The Bully Project
What is it? Why does it matter?
"The Bully Project" was a group assignment designed to research ways to help inform our fellow peers what bullying is, what it can do, and ways we can stop it. What we had to do was get with our Think Tank people and create a section on the groups website designed for bullying information. For a couple of weeks we spent time on class as well as our own time reading and looking over in books and online the causes and effects of bullying. We not only focused on the bulling action itself, we focused on the bully, the victim, and the witness or the people that stand by and watch.
After we gathered up enough information we brought everything together and built a presentation through a slideshow. We also came through and created a small three minute video that, in my opinion, focused on the effects of bullying. The video showed how victims of bullying can just sometimes no take the pain anymore and just give up their life because it is turning out to be miserable. People are bullied everyday and we never know just how close someone is to giving up because they don't want to handle it anymore. The video also contained facts about how many people are bullied and how many take action. It also showed a couple of homemade suicide videos where kids have attempted self harm themselves. The goal of this project was to go around to as much freshman and sophomore classes and let them know ways to prevent something like this ever happening. We let them know it is OK to step in and speak up, because you never know if your saving someone life. After presenting the slideshow and video to the kids we then let them get involved in a game that pertained to the information. What we did for our game was have the kids take out a piece of paper and write down a word that they either called someone or have been called before that hurt their feelings. After that they crumbled up the paper and threw it in the basket that we passed around. After that they picked up another paper that wasn't their own. When they read that paper to themselves, they read a word that hurt someone before. We then told the kids to try and smooth out the paper and get it back to the perfect paper it was before. They told us they couldn't. Exactly. Weather you hurt someone with words or physically, that actions sticks with them and its hard or impossible to recover. |
Everyone wants to eel safe and secure at school. No one likes to be teased picked on, harassed, shamed, or humiliated. Right? That is why we wanted to help prevent these types of behaviors by passing down the information we learn to others.
A lot of kids also think that they can't step in when they see someone getting terrorized. Many don't want to get involved because they fear of getting hurt themselves or even think that what they say isn't going to make a difference. But we want them to know that everything they do or say is a big deal. Standing up, speaking out; it's a small yet powerful action. Bullying is wrong. It hurts people and nobody likes it. You'd be surprised how many kids heard this for the first time and realized how much their actions are important. That's why this message was a priority to get out. These kids are going to call Mark Keppel their second home for the next four years and we want them to know to make it a positive experience, not only for themselves but for their fellow classmates. This project meant a lot to me because personally I do know people who have been bullied or are bullied. It kills me to know that even a few hurt themselves because they can't take it anymore. The reason it did mean a lot was because it was amazing to see how many people wanted to rise against bullying and finally put a stop to it. We aren't a big school but imagine how many people see this and want to pass it around. Imagine how many people can put a stop to it in their school. Amazing right? Learn anything?
After doing this project, the biggest thing I took from it was the things I can to intervene when I see someone getting bullied. I am not going to lie, I have just stood by or walked away before. But now realizing the effects and how much it related to my friends then sticking up over comes my fear by a landslide. It seems that before I was usually one to not question anything or speak up. But that isn't the case anymore. Not only am I giving my opinion more in life but I know for sure that if I were to see someone getting bullied then I would no doubt step in.
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Link to "The Bully Project"
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Say Mean Matter
What is it?
"Say, Mean, Matter" is an online post our teacher assigns us to every once in a while. What we do is pick a quote from either a book, magazine, or newspaper. It can also be a line someone directly said to you or a phrase you hear out of the blue. The point is to pick a quote that stood out to you and write about it. Write your opinion and focus on those words.
So after we have a quote we want to write about what we do is split it down into three categories. SAY: write down the quote word for word and if possible name the person it was written by. MEAN: simply break down what this sentence mean to you. Break it down enough so that the read understands and can comprehend the words. Give the facts that causes or effects what ever the author is pointed out MATTER: this quote stood out to you for a reason. So why does it matter to you and the rest of the world. If the quote had something to do with world hunger then in the matter section write why it is important to reader to know about this. Also write about what we can do to stop or increase the situation. It the topic was world hunger then write about how we can prevent world hunger or ways we can give to people who don't have food. |
Why does it matter? Learn anything?
Contemporary Themes is an English class so it's obvious what we have to read, break down, and respond to a lot text. But what I got from my teacher is that we write down what it means and matters to me. Us. Don't right down that the author wants you to write down. The assignment teaches us how to give our own opinion and our own point of view. Someone might read a text and respond to it totally different then another reader.
Say, mean, matter gives students an opportunity to write down what really draws their attention and explain what they think about it. And then after we write it down we are able to post it on the class's website and share it with others. This was another one of my favorite assignments because sometimes the only thing I have to say, has to be written down. I don't speak up a lot and music means a lot to me. So when we have this assignments, most of the time I write down a lyric that speaks to me. Not only am I able to share what's on my mind but I also share what it means and why it matters. |
From doing this I learned to think more outside of the box. When it comes to me and writing lyrics from songs, most of the time I just see it as the what the basic meaning it. But it's cool to go into depth and go beyond the meaning then just the basics. Now in days basic is way too mainstream. I learned to put something so simple into my own words and get a new perspective. There is always a bigger picture and this taught me to see it more.
For example: SAY: "Imagine living like a king someday, a single night without a ghost in the walls. We are the shadows screaming take us now" - Pierce the Veil ft. Kellin Quinn from Sleeping with Sirens MEAN: This part is about someone that wants to push through and get past a breaking point. Sometimes it becomes to much that the person just goes crazy and they can't take it anymore. Living like a king means you can control everything. You have the power to push past and control your thoughts and body without a struggle. So imagine being about to not worry about the things that weigh you down and be free of the "ghosts" that keep bring you down. Now as a king you can appreciate the life you live. MATTER: Sometime you don't see it, but a lot of people struggle everyday just to move on. Weather it's something like a relationship or even things that happened to them in the past. Holding things in isn't meantally heathy for a person and it can end up tearing a person up inside. Try and listen when people want to talk. Sometimes that's all they need is someone to listen, not judge, just listen. That way they let go and move on. |