LESSONPLAN:BeingGingerDocumentary

SUBJECT(S):U.S.History,LanguageArts,Health

GRADES:912,Homeschool

DESCRIPTION

Thislessonplan,basedonthedocumentaryfilmBeingGinger,
willhelpstudentsbetterunderstandtheissuesconcerninghow
perceiveddifferencesandstereotypescanresultin
discrimination,biasandsocialisolationforothermembersof
society.

TheBeingGingerlessonplanalsoprovideseducatorswith
severalprojectbasedlearningactivities,aswellasaTeacherDiscussionGuide,thataddress
studentstrategiesforcopingwithbullyingandovercomingfeelingsofsocialisolationatschool,
homeandinsocietyatlarge.

Note:Discussionofissuesrelatedtobullying,isolationandselfharmcanelicitstrong
responsesfromstudents.Teachersshouldbeawareofthisandcloselymonitorclass
discussion.

LEARNINGOBJECTIVES

AfterviewingthedocumentaryfilmBeingGinger,studentswillunderstandthefollowing:

Theroleofdiversityinsocietyandtheimportanceofsharedvalues,humanrightsand
civicbeliefsinanincreasinglydiverseglobalcommunity.

Increasedstudentawarenessonhowemotional,physicalandverbalbullyingimpacts
boththeselfesteemandselfworthofthepersonbeingbullied.

IssuesconcerningthedisparitiesbetweenidealsandrealityinAmericanculturallifeand
theimpactofstereotypesbasedonphysicalattributes,genderorrace.

Understandhowdifferentgroupsattempttoachievetheirgoals(e.g.,thegrievancesof
minoritygroups)andtheirreferencetothenationscharterdocumentstorectifypast
injusticeslocalcommunityefforts.

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PreparedbyDerekE.Baird,M.A.|NotendorsedbyoraffiliatedwithBeingGinger.
LESSONMATERIALS

Tocompletethislesson,studentsand/orteacherswillneedaccesstothefollowingmaterials:

CopyofthedocumentaryfilmBeingGinger|DVD|DigitalDownload
BeingGinger:MostImportantStoryhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj7GKteOmng
TalesofEverydayGingerismfilmshorts
BeingGinger:TalesofEverydayGingerismhttp://youtu.be/YOpQFITDgWo
BeingGinger:ThePitchhttp://youtu.be/FAwKSYy2UIY
BeingGinger:Stereotypeshttp://youtu.be/YOpQFITDgWo

ADDITIONALTEACHERMATERIALS

BeingGingerOfficialWebsite:http://www.beingginger.co.uk/
BullyingCanLeadtoPTSDinTeens:http://bit.ly/1sKuSC6
NYTBeingGingerFilmReview:http://bit.ly/BeingGingerNYT
YouthSuicidePreventionGuide:http://theguide.fmhi.usf.edu/pdf/Overview.pdf
HowtoReportSuicidalExpressionsonFacebook:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/75718714/Facebook101HowtoReportSuicidalExpressions
StopBullyingResources:http://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/atschool/index.html
CrisisTextLine:http://www.crisistextline.org/gethelpnow/

PROJECTBASEDLEARNINGACTIVITIES

Encouragestudentsusethehashtag#BeingGingerEduwhentheysharetheirstudentprojects
onYouTube,Twitter,Facebook,Tumblr,FinderyorGooglePlus!

ACTIVITY1:AntiBullyingPublicServiceAnnouncement(PSA)Video

StudentswillcreateaPublicServiceAnnouncement(PSA)thathelpshighlighttheissueof
bullyingraisedinthedocumentaryfilmBeingGinger.Ifstudentsfeelcomfortable,theycanshare
theirownexperienceswithbeingabullyorarecipientofbullyingbehaviors.

HavethestudentstalktotheprincipalaboutsharingtheirPSAontheschoolwebsite,class
FacebookPage,Tumblrand/orYouTubechannel.Encouragestudentstoposttheirprojecton
theirownsocialnetworkingprofiles.

ACTIVITY2:ReviewtheDocumentaryFilmBeingGinger

StudentswillwriteandpublishareviewofBeingGingerthatalsoaddressesthecurrentstatusof
contemporarysocialissuesrelatedantibullyinglawsintheirownstate.Studentswillsharetheir
filmreviewwiththeirclassmatesand/orschoolinapresentation,personalblog,YouTubevideo,
orschoolnewspaper.
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PreparedbyDerekE.Baird,M.A.|NotendorsedbyoraffiliatedwithBeingGinger.
ACTIVITY3:CreateaCivilRightsTimeline

Theteacherwillleadadiscussiononthehistoricalpatternofdiscriminationbasedongender,
race,religion,culturalstereotypesorphysicalattributes.

Studentsshoulddiscussthereasonswhydifferentgroupsofpeoplearesingledoutandcreatea
timeline(eitheronpaper,orusingdigitaltoolslikeaslideshow,FinderyorFacebookPage
timeline)thatidentifiesthesegroupsandthelawsthatchangedthewaythesegroupswere
subsequentlytreated.

Specialfocusshouldbegiventothefollowingdiscussionpoints:

Learnhowlawsaffectthecivilrightsforstudentsinyourstate.
Conductresearchandsharethestoriesoflocal/nationalcivilrightsleaders.
Createatimelineofpivotalmomentsinthecivilrightsmovement.
Studentsshouldunderstandthatgingerisaplaceholderforanything(glasses,national
origin,LGBTQ,gender,religion)thatmaymakeagroupthetargetofbullying,isolationor
deniedcivilrights.

ACTIVITY4:CreateaTeenSuicideandPTSDAwarenessCampaign

Inthisactivitystudentswillconductresearchandlearnmoreabouthowbullyingcanleadto
selfharmbehaviors,includingsuicide,PTSDandsharetheirfindingswiththeirclassmates.

Specialfocusshouldbegiventothefollowingcriteria:

Understandhowserioustheproblemofsuicideisamongteenagers.
Namethreepossiblereasonsfortheincreaseinteensuicides.
NameatleastthreemythsandfactsaboutsuicideandPTSD.
ListsomeofthewarningsignsofpossiblesuicideandPTSD.
Knowhowandwheretogotoreportsuicidalexpressions.
Knowwhattodoifyoufeelsuicidal.
LearnhowtoreportsuicidalexpressionsonFacebook.
Explaintheimpactofasuicideonfamilyandfriends.
ResearchhowbullyingcanleadtoPTSD.

Studentswillcreateavideo,SnapChatcampaign,FacebookPageorpostertohelpraise
awarenessonteensuicideandbullyingