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The Fight to Fit In

Health/Life Skills Activity for Grades 3 - 8

Objectives
Students will explore the concept of peer relationships, and be introduced to strategies which will enable them to make friends, avoid bullies, and overcome shyness.

Standards


	McRel Health Standard #4: Knows how to maintain mental and emotional health.


	Upper Elementary (Grades 3-5): Understands how one responds to the behavior of others and how one's behavior may evoke responses in others. Knows strategies for resisting negative peer pressure.


	Middle School/Jr. High (Grades 6-8): Knows appropriate ways to build and maintain positive relationships with peers, parents and other adults.

Materials


	Videotape: Nick News Special Edition: The Fight To Fit In


	TV and VCR for classroom use


	Chalkboard and chalk (or whiteboard and markers)


	Computer(s) with Internet access for student use


	Research materials, as in a library

Web Resources
Taking Action Against Bullies

Pre-Viewing Discussion Points

Introduce this Nick News Special Edition by telling the class that they will discuss friendships. Relate the following quotation by writing it on the chalkboard:

"There were quite a few years there when I didn't have any friends in the neighborhood."

Invite students to share their feelings about this quotation by asking some of the following questions:

How important is it to have friends?
This person felt that he didn't have any friends. What do you think it was like for him to live in this neighborhood?
Have any of you ever felt this way?
If you had a neighbor who didn't have a lot of friends, what could you do to make this person feel more comfortable?
Describe some characteristics of a good friend.
Is it always easy to be a friend to someone? Explain using examples.

Tell the class that this Nick News Special Edition is all about friendships and "fitting in," and that some of many aspects of being and having friends will be discussed.

Post-Viewing Discussion Points

Segment #1

Prior to viewing the first segment, write the words POPULAR and CLIQUE on the chalkboard. Tell the class that they will discuss these words more thoroughly after they view the first segment.

View the segment in its entirety.Discuss the following issues and ideas:

In the segment, we saw students from two different schools in our country who each described the importance of being POPULAR. We wrote this word on the chalkboard earlier. What does it mean to be popular? Write ideas down under the word.
Is everyone popular? What does it take to be popular?
Do you have to belong to a group to be popular?
Is it important to be popular, or to fit in to a group? Why or why not?
Is it more important to have many friends, or just a few friends?
What kinds of groups are popular?
Some kids belong to groups called cliques. How do you feel about cliques, are they good or bad?
Do you feel pressure to belong to a group or a clique?
At what age does it seem important to "fit in" to a group, or become popular?
Without mentioning names, have you ever met anyone who doesn't seem to fit in to a group? Do you think this person should belong to a group?
Suppose there was a person who was a newcomer to the school. What could he/she do to fit in and feel comfortable in his/her new school?
What could you do to make it easier for someone to make friends?

Segment #2:

Introduce this segment by saying that you're going to put yourselves in the shoes of someone who does not seem to "fit in."

Write the following question on the board:

What does it feel like when you feel that you don't fit in?

Tell the class that after watching the segment, together you will try to find some answers to this question.

View the entire segment and discuss the following:

How do you feel about Noah? He says he doesn't feel that he has any friends. What could he do to make new friends? What could other kids do to help him to feel more comfortable and make new friends? He says he's jealous of his older brother's popularity. Do you think there's anything that his older brother could do to help Noah?
Joanna and Ian have been victims of teasing. What exactly is teasing? How has it hurt these two kids? Why is teasing wrong? Suppose you heard someone teasing kids like Joanna and Ian. What would you do?
How can Joanna and Ian (and other victims of teasing) learn to cope with the teasing and name calling?
What does it mean to be a bully?
Why do people bully others? If you were a victim of a bully, how would you deal with it? Describe some instances of bullying that have gone too far. Should you tell a grownup if you're a victim? Should you tell a grownup if you're a witness to bullying? Should a grownup be told at all? Should you fight back?

Segment #3:

Introduce this segment by saying that the class will now discover that kids are not alone in their feelings about belonging, being popular and making friendships. Explain that peer pressure to belong has always happened, and will probably always happen. Tell the class that in the next segment they'll see how some very famous people have survived and learned to overcome the crisis of fitting in.

View the entire segment and discuss the following:

List some of the people discussed in the segment, and discuss some of the ways they learned to solve their problems of forming and maintaining relationships.
Do a role play activity by dividing the class into groups of 3 or 4 and providing each with a different situation to act out.
Example: A new student has just arrived in school, and is very shy. Act out ways to make this person feel better.

A student is being teased by a group because of his clothes. Act this scene out with some group members as teasers, and other members as defenders of the victim.

Activity

Using the web resources given and a variety of library resources, choose one of the following issues:

teasing
bullying
shyness
fitting in
popularity
cliques

In the editorial, describe the issue, explain why it is an issue for young people, give personal views on the issue and offer justification for these views. These editorials may be shared orally in class, and may possibly be compiled as a class newspaper.

Assessment

Points Outcome Measure:

4-5: The student shows a great deal of interest in the subject and participates actively in the class discussions on friendships and fitting in. The student uses a variety of resources for background research, and creates an editorial on one of the issues presented in the segment. This editorial will describe the problem, telling why is an important issue for young people, give personal views on the issue and offer at least three reasons to justify these views. This editorial may be shared orally in class, and may possibly be compiled as a class newspaper.
2-3: The student shows a marginal amount of interest in the subject and participates actively in the class discussions on friendships and fitting in. The student uses a variety of resources for background research, and creates an editorial on one of the issues presented in the segment. This editorial will describe the problem, telling why is an important issue for young people, give personal views on the issue and offer two or fewer reasons to justify these views. This editorial may be shared orally in class, and may possibly be compiled as a class newspaper.
0-1: The student shows little or no interest in the subject and participates reluctantly in the class discussions on friendships and fitting in. The student uses a limited number of resources for background research, but does not create an editorial. There is no editorial to be shared orally or added to a possible class newspaper.