Can banter be bullying Lesson Plan

The lesson plan under discussion is designed for Key Stage 2 (KS2) students and is part of VotesforSchools, which aims to engage students in meaningful discussions about contemporary issues, in this case, the fine line between banter and bullying. The learning objectives set out for this lesson are twofold: firstly, to recognise the various forms of bullying, and secondly, to understand the impact of words. The lesson is structured to provoke thought and encourage debate among students, with activities ranging from interpreting personality through sock choices to analysing scenarios that differentiate between banter and bullying.

Commencing with a feedback session on the previous week's topic, the lesson swiftly moves to an interactive starter where students examine socks to guess characteristics of the owner, setting the scene for discussions on perception and judgement. During Anti-Bullying Week, the class then ponders the reasons behind the lesson's focus, segueing into an activity where individuals must classify given scenarios as either harmless banter or harmful bullying. This is followed by a whole-class exploration of bullying, where students match actions to types of bullying and watch a video recounting Jake's story of being bullied, though educators are advised to skip the video if it may be too distressing. The lesson concludes with a discussion on the significance of kind words and the crafting of tips for positive banter, potentially leading to a creative poster-making session. Finally, the class engages in a vote on the central issue, reflecting on the arguments presented during the lesson.