A play by Alan Gotlib
Music by Alice Brass
Study Guide by Alan Gotlib & Brenda Hall

Sample Activities from "B" is for Bully

"B" is for Bully includes 30 activities that you can use to teach children about bullying. The following is an example of these activities.

Approaches to Conflict Resolution

It is important to point out that the way to solve a bullying problem is NOT with more bullying. In small groups, have students act out a bullying episode from the play. Along with it, they must show what might have been done in that situation to prevent the bullying. With the help of the students, try to ensure that each of the following strategies has been demonstrated:

a) making friends
b) humour
c) walking away
d) agreeing with the bully, e.g. “Yes, I am short and no, I don’t like to fight.”
e) refusing to fight
f) standing up to the bully
g) finding an adult to help

Role-play will help students to discover in which situations each of these strategies is useful. Children need to be taught about subtlety. They must learn how not to provoke a bully leading to a physical reaction from the bully.

Bullies and Victims

In Appendix A you will find the lyrics to “Bullies and Victims,” a song sung by the Erasers and by the Pencils in the play. Examine the lyrics with your students. Discuss the following questions:

What it was that made the bullies feel so good?
How did they do it?
What does it take to be a bully?
How does the bully know “just how to get us”?

Saying No Without Guilt

Blade and the Markers have difficulty saying no to Blanche. By always accepting Blanche’s decisions, they have lost their sense of control. Self-esteem quickly diminishes. In order for students to develop assertion skills and avoid pitfalls like Blade and the Markers have experienced, they need to practise saying no to another person. Divide the class into groups of three. Have the students create and role-play five scenarios where they take a stand and say no without feeling guilt eg.

“Want to go to the store at lunchtime? The teachers will never know.”
“Can I look at your answers on the math test?”
“Want to steal a computer from the computer lab?”
“Want to take a puff? Everyone tries it!”