The HEAR activities are designed to provide engaging and arts-based activities to open discussion, creating thinking, and expression about bullying. They have been developed with input from teachers and students. HEAR is a work in progress, and will always be a work in progress. Activities will be modified, and new activities added, as we hear back from you about what works and what you would like.
Complete the Scene
Summary: Students act out a real-life bullying situation and, as a class, explore alternative ways to handle conflict (based on the Theatre of the Oppressed exercise).
Target grades: 6th and above
Minimum time needed: one class period
Materials needed: none…
Finish the Scene
*To do this exercise, use the scene from Out of Bounds (included).
A different scene may be used, however is important to choose a scene where there is obvious conflict so the student actors are working to solve a problem.…
Tableau
Summary: Students act out a story about bullying using their bodies instead of words.
Target grades: 4th and above
Minimum time needed: 40 minutes
Connections to Bullying: Understanding how choices affect other people; exploring the role bystanders can play in …
Diary Of…
Summary: Students create a long narrative story with multiple characters and plot points in the form of a personal journal.
Target grades: 6th and above.
Minimum time needed: Ten days – two weeks. Each diary entry is a separate …
Newspaper Article/Point of View
Summary: Students will complete an in depth analysis of a story about bullying from the news and examine multiple points of view helping them build empathy for people who are different/unfamiliar.
Target grades: 7th and above
Minimum time needed: two …
I Am From Poem
Summary: By writing a list poem, students use figurative language to express complex feelings and experiences related to bullying and personal identity. This poem is a great jumping off point for other creative work.
Age Range: This activity can be …
Appreciative Inquiry – Reflective Selfies
Summary: Selfies are an everyday part of children’s lives, and they provide a method of expression. We often hear about selfies in negative ways – those that lead to hurt feelings or are spread beyond their intended audiences. Selfies, however, …
Making a Map
Summary: Students create a map as a way of illustrating how they perceive their school environment. By including locations that have meaning (positive and negative), students can explore their sense of identity and write about experiences they may have …
Making a Rainbow
Summary: This activity is designed to help young people explore their emotional responses to positive and negative stimuli and to be able to talk about these responses in a concrete way. It will also help students gain a better …
