Impact! How to Make a Difference When You Witness Bullying Online Lesson Plan

Level: Grades 7 to 9

About the Author: Matthew Johnson, Director of Education, MediaSmarts

Duration: 1.5 to 2 hours

This lesson is part of USE, UNDERSTAND & CREATE: A Digital Literacy Framework for Canadian Schools.

Overview

In this lesson, students discuss reasons why they might be reluctant to intervene when they witness cyberbullying and identify ways that they can help without making things worse. They then use the interactive tool Impact! How to Make a Difference When You Witness Bullying Online to help them decide how to navigate scenarios relating to being a witness to bullying, and share their experiences to help them understand how important it is to think carefully before you act. Finally, students learn about "decision trees" and other infographics and create an original infographic to communicate what they've learned about how to intervene when they witness cyberbullying.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

  • identify characteristics of healthy relationships and unhealthy relationships
  • develop considered decision-making skills
  • recognize the key factors relating to intervening in online meanness and cruelty
  • learn practical tools and strategies for positively intervening in online meanness and cruelty
  • collaborate with others to extend their thinking
  • create a media product
  • show an understanding of the forms and techniques of a medium and genre 

This lesson and all associated documents (handouts, assignment, backgrounders) are available in an easy-print, pdf kit version.

Impact! How to Make a Difference When You Witness Bullying Online - Plug and play video lesson

This video version of the above lesson plan is designed so that teachers can present the lesson on a screen or digital whiteboard with minimal preparation. The video lesson is presented by one of MediaSmarts’ media education specialists and includes opportunities for discussion, classroom activities and assessment. 

Featuring content and videos from Impact! How to Make a Difference When You Witness Bullying Online, an interactive tool created in partnership with TELUS Wise to help students learn how to navigate scenarios relating to being a witness to cyberbullying. 

Lesson Kit