Global Citizenship

What and why

Curriculum

In the whole school

School speakers

Literacy and English

About the lesson plans

Bullying

Fair and unfair

Hurtful statements, positive statements

Different but equal

Characters and feelings

Resolutions

Role playing

Creative writing

Children's rights

Nelson Mandela

Booklist

Geography, people and place

Lesson plan: Different but equal

From the Bullying online resource

Resources:
You will need the book Hurrah for Ethelyn by Babette Cole.

Introduction and whole-class activity:
Read pages 1-9 of Hurrah for Ethelyn. Ask individual pupils to point out where capital letters are used in the text. (It may be necessary to enlarge sections of the text for this activity.) Ask the pupils why they think Ethelyn initially didn't fit in at her new school.

1. What was special about the school?
2. Could anybody go there?
3. What does it mean to get a scholarship?

The purpose of this lesson is to show pupils that although we are different in many ways, we are all equal. People belong to different groups, such as for music, dance, sport etc. Sometimes people have a dislike for particular groups of people without valid reason. Sometimes people get jealous if they see other people belonging to a group, so they may bully them to make themselves feel better.

You will need space for this activity.

Ask the pupils to find and stand in groups according to the following characteristics. Pupils with:

• the same age;

• the same birthday month;

• the same hair length (perhaps have three groups: long, short and medium);

• the same teacher;

• the same way of getting to school;

• the same favourite animal, colour, television programme etc.

Give the pupils a moment or two within their group each time. Now consider the following questions in discussion with the pupils.

1. Were the same pupils always in the same groups?
2. Were all the groups always equal in number?
3. Were there any groups with only one child in them? Did this make a difference? How? Why? How did it feel?
4. When was it possible to guess which group pupils belonged to and when was it not possible?
5. Did pupils feel better when they were in a big group together? Why?
6. Did any of the pupils feel unhappy at any time? Why?
7. How could things have been made better?

Group activity:
Next, ask the pupils to draw a picture of the group in which they felt happiest and unhappiest. Ask the pupils to write the reasons why underneath.

Plenary:
Share the pupils' work. Can the pupils suggest ways of helping each other when they feel unhappy in the future?

From the Bullying online resource