responding to a bully
The simple activities on this page are to help you help students realize that whether they are victims or bystanders in a bullying situation, they are not powerless. After sharing the read aloud and completing the activities, students will be empowered by knowing that they have a voice and a choice to stand up both for themselves and for others in bullying situations.
Read aloud
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One by Kathryn Otoshi is a brilliant story that teaches positive ways to respond to a bully.
Read from the back cover of the book:
"Blue is a quiet color. Red’s a hothead who likes to pick on Blue. Yellow, Orange, Green, and Purple don’t like what they see, but what can they do? When no one speaks up, things get out of hand — until One comes along and shows all the colors how to stand up, stand together, and count. As budding young readers learn about numbers, counting, and primary and secondary colors, they also learn about accepting each other's differences and how it sometimes just takes one voice to make everyone count."
pre-reading activity
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- Use the "blank circles" file below to print off as many circles as you need and give each of your students a circle.
- Invite students to colour their circle using their favourite colour marker, and then cut it out.
- Have the students share what they like about their favourite colours, and then place their circles on an "Our Favourite Colors" graph like the one to the right.
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blank_circles.doc | |
File Size: | 29 kb |
File Type: | doc |
post-reading questions
![Picture](/uploads/9/2/4/9/9249025/4057881.jpg)
1. How does blue feel about himself when he is all alone?
Sometimes he wishes he were another colour, but mostly he likes being himself.
2. How does blue feel about himself when he is with red?
He feels badly about himself.
3. How do the colours behave before One comes along?
They try to help One by saying nice things to him, but they do not ask Red to stop being mean.
4. What does One do that is different than what all the colours do?
One stands up to the bully by saying, "NO!"
5. How do the colours behave after One comes along?
They feel strong by seeing One stand up to Red, and they say, "NO!" too. By being strong together they stop Red from being able to bully.
6. When is Red invited to be part of the group that counts?
Red is invited to be part of the group when he stops being mean.
Sometimes he wishes he were another colour, but mostly he likes being himself.
2. How does blue feel about himself when he is with red?
He feels badly about himself.
3. How do the colours behave before One comes along?
They try to help One by saying nice things to him, but they do not ask Red to stop being mean.
4. What does One do that is different than what all the colours do?
One stands up to the bully by saying, "NO!"
5. How do the colours behave after One comes along?
They feel strong by seeing One stand up to Red, and they say, "NO!" too. By being strong together they stop Red from being able to bully.
6. When is Red invited to be part of the group that counts?
Red is invited to be part of the group when he stops being mean.
post-reading activities
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- Brainstorm with the students what "taking a stand" sounds like. Write the words that can be heard when someone takes a stand into a speech bubble you have drawn on the board.
- Distribute the "Take a Stand" handout to each student, and invite them to illustrate and write about what taking a stand looks like for them. (The file for the handout is available to download below.)
- Have students share their responses once they have finished.
![](http://www.weebly.com/weebly/images/file_icons/rtf.png)
take_a_stand.doc | |
File Size: | 31 kb |
File Type: | doc |
references
Otoshi, Kathryn. (2008). One. San Rafael, CA: KO Kids Books.