Ask your students to think about a time when they heard someone being made fun of, teased, or put down. Tell students they will use this incident to answer some questions.

Distribute an index card to each student. Ask students to answer on the index card the following questions about the incident, telling them that they should not use names or other identifying information in their responses and that they will share their responses with the class:

• Why was the person being teased or put down?
• How do you think this teasing made the person feel?
• How did you feel when you heard this teasing?
• What emotions came to mind as you answered these questions? Write a list at the bottom of your card.

When students have finished writing, collect all of the cards. Shuffle the cards and redistribute them throughout the class. Go around the room and ask students to read only the emotions listed at the bottom of their cards. As these are read, ask students to raise their hands if they have ever felt the emotion being described (and not necessarily because of teasing or bullying).

Next, divide students into groups of three. Ask group members to share their cards with one another. Have groups take a few minutes to brainstorm how a bystander might have defused the teasing mentioned on the card. Ask a few groups for their ideas. (Responses may include telling the bully to stop and leading the victim away from the situation.)

To conclude the activity, ask students why people use put-downs. Have they ever witnessed this outside of school, in their homes, or in their neighborhoods? Ask students to think of strategies that will help them to stop putting down and teasing other people. And ask them how they feel about teasing someone in the future after identifying the emotions that people feel when being teased or put down. Would students ever want to feel like that?