Bullying Prevention for 6th Graders Literature Resources

By Amanda Sellman

Fiction: The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade

Author: Jordan Sonnenblick

Publication Date: August 29, 2017

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Description & Reason for Choosing: This book is about a fictional character named Maverick who is faced with many challenges in his life. His father has passed away when he was only 3 years old, his mother has acquired a severe drinking problem, also dating a man that physically is abusive at home, and Maverick is also facing bullying in his school due to his small size. Maverick decides for himself that he wants to be a hero and help the world to become a better place. He strives to do this not only in his school environment but in all environments. This is the best book for bullying prevention because it identifies multiple environments where bullying can occur, not just school and how a student can persevere through these struggles and prevent further abuse.

NHES Standards:

• NHES 1: “Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.”
  • V1.12.11 Explain how bystanders can help prevent violence by reporting dangerous situations or actions.
• NHES 2: “Students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behaviors.”
  • V2.8.1 Explain the influences of school rules and community have on violence prevention practices and behaviors.
  • V2.8.5 Describe how some health risk behaviors influence the likelihood of engaging in violent behaviors (e.g., how alcohol and other drug use influence violent behaviors.
• NHES 3: “Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information, products, and services to enhance health.”
  • V3.8.2 Analyze the validity and reliability of violence prevention or intervention services.
  • V3.8.3 Describe situations that call for professional violence prevention or intervention services.
• NHES 4: “Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks.”
  • V4.8.1 Demonstrate the use of effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills to prevent violence.
  • V4.8.3 Demonstrate effective negotiation skills to avoid or reduce violence.
  • V4.8.4 Demonstrate healthy ways to manage or resolve conflict to prevent violence.

Healthy Behavior Outcomes:

• HBO 1: “Manage interpersonal conflict in nonviolent ways.”
• HBO 2: “Manage emotional distress in nonviolent ways.”
• HBO 3: “Avoid bullying, being a bystander to bullying, or being a victim of bullying.”
• HBO 7: “Get help to prevent or stop violence including harassment, abuse, bullying, hazing, fighting, and hate crimes.”

Core Integration:

• • For my classroom I would assign chapters to be read during the week, and then once a week on Friday’s I would split students up into reading groups in groups of 6. These reading groups would be then provided a set of discussion questions that I would create myself, which are based on the chapter of the week we have read. Students are to collaboratively work on these questions with each other in their small groups. They would be responsible for recording the information down to which they discussed from the discussion questions provided, then turning their work in to me to record. It would be a formative assessment to identify if students are grasping the big ideas.
    
• Common Core State Standards:
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
    • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.1.a: Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
    • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.1.b: Follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
    • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.1.c: Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.
    • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.1.d: Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.

NonFiction: The Bully Book: A Novel

Author: Eric Kahn Gale

Publication Date: September 3, 2013

Publisher: HarperCollins; Reprint edition

Description & Reason for Choosing: This novel is a memoir written by Eric Kahn Gale who reflects on his experience in 6th grade as a victim to bullying. It includes the perspective of the bully and the perspective of the victim throughout the story. The story begins by Eric starting the new year in sixth grade. Right at the beginning he is labeled by his peers as the “Grunt” within his grade. Eric does not know why this is happening until he discovers the “Bully Book”. The “Bully Book” is a book Eric finds that includes rules as to how to make yourself popular. It teaches the readers how to put down other students and create fear within those students so that the reader can become popular at school. It gives guidelines and rules on specificities of how to do this effectively to obtain a popular status. The story reflects Eric’s time learning about how the Bully Book began, how and why it was used in his school, and what other people this book effected and left them in a position like his own as the “Grunt” of his grade. This book is best because it provides a real life example of what happened to someone else in 6th grade at school, making it relatable. The book identifies issues that surround students in this age range. The book was also written more recently published only 5 years ago, which will show students that bullying is still prevalent in the US.

NHES Standards:

• NHES 2: “Students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behaviors.”
  • V2.8.1 Explain the influences of school rules and community have on violence prevention practices and behaviors.
• NHES 7: “Students will demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks.”
  • V7.8.1 Explain this importance of being responsible for practicing violence prevention behaviors.
  • V7.8.2 Analyze personal practices and behaviors that reduce or prevent violence.
  • V7.8.4 Make commitment to practice violence prevention behaviors.
• NHES 8: “Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.”
  • V8.8.2 Persuade other to prevent violence.

Healthy Behavioral Outcomes:

• HBO 2: “Manage emotional distress in nonviolent ways.”
• HBO 3: “Avoid bullying, being a bystander to bullying, or being a victim of bullying.”

Core Integration:

• I would first have students read the novel over the span of a few weeks, giving them guidelines as to how much reading they should do before each class. Then, upon completing the reading, I would have students write an analysis essay (website link to what I what an analysis looks like) about the novel. I would require students to include quotations from the novel as supporting ideas and include the big idea/theme from the novel. This would help students with their writing literacy as well as practice their comprehension skills in reading. I would give time in class to start the writing process and would book time in the computer lab. I would include peer reviews of the students rough draft pieces of writing as well as edit their rough drafts myself.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.