Grades 6-8, School Setting, Strength Lesson Plan (Bender-Fayette)

• Volcano Breaths – Take three volcano breaths. Next, with your hands at heart center, think of about a time when someone stuck up for you when you were being treated unfairly. With the next three volcano breaths, send that person heart thoughts.
• Dialogue – During our last lesson, we practiced standing up for ourselves and protecting ourselves from bullying behavior. When we feel strong and grounded in who we are, we can find the strength to be an upstander.  What is the difference between and bystander and upstander? (Ask students to define.) Bystander—someone who witnesses bullying but doesn’t get involved.  Upstander —the person who knows what’s happening is wrong and does something to make things right. It takes courage to speak up on someone’s behalf.  Dateline Video – My Kid Would Never Do That: Bullying Part 3 (start at 7.57) and Part 4 (end at 4:16) Watch the videos and discuss the questions below in small groups.  In what ways are online and offline bullying different?  What strategies did the upstander use in this clip? What else could she have done?  What advice would you give to someone who feels cyberbullied?  Have you ever been part of, or heard of, a situation similar to this? If so, share the story with the group without using names or details.
• Transition – Today we are going to prepare for being upstanders by finding strength in both our body and our strong voice.

Strong Body Poses:

• Mountain – Feel your feet press into the ground. Feel the strength of your legs. Feel your own strength. What is your strength? (Practice Mountain silently so they can listen to their strength.)
• Upward Mountain – Raising your arms toward the sky, think about a time you were challenged, but succeeded – remembering how it felt to succeed.
• Warrior Challenge – Ask a student to challenge the group to hold warrior for a longer time: 30 or more counts or beats of the drum. Have the student lead it.
• Strong Voice Worksheet – While playing soft music, have students lie on the floor with their eyes closed (option).  Slowly read the sentences to them on the Strong Voice Worksheet, with pauses for thinking time.  Have students move to a table/desk to fill out the worksheet.  Have students share responses with a partner.

Calm

• Relaxation – Mindful Moment Card: Lying on their backs, ask the students to have two minutes of relaxation while you read a Mindful Moment Card about Strength.  “Remember a time when you stood up for yourself or someone else. Where were you, and what did you stand up for? Think of the things in your life that are important to you and how you stand up for your beliefs.”