This is one of a series of lesson ideas provided by Gill Chesney-Green from Derbyshire in the UK. (Thanks a plenty Gill! - Kim Flintoff - Webmaster)
LESSON: 4 O’CLOCK FRIDAY - Poem
AIMS: To explore the issue of bullying using poetry as a stimulus
OBJECTIVES: To raise awareness of the effects of bullying in school on an individual’s happiness and self esteem and to arrive at possible strategies for dealing with incidents of bullying
STRATEGIES:
Whole group work
Read the title of the poem to the class and ask for suggestions about what it
might be about.
Read the whole poem. Reactions? Are any of the incidents familiar? Have they experienced or witnessed such events?
Read poem again. Which incident would be the most upsetting and why?
Explain that you are going to read each verse in turn and ask for volunteers to expand on the incident mentioned - via thought tracking.
Small group work - 3or 4
Assign each group a verse. Groups to expand on the incident via role play. Begin or end with a freeze frame.
Perform/ whole group work
Groups to be positioned round room ready to enact their scene. Teacher reads a verse and the corresponding group carries out the role play. The poem is, in effect, performed.
Discussion circle
Class discusses points raised, the language used etc. Open up discussion to consider why these things happen to the narrator of the poem. Is it his fault? What would you do if people in your class tried to treat you this way? What strategies would you use to avoid such incidents?
Pair work - conversation
Victim and friend or parent.
Friend or parent notices something is troubling the child and tries to find out what the problem is and offers help.
Putting the strategies into action: Improvisation
in front of whole group followed by discussion
Ask for volunteers to act as a bully and as a victim.
Victim carries out advice given in previous exercise.
Does it work? Would it work in real life? If not, why not?
[Refer to notes ‘Working with bullies’ and the other information ie ways the situations can be tackled within schools for further discussion.]
RELATED ACTIVITIES: Diary of a victim and his/her bully to show contrast and even similarities.
ASSESSMENT POSSIBILITIES:
RESOURCES: Copy of the poem
FOUR O’CLOCK FRIDAY
Four o’clock, Friday, I’m home at last,
time to forget the week that’s passed.
On Monday break they stole my ball
And threw it over the garden wall.
On Tuesday morning, I came in late,
But they were waiting behind the gate.
On Wednesday afternoon, in games,
They threw mud and called me names.
Yesterday, they laughed after the test,
‘cos my marks were lower than the rest.
Today, they trampled my books on the floor
And I was kept in because I swore.
Four o’clock, Friday, at last I’m free;
For two whole days they can’t get me.