Our group is thinking of doing a informational discussion with the local boys and girls club of Salem Massachusetts. We would want to sit down wit the girls and boys and talk about all the aspects of bullying and offer up some videos that would both inform and motivate the children to stop bullying, prevent bullying, and speak out against it. We could also do one of the projects mentioned below. When we go to do this project we will contact some of the following people :

THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB

OF GREATER SALEM

13 HAWTHORNE BOULEVARD
SALEM, MA 01970
978-744-0915
978-744-6203 (FAX)
www.bgcgs.org
Administrative Office
194 Essex Street
Salem, MA 01970
Phone: 978.740.KIDS 
Fax: 978.740.2486 

Deborah A. Kneeland
Executive Director
978.740.5437, Ext. 14 
dkneeland@fkoafterschool.org

Mentor Coordinator

Arielle Sobov

978.740.5437, Ext. 19

asobov@fkoafterschool.org

If our group were to do a service learning project for elementary students it would be a group sit down. For this, the teacher would split the groups up to 6 to 8 kids per group. The students would then go around the group and discuss what they feel a bully is. The teacher would also have them talk about how to protect themselves against bullying, who to get in touch with and how to help others if they see someone getting bullied. Once the students finish their discussion, the next thing the teacher would have them do is a trust fall lesson. Each student would have to let someone catch them while closing their eyes and crossing their arms. This is a true trust building experiment. It allows for a community atmosphere in the classroom.

Another activity that our group would do to educate elementary students about bullying, or as a service learning project could be the following lesson:

Introduction
Explain to students that an estimated 5.7 million young people in the United States have identified themselves as a bully, admit to being bullied, or both. Bullying can be verbal or non-verbal, physical or non-physical. Bullying can be direct, like hitting, teasing, or making threats. It can also be indirect, like rumors, manipulation, isolation and exclusion. A bully might be one person acting out independently, or a clique or group of people picking on someone out of a need to increase their popularity or to seem more cool.

Procedure
1. Ask students what the think the saying  “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can really hurt me.” Has anyone heard another version of this saying? Which is truer?  Ask students to take a moment to reflect on their experiences. Have they ever had someone say something to them that hurt their feelings. Has someone ever hurt them physically or tried to scare them? Have they ever hurt someone by something they said or did?

2. Teachers might want to provide students with their own personal example of a time they were a victim or a witness to bullying or they hurt someone’s feelings. If students feel comfortable, allow them a few moments to share their experiences aloud. And/Or read a book about bullying like This is Our House, Hey, Little Ant, Mr. Lincoln’s Way, Say Something, or Simon’s Hook.

3. Give each student a light gray paper “stone.” Have students write a behavior that could hurt someone or make them feel bad such as calling someone an ethnic name, or tripping someone. Younger children can draw a picture.

4. Have them wrinkle up the "stone" and then try to smooth it out. Explain that once someone has been hurt, it is never forgotten. You cannot remove the hurt. The wrinkles will always be there.

5. Hang stones on wall to create a wall of intolerance or have students sit in a circle and pile the rocks up in the middle. Ask students to think about ways to prevent these things from happening. Create a class list of ideas.

6. In turn, have each student select someone else’s stone off the wall or from the pile. Read your stone and imagine that this happened to yourself or a friend of yours. What could you do about it? Pair and share your ideas.

7. Together as a class make a poster or some other product (PowerPoint, video, letter to newspaper) explaining something positive everyone could do about bullying.

Alanna Herdt Reflection:

I chose this picture because it ties into what we had talked about in the first blog. The state does not have good anti-bullying laws which is a big problem. Bullying is growing and expanding, more and more kids are being hurt and affected by bullying. And now with the internet it is more prominate and even more difficult to see and stop. This picture shows the few states still missing these laws that could save lives.

I think that this project/blog has allowed me to really think about bullying, and where I stand on the issue. Obviously I knew that I would be against it, but I did not think I would be this interested in the social issue. It is truly a growing issue, more and more children and being hurt, taking their lives, and taking other students lives. My heart sinks every time I hear about a school shooting or young deat because of bullying. There has to be something we can do individually, as educators, as members of our community and as United States citizens. I think its only right that anyone getting into the education field is aware of bullying and is able to stand up against it, aware of the laws, the rules, and the facts. It is not a small issue. These students wont just "toughen up". I think in a learning environment especially its important for the students to be comfortable and to feel safe. Bullying does not allow that. As a teacher, and as a person its important to speak out against it in any way possible. Do let people get bullied in front of you-- its consequences can be irreversible.