • How does the program help students who are bullied? • How does the program help students who do the bullying? • How does the program prevent bullying from happening in the future? • How long does the program last?

8. Step 3 • Each student will have 5 minutes to present his or her findings on the anti-bullying programs. Focus on what you think is particularly important or unique about your chosen program. Use the questions from the previous slide and your own experiences to guide your inquiry. Remember to follow these ground rules during all presentations: • Show mutual respect • Demonstrate attentive listening • Save your questions until the end of the presentation • Be positive

9. Scoring • The following are the components that you will be graded on for your presentation: • Understanding of content (e.g., concepts, ideas, relationships among facts.) • Use of planning skills (e.g., generating ideas, gathering information, focusing research, organizing information) • Use of processing skills (e.g., analyzing, interpreting and evaluating data) • Use of critical thinking processes (e.g., research, critical analysis, invention) • Expression and organization of ideas and information. • Making connections within and between various contexts. (e.g., between text, personal knowledge and experience) • Use of class time. • Grammar and mechanics • Spelling • Presentation

10. Credits • by Erich Horst, Greenholme JMSWe all benefit by being generous with our work. Permission is granted for others to use and modify this WebQuest for educational, non-commercial purposes as long as the original authorship is credited. The modified WebQuest may be shared only under the same conditions. See the Creative Commons Attribution • Non-Commercial• Share-Alike license for details.