If your children or students are having trouble with bullying, assertiveness, or empathy here is a lesson you might want to try.
Objective: The learner will increase their understanding of what other children feel through making either a bully or victim mask then pretending to be that person while wearing it.
Materials: Pencils, construction paper or paper plates, thin paper or tissue paper, craft glue, craft sticks. crayons, markers, scissors. Chart paper, white board or electronic whiteboard. If you’d like a premade mask click on the words “Mask template” following for a link to a reproducible: mask template
Procedure: 1. List the four kinds of bullies on the board.
Verbal Physical Social Cyber
Cruel words Hurting bodies Excluding Text
Name calling Pushing Gossip Social Media
Intimidation Touching Cliques Email
2. Ask the children to imagine what the face of the bully looked like when he/she was bullying. Ask the children to imagine what the victim’s face looked like when he/she was being harassed.
3. Tell them that they are going to make a mask either of a bully or a victim. Encourage about half of children to be each.
4. Pass out art supplies.
5. Go over steps for masks:
Step 1: Sketch an outline of the shape you want to make, using the inside edge of the rim of a paper plate as a guide for the bottom of the face. Cut along sketch lines. Step 2: To make hair, cut paper into a rectangle about 2 or 3 inches wide and 2 to 18 inches long. Put this shape through a paper crimper if you want to make the hair even wilder. Fringe the rectangle to within 1/2 inch of the long edge. Cut the fringed rectangle into smaller pieces, and glue pieces around the top of the plate. Glue craft stick to bottom as holder. Let dry.
6. Once the masks are complete have students look through them and pretend to be the bully or the victim.
7. Keep the masks for role play. Or as an extension the children could write scripts and act them out.
Laurie Woodward 