Discussions
This activity promotes critical thinking, decision making, diversity of opinion and awareness of differences among participants. Parents can add to this list of statements.
Directions
To increase awareness of differences, create understanding and acceptance of different perspectives and demonstrate that sharing information (education) and opinions can influence our own beliefs.
Mark different spots on a table or floor space. Each spot represents a position on a statement.
When the statement is read, each participant (family member or student) moves to the designated space for his or her position.
Once everyone has decided their position, invite participants to discuss the reasons for taking this position.
- Why did you take this position? What “informs” you? Experience? Reading? Research? Witnessing? Opinions of others?
- After hearing more information about this topic (from facilitator; parent or teacher) or from listening to others in the activity, do you have the same position or are you changing your mind?
Invite participants to change positions if they feel differently about the topic during the discussion. (Positions range from "Strongly Agree" to "Strongly Disagree.")
Topics
- Cyberbullying is not as bad as physical bullying.
- Girls bullying is worse than boys bullying.
- Bullying is a right of passage. Everyone has to go through it.
- Kids who bully are losers.
- Kids who tell on bullies are losers.
- Telling an adult about a difficult situation (personal, social, academic or family-related) makes someone weak.
- Victims of bullying have it coming to them and need to change.
- Nothing can really be done about bullying.
- When kids try to get adults involved, nothing gets better and it sometimes gets worse.