On Wednesday of this week (Oct 21), please encourage your students to wear the color orange. It can be an orange T-shirt, an orange tie, an orange hat, or even an orange band. Wearing orange is a sign that you support those who have been bullied and are uniting to make a difference.
Classroom Discussion
- Have students look up the definition of “unity.” According to Webster’s English Dictionary:
Unity.
noun, plural u•ni•ties.
The state of being one; oneness of mind, feeling; concord, harmony, or agreement
- Make a list of synonyms for unity with students. Possible answers include: harmony, peace, consensus, solidarity, or agreement.
- Discuss what unity means to each of them, their school, and their community — and how it relates to preventing bullying and creating a safer school. Reflect on the statement, “When we stand together, no one stands alone.
- Discuss how you can show unity in your classroom.
Class Activity
The purpose of this activity is to make a powerful statement about uniting against bullying.
The process is simple. Students write a message on a strip of ORANGE construction paper. (These strips will be provided to your class.) Please have them write with dark ink or marker.
TEACHERS - BEFORE STAPLING THE STRIPS TOGETHER, PLEASE PROOFREAD WHAT THE STUDENTS ARE WRITING, SO THAT NOTHING NEGATIVE OR INAPPROPRIATE IS INCLUDED.
The strips are then stapled together, resulting in one long, connected chain that visually represents the power of uniting for a common cause.
Ask students to write what they do to help make our school a safer place - OR - acts of kindness they have seen at Indian Hills.
The message is this — while one person can speak out against bullying, our message is much stronger when we come together to make a difference.
Thank you to Pacer.org for this fun Unity Day activity and lesson: http://www.pacer.org/bullying/resources/toolkits/classroom/project-connect.asp.
