My principal, as well as the entire 5th grade teaching team agreed that a grade-level, girl only lesson would be helpful. I immediately started looking through my office library and on-line resources to help in developing a lesson. I knew I wanted to utilize movie clips to display my message, as I needed something culturally relevant to catch the attention of my audience. The movie Mean Girls seemed ideal!
I found some great informational websites to help with content:
1. www.opheliaproject.org
2. www.relationalaggression.com
3. www.youthlight.com
The powerpoint I created reviewed the definition of Relational Aggression (RA), how students use RA to ruin relationships, and why RA is used on one another. The next section of the PowerPoint described the social structures of unhealthy girl relationships. Roles such as the queen, the sidekick, the gossip, the floater, the bystander, the wannabee, and the target were all discussed. I then showed the girls two video clips from Mean Girls the movie. The clips were followed by a discussion, which raised the question, "Do these clips remind you of your own friendship experiences?" This question lead to a conversation on how to stop RA in a peer group or how remove yourself from unhealthy situations. The lesson ended with a comparison between cliques and friendship groups.
The final thought was a picture of the acronym 'think.' This tool asks questions that can prompt kids to make better choices.
T ~ Is it True?
H ~ Is it Helpful?
I ~ Is it Inspiring?
N ~ Is it Helpful?
K ~ Is it Kind?
I wanted students to leave with the notion that they are in-charge of every decision they make, and because of this they have to be prepared for the consequences, whether they are positive or negative. The choices they make now will impact their futures.
The Relational Aggression Powerpoint
