Part 4: Lesson Plan: Holes, Bullies

Talking About Bullies: In Holes, Stanley was bullied and teased by kids at school because he was overweight. Derrick Dunne actively bullies Stanley, but Stanley gets no help from the teachers who do not think a smaller boy could be able to bully a bigger boy. How would you feel if you were in Stanley’s position? How would you deal with bullying and teasing from classmates and adults?

Objectives: To educate students in how to deal with bullies and bullying.

Directions:

1. Discuss what a bully is.

a. A bully can be anyone (child or adult) “who does not treat you with respect. They make you feel unsafe in places that should be safe, such as the classroom, lunch room and the playground” (Suite 101).

b. A bully may use a variety of different tactics such as name calling, pushing, or scaring/intimidating others to do something. There are also different kinds of bullying such as gossip, exclusion, physical bullying, and verbal bullying.

c. Adults can be bullied too and it doesn’t always happen in schools. It can also happen in the workplace or in families.

2. Have the students role play in order to “teach them how to respond to various situations they may find themselves in with a bully” (Suite 101).

a. How would you respond if another student was calling you names?

b. What should you do if another student bullies you physically?

c. What do you do if you are being purposefully excluded?

d. What do you do if adults don’t believe you are being bullied?

e. What would you do if you knew that a friend was being bullied?

3. Be sure the students know that they should not retaliate with physical violence or verbal abuse. Instead they should report the problem to an adult. It is the teachers’ duty to take all reports seriously and create a safe environment for children at school.