The Power of Positive Responses

Lesson Plan

Grade(s): 5 Unit: Internet Safety

Lesson: 3 of 3

H&PE Curriculum Expectations

2019 H&PE Curriculum Expectations: A1.1, A1.2, A1.4, A1.5, A1.6, D1.1, D2.2, D3.2

Materials
Chart paper and markers or access to a shared document

Index cards

Scenarios from Lesson 1 and Lesson 2

Teacher Resource: Rubric

Learning Goals
I can describe different types of hurtful comments that might occur online and their effects on ourselves
and others.

I can explain how a person's actions online can affect their and others' feelings, thoughts, mental
health, and reputation.

I can use my coping and conflict resolution skills to decide on strategies I can use to support an
individual who is experiencing cyberbullying or other threatening situations online.

I can identify trusted people and services who can help someone who is dealing with harmful
behaviours online.

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Overall Assessment
Using a rubric, provide feedback on students’ ability to explain how negative actions online can impact
themselves and others, skills and strategies to deal with threatening situations, and sources of support.

Minds-On
Review the learning goals, co-constructed success criteria, and guiding questions with the class. Consider
posting the success criteria and guiding questions in the learning space for reference throughout the lesson.

Guiding questions:

How can harmful comments and behaviours impact someone who is the target of the comment or
behaviour?

How might a person’s actions affect their and others’ feelings, self-concept, mental health, and/or
reputation?

How can you use your skills to deal with threatening situations?

How can you positively and safely respond to support someone who is being subjected to hurtful
comments or behaviours when online?

What people or services are available in our community to help someone who is affected by another
person’s harmful actions?

What people or services are available in our community to help someone who is affected by another person’s
harmful actions?

Use the following prompt to lead a large-group discussion.

Teacher prompt: “A person's comments and actions can have either a positive or negative impact on the
feelings of others, their mental health, and their reputation. What are some examples of an action that can
affect someone’s feelings, self-concept, or reputation in a positive way? How do your actions – positive or
negative – have an impact on your own self-concept and reputation?”

Student responses:

“Being a partner to someone who has been left out would help them feel included.”

“Helping someone with a problem makes them feel that they can count on me for support.”

“Standing up for someone who is being bullied or harassed makes them feel that they matter and
they’re not alone.”

“Having a positive attitude towards other people can make you feel good about yourself.”

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 “Doing nice things for others makes people want to be around you.”

“Always being negative or putting other people down reflects badly on you and can make you feel
worse about yourself.”

Organize students into groups of 4–5. Provide each group with chart paper and markers or access to a share
document.

Using a Graffiti strategy, have groups record their responses to the guiding questions, using lines and circles
to make connections between their ideas.

Action
Have groups select a scenario from Lesson 1 or 2 that they would like to re-enact. Try to have all scenarios
represented by group selections.

Have groups work collaboratively to create and perform a skit or a series of tableaux with captions to convey
the emotions of the characters involved in the situation, how they are affected by the comments and actions
of others, how each character copes with the situation, and how they resolve their problem. Explain to groups
that the goal of the performance is to educate others about how a person's actions online, whether positive or
negative, can affect their own and others' feelings, self-concept, mental health, emotional well-being, and
reputation and how to respond positively to support an individual who is experiencing hurtful comments or
behaviours online.

Co-create success criteria with groups for the required format and content of their skit or tableau. (For
example: showing how a person’s actions online can affect their own and other’s feelings, self-concept,
mental health, and reputation; knowing when and how to seek help; positive actions an individual can take to
support someone who is experiencing hurtful behaviour online.)

Provide groups with sufficient time to create their skit or tableau and then perform it for the class.

Use a Think Pair Share strategy and the following question prompts to invite students to respond to each of
the performances.

Question prompts:

Could the characters have made better decisions to resolve the conflicts they face?

Do you think the conflict was fully resolved and everyone was supported?

How do you know the individual in the scenario made the right decision?

If the situation involved you, how do you know you’ve made the right decision? Would you consider the
conflict resolved? How would you feel about the resolution?

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Consolidation
Provide students with an index card to use for an Exit Card and respond to the following prompt.

Teacher prompt: “How would you positively and safely respond in order to support someone who is being
subjected to homophobic, racist, or sexist comments or cyberbullying behaviours when online? What could
you do if you were a witness to it?”

Student response: “I can listen to my friend and talk about ways they can stand up for themselves, stating
firmly that it’s not okay to say things that are racist, homophobic, or sexist even in a joking way. I can stand
up for my friend if I witness or hear about cyberbullying, or I can get help by telling a trusted adult.”

Have students add to their Reflection Journal by responding to the following questions from the Guiding
questions in the Minds-On section:

How can you use your skills to deal with threatening situations?

What people or services are available in our community to help someone who is affected by another
person’s harmful actions?

Notes to Teachers
Be prepared to offer additional mental health support for students who may find these discussions
challenging. Some students may find this lesson triggering or upsetting.

Know who to go to for help if you need it. Be familiar with the school board’s list of community agencies or
organizations that provide contact information for resource people within the school and community to whom
you can refer students. These contacts should include people with professional expertise and knowledge in
dealing with gender-based violence, homophobia, and/or sexual assault as well as those who can help
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered youth and students with special education needs. Schools in
remote areas where immediate resources are limited should have a list of people and organizations that can
provide help from a distance if needed.

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