Lesson Plan for

Bullying Hurts
Topic: Understanding Nonfiction Text through Bullying Hurts Grade: 6
Essential Question: How do you read a nonfiction text differently than a fictional work,
and what do you take away from it?
DOL: I will read Bullying Hurts. After reading, I will be able to identify text features.
Using what I have learned from the article, I will write a letter to a victim of bullying.
Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular
details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.D
Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to
convey experiences and events.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.3
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or
listening.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.6
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific
words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase
important to comprehension or expression.
Learning Objectives and Assessments: Students will be able to identify and recognize
various text features, including: titles, captions, and headings. This will be measurable as
students will identify these features using stop and jot, which will demonstrate that they
recognize specific features.
Students will also be able to extract information from a text and add personal meaning to
it. This will be measurable through stop and jot and when they write their letter to
someone who has been bullied.
Assessments: Students will be informally assessed on the post-it notes that they leave on
the text when completing their stop and jot. They will also be formally assessed on a
letter that they write to a victim of bullying based on the content of the article being read.
Materials: Bullying Hurts, writing implements, post-it notes, whiteboard, and markers
Pre-lesson assignments and/or prior knowledge: Students will have some prior
knowledge on bullying, as this is something that we have addressed as a class before. It
has been discussed both in reference to bullying some students have experienced, as well
as during our lesson on social issues. This background knowledge will allow students to
approach the lesson without feeling too overwhelmed by the content.
Lesson Beginning: To begin, we will have a brief discussion about bullying. Students
will then be told to pay attention to the fact that what they are reading is nonfiction rather
than fictional (which is what they are used to). We will then address the vocabulary
words that they will need to know before beginning this lesson. They will have access to
these vocabulary words as they read.
Instructional Plan:
Activity 1 (Prior Knowledge): Students will activate their prior knowledge
and receive directions for the lesson as discussed in the Lesson Beginning.
 Activity 2 (Read Aloud): Students will engage in a read aloud of Bullying
Hurts. They will be instructed to read along silently, taking mental note of
some things that might let them know that this text is nonfiction.
Activity 3 (Stop and Jot): We will have a discussion about some of the
things that students saw in the text that made them recognize that this text
was nonfiction. The text will then be read aloud again. This time, students
will stop and jot on post-it notes about the text features that they see and the
content in the article. This will be done through I Do/We Do/You Do in order
to ensure that students are properly identifying text features.
Activity 4 (Discussion): As a class, we will discuss the theme of the article.
We will focus on bullying, and how it makes others feel.
Activity 5 (Letter Writing): Students will write a letter to someone who has
been bullied in order to demonstrate that they understand the content of the
article. They will be using a template to write the letter. If students need the
reminder, they will be able to engage in a kinesthetic movement about the
pieces of a letter.
Activity 6 (Closure): As students finish writing their letters, they will be
encouraged to share what they wrote with their classmates. We will then have
a closing discussion on bullying, where some students may wish to voice
their own stories. There will be a chance for students to ask any remaining
questions they have either about bullying or nonfiction texts.
Open-Ended Questions:
What are some features you notice in nonfiction texts?
What is bullying? Have you had any experience with it?
How might a text about bullying be nonfictional?
How did the real people in this text respond to bullying?
What should you do if you are being bullied?
What would you like to say to someone who has been bullied?
Differentiation: Will be provided to students as needed on an individual basis.
Classroom Management:
Students will have their own copy of Bullying Hurts so that they may read
along while the read aloud takes place. This will allow for them to maintain their
attention on the text.
Students will remain seated in their groups. This will allow for them to easily talk
to one another during discussion breaks. A teacher will come around to assist
students during stop and jot.
Students will raise their hands when participating in order to create a calm and
respectful environment.
Students will speak politely and respectfully to both one another and to the
teachers.
Transitions: Because this lesson will take place sitting at the desks in the room,
transitions will be content based. Students will transition smoothly from reading to the act
of stop and jot because they are familiar with the activity. Transitioning to letter
writing will be proceeded with a reminder about the letter writing process. Some students
may need to transition into a movement process in order to remind them how to write a
letter. If this is the case, the entire class will stand up, move together, and then sit back
down to write so that no one feels singled out. The lesson will transition into closure as
students finish with their writing.
Closure: Students will share about what they wrote in order to make connections and
demonstrate understanding of the lesson. There will be time for any questions about both
bullying and nonfiction writing. Time permitting, students will be encouraged to share
stories where they have seen bullying in their lives. They may even propose ideas about
how to stop it. This will show that they were really taking in information from the article,
and will demonstrate their take-away from the lesson.