Copyright 2013 by Elizabeth L Hamilton All rights reserved. Curing Bully Roott Disease (appropriate for all ages) Desired Learner Goals At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to: give age-appropriate definition of character express an understanding that character can cure bullying Supplies and Preparation Note 1 to teacher: Bully and real tree root diseases have similarities, but the real is incurable and, unless prevented, requires destruction of the tree. We can prevent or cure bully root disease withoutt destroying the bully. Note 2 to teacher: The first lesson of Unit C begins with a vital, rapid-fire, 10-minute review. Keep it moving and you will prepare students for curing bully root disease. If available, display throughout this unit a medical kit, real or toy. printout of all graphics contained in the lesson printout of age-appropriate assignment Teaching the Lesson Adapt your talk to meet student needs. Ask: What is a bully? (Answer: A bully is a person who uses words and actions in a way that makes others feel afraid or uncomfortable.) ) Say: We learned about the anatomy of a bully. Ask: Quickly, what 3 things is a bully s head missing? Lesson 2 (Answer: Understanding, desire, ability.) Ask: What 3 things are wrong with a bully s eyes? Lesson 3 (Answer: Out of focus, near-sighted, lazy.) Ask: What 2 things are wrong with a bully s ears and mouth? Lesson 4 (Answer: Wax plus earplugs and two tongues.) Ask: What is wrong with a bully s backbone? Lesson 5 (Answer: He has no backbone.)
Ask: What things are wrong with a bully s hands and feet? Lesson 6 (Answer: Broken hands and feet.) Say: We learned about the bully tree too. We learned that people know all of us by our fruit. That means people know what we are inside when they see how we talk and act. Ask: What kind of fruit does every bully tree produce? Display this graphic from The Bully Tree Lesson 1 (Answer: Bad fruit.) Ask: Who can tell me what physical bullying is? Display this graphic from The Bully Tree Lesson 2 (Answer: things you do to harm someone s body or belongings.) Ask: Who can tell me what verbal bullying is? Display this graphic from The Bully Tree Lesson 3 (Answer: things you say to be unkind to someone.) Ask: What is racial bullying? Display this graphic from The Bully Tree Lesson 4 (Answer: things you do or say to make fun of the way people look or talk.) Ask: What is emotional bullying? Display this graphic from The Bully Tree Lesson 5 (Answer: things you do or say to make someone feel very badd inside.) Say: Well done! When we left our story, Zachary, Kevin,, Alexis, and Nicole had just met Jim, a tree doctor. Jim asked them to come twice a week to help him cure the roots of the two Bully Tree People in Mr. Kirkland s tree garden. What will happen today? Listen. Tell this story in your own words, changing it to fit your listeners culture and ages Hey, Zach! Jomo propelled his skateboard across the street and squealed to a stop. Rodney says you guys are gonna help some tree doctor. Lead the way! Zachary loaded two heavy bags into the car and said, I can t. Jomo s hand tightened into a fist. Can t? He grabbed Zachary s arm. You can and you will, he said in a hard voice. You re taking me and my wholee gang! Zachary twisted away. You weren t invited, Jomo. Jomo scowled. Oh yeah? We ll see about that! He jumped on his skateboard, did a nosebonk over the curb, and sped around the corner. Zachary loaded one more bag, and closed the trunk justt as Kevin came out of the store. I got the shovel, Zach, Kevin said. We can start that sidewalk Monday. Time to get the girls at my house now, and head over to Mr. Kirkland s. They jumped into the car. A dark, scowling face, cell phone to mouth, watched thee teens drive away. Lips moved briefly, a hand pocketed the phone, and feet leaped to a skateboard. He was gone in a flash and the two teens never saw him.
