Cyberbullying Drama – Lesson Plan 1

Target AudienceKey Stage 4 and 5

Lesson AimPupils gain a rounded understanding of what cyberbullying is.

Learning Objectives Pupils will discuss and dissect the term cyberbullying and surrounding consequences. Pupils will share ideas within an informal setting.

National Curriculum Links Please see curriculum grid: England: PSHE, Citizenship, Literacy, ICT, and Religious Education

Scotland: Health and Wellbeing, Literacy, Christianity, Social sciences, Technologies.

GCSE Exam links: AQA GCSE Drama specifications – June 2011 onwards: This lesson can be used to support Unit 2: practical work, supplementing devised thematic work, acting, improvisation and theatre in education options. Part 2 (options 1-5) can also be used for EDEXCEL GCSE Drama. Meets AO1: practical exploration and Unit 3 Drama performance.

Timing: 50 minutes Key Vocabulary: Cyberbullying, target, bystander, accessory, consequence.

Preparation: Read through and highlight relevant sections of Childnet’s Cyberbullying Guidance for Schools http://www.digizen.org/cyberbullying

Organisation: Split pupils into small working groups within a large hall or classroom.

Resources: A2 sheets of paper and marker pens. White board or flip chart.

Lesson Outline MinutesActivity 1 Group work to understand the term cyberbullying, what

it is and how it differs from other forms of bullying.15 minutes

Activity 2 Defining cyberbullying. 10 minutesActivity 3 Sharing stories about cyberbullying. 20 minutesPlenary Reflection and evaluation. 5 minutes

Lesson

Activity 1Place A2 sheets of paper on the floor or walls to chart the following and record the results. Refer to the cyberbullying guidance notes for this section.

What does the word cyberbullying mean? How can someone be cyberbullied? How does it differ from other forms of

bullying? How serious do you think it is? How many people can be involved? What would you do if you knew of, or

heard about someone being cyberbullied? What would you do if you were a friend of

the person who was being cyberbullying? If you did choose to tell someone, who

would that person be and why? What kind of person do you think would

be a target of cyberbullying? Do you think boys or girls are more

susceptible? What do you think the impact of an

episode of cyberbullying could be?

Activity 2

Group to come up with a group definition of the word CYBERBULLYING

Chart key words associated with cyberbullying.

Chart key words to describe how cyberbullying could make someone feel.

(These may be key words that you can use in your drama)

Activity 3Ask your group to walk around the room and to think of an incident of cyberbullying that they have either experienced or heard about. Then pair them up to share their experiences, absorb the information heard, ready to report it to the entire group once back in a circle. They will find it easier to tell someone else’s story.

For practitioners to ask and discuss:

What do you think the exercise was about?Talking about someone else’s experience introduces the art of storytelling and narration.What did you learn most from the exercise?It is likely that most will have a story or experience to share. This will highlight how serious and widespread this issue is.

Plenary

Ask your students to reflect on today’s session and think about the following:

What they have learnt most about the session and initial opinions about cyberbullying?

What aspects we could take forward to explore for the drama?