Teacher Resources

The recommended age levels for this PBL Unit would be middle school age, ages 11-13.

Netiquette: 

           AASL 3  

P21C Crit. Thinking & Prob. Solving

P21C Comm. & Collaboration

P21C Media Literacy

Anti-violence:           

AASL 4.3.1 

AASL 4.3.4  

AASL 4.4

Healthy Self Image: 

1:3:A2 Describe the negative consequences of engaging in unhealthy behaviors

2:3:A4 Examine how media and technology influence one’s own personal health behaviors

3:3:A2 Locate sources of valid health information from home,school, and community

4:3:B2 Demonstrate effective conflict resolution skills

5:3:B3 Analyze the outcome of a health-related decision.

6:3:A3 Identify strategiesthat might be utilized to overcome barriers or setbacks

7:3:A1 Evaluate behaviors that maintain or improve the health of self and others

8:3:A2 Plan ways to advocate for healthy individuals, families, and schools

Objectives: 

• The student will give the definition of cyberbullying.
• The student will list types of social media where and when cyberbullying can occur.
• The student will investigate the existance of an anti-bullying policy already established in their school district, and if none exists, initiate awareness of such a need to their school principal and ultimately the school board.
• After this activity, the student will construct a list of three definitive actions to assist the problem of cyberbullying in their school.

The timeline of this problem-based activity will be four weeks.

Week one:  After the students have been formed into a group, have the students research the problem of cyberbullying (through literature, interviews with guidance counselor, computer expert, school board member, or teacher(s)).  Students will be then be able to define cyberbullying and list the locations of its different forms.  Researching from different perspectives could play a role on this, if students play different roles (bully, victim, parent, school administrator, principal, school board membr, bystander).  Those different perspectives could lead to deeper discussions and understandings. 

Week two:  Students will investigate their own school policy on cyberbullying.  If none exists, they will initiate awareness of the need for one.  They will make a list of recommendations to help with the problem in their school  to either place in a new policy or add to an existing one.

Week three:  To display and promote those recommendations, students will then create a handout for parents and students explaining the negative effects of cyberbullying.  Students will create a simple budget for costs of printing flyers and/or ordering awareness posters from organizations.

Week four:  Students will elect a speaker(s) in the group to present their recommendations to the school board, teaching staff, and student council.

• The students will identify cyber bullying in different forms of social media by conducting short research sessions using current literature (online and print), interviews with the guidance counselor, school board member, teacher, and computer expert
• The students will identify possible cyber bullying solutions for their school.
• The student will create a handout for parents and students explaining what they have learned.
• The students will create a simple budget to predict costs, such as printing.
• The student will make a list of three or more recommendations to present to the school board, student council, and teaching staff. 

Group and individual assignments (who will report back to the big group with their task and/or product):

Research of Internet and print literature:  small group

Interviews:  one individual student per adult (guidance counselor, computer expert, principal, schoolboard member, teacher, parent).

Identification of solutions:  group as a whole, with teacher guidance

Budget:  small group

List of Recommendations:  two groups, working separately and reporting to the big group, will make a list of at least three recommendations to help combat this problem.

Presentation:  two students elected by the big group as speakers.  The whole group would attend this presentation to three groups:  school board, teaching staff, and student council.

Teacher should have recent background knowledge of different types of social media, and preferably experience with those media.

Teachers should be aware that this is a sensitive issue and act accordingly (parent opinions, teaching staff opinions, etc.)

Teachers should develop rubric that assesses group work, and final presentation.

Teachers should plan for this activity by giving these specific instructional lessons (two to three weeks before the PBL Unit) in:

• Notetaking
• Interview skills
• Distinguishing between fact and opinion
• Examing perspective and/or point of view
• Definition of a healthy self-image
• Problem-solution notetaking
• Presentation and speaking skills.  Etiquette manners and actions (thank you notes, etc.) would also be appropriate.

These are the formative assessments a teacher can use for this PBL Unit: 

• Have the students practice interviewing different kinds of people
• Observe the group(s) in discussions and/or activities
• Set daily and weekly goals with students
• Have students keep simple records of ongoing progress

To also easily monitor progress, here is another suggestion:  the teacher and/or the librarian will have a checklist of accomplishments for each week:  research, interviews, list of recommendations, and letter home.  Informative presentations to appropriate audiences will be the end result.

See "Network Crash!" for assessments or clink on the link (to a spreadsheet you can print out and use) below.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AravAFrSeKPgdGxJQ3NPR3EwQjFqbURmVm5PZGR4Z1E&gmrcpt

This first link is an excellent website devoted to cyberbullying and has a good link for cyberscripts, which you will see near the top of the page.

This second link is another good website for teachers, and includes parent and student surveys.

Students should ideally have a certain level of self-discipline, empathy, and initiative.  Target group would include middle to high achievers, but try to include a few "shy" or low achieving students.  If the group(s) are more heterogenous, there will be more viewpoints. 

Monitor progress so it stays on track.  It's possible to get off the topic and digress into other things.

Keep administrative staff (principal) informed of all progress.

Send parent letter (available on Teacher Resources page) with kids explaining the activity and request only non-permission of child's participation.  

Use the below hyperlinks for more information:

The first link has excellent examples of cyberscripts.

The second describes the legal 1986 amendment.

The last link includes all U.S.  state cyberstalking and cyberharassment laws.