Mr. Kirkland and Jim, the tree doctor, had asked the four friends to come at 10 AM Saturday. They parked at his house just two minutes before that. As the old man opened his door to them, car horns blared suddenly. All four whirled and stared. A parade of cars scattered gravel and dirt as they roared up the drive, horns blaring. Teens jumped from every car, slamming doors. Did you tell our secret? the old man asked the foursome. Nicole and Alexis spoke first. We didn t tell anyone, Mr. Kirkland. They looked at their brothers. We just told Dad, Kevin said, He wanted Zach and me to lay a cement walk, so we had to explain why we couldn t until Monday. We didn t tell anyone else, though. Jomo bounded up the steps before they could say more. Hey! he grunted with a sly grin. Word is you re gonna do some voodoo tree medicine. We re here to watch. Mr. Kirkland frowned. Don t know much about character, do you boy? he said. Huh? Jomo glanced at his gang and then back. I know all about character, he lied loudly. Where s the sick tree dude? Jomo pushed Mr. Kirkland aside and started into the house. Oh no you don t! Zachary grabbed one of Jomo s arms. Kevin grabbed the other arm and they pulled the bigger boy back through the doorway. You get out of here! Kevin ordered. Take your gang with you, and don t forget your inanity. You have absolutely no idea what character is! Kevin and Zachary half-carried, half-pushed Jomo across the porch, down the steps, and to his car. They put him in it and closed the door. They waited while his gang got in cars. They waited until every car had gone out the drive and down the road. Then they returned to the porch. I apologize, Mr. Kirkland, Zachary told the old man. Jomo got the secret from Rodney, and he must have gotten it from his dad. His dad was in the store when we told Kevin s dad. The old man started toward the garden. Jim has something to tell you, was all he said. The four friends looked at each other. Would Jim say he did not want their help after all? Would he never let them see him cure bully root disease? Did Jomo ruin everything? Jim looked up as they got there. Trouble? he asked Mr. Kirkland. Had to run off a bunch with no character, the old man told him. Jim motioned toward his medical kit. They need some things from that, he said. He started pulling strange objects from the bag as he went on. Character is a habit of always doing what s right, no matter who is watching you. That bunch must need that habit. These bully tree people need that habit, too. We re going to change them with our medicine. Character can cure bullying. Jim looked from Kevin to Alexis, Alexis to Nicole, and Nicole to Zachary. He paused a moment, and then asked, You four still want to help? Of course they did!! They gathered around Jim and began peppering him with questions about the strange objects in his kit.
Apply the story in age appropriate words. The old man knew something about Jomo and his friends. He did not know their names. He did not know where they lived. He did not know their parents, but still he knew something. He knew what was inside them. How do you think he knew that? Right! People know what you are inside by the way you talk and act. Think about the way Jomo and his friends talked and acted. They showed by the way they talked that they did not have character. They showed it by the way they acted, too. Jim told them what character is. I will read it again, and then we will repeat it together. Character is a habit of always doing what s right, no matter who is watching you. The tree doctor said something else about character. He said something about what character might do for the bully tree people. Who remembers that? Yes, he said character could cure bullying. That is very important for us to remember. A bully does not have to go on being a bully. Character can cure bullying! NOTE: If time permits, encourage students to imagine what might be in the tree doctor s medical kit. Do not give them hints or suggest that one or another character trait might be in there. Do not even suggest that the objects or medicine Jim uses might be character traits. Just let students exercise their imaginations. They will learn in upcoming lessons whether or not they imagined accurately. Project (optional) may be done either in class or at home Students create their own character medical kits, to which they will add objects in coming weeks. These may be as simple as an old box recycled to be the medical bag and filled with handcrafted objects to match those described throughout Unit C. Older students may want to create more realistic medical kits, or electronic versions. Each student should be encouraged to use multiple media to produce the most meaningful kit they can. Young children can use the simple instructions and templates in our Medical Kit Craft file, found in Unit C of the Prevent Bullying Program. Complete the craft a little each week. Assignment Distribute printouts of age-appropriate assignment handout..
Name: Date: Fill in the blanks. (Very young children may ask for help.) Character is a of doing what s, no matter who is you. Draw a picture in the box below to show what character can cure.
Name: Date: Write on the lines below the definition of character that you learned in this lesson. Explain on the lines below what character has to doo with bullying. Use your imagination to list the objects Jim might have in his tree doctor medical kit. See how long a list you can make. If you need moree space, use the back of this page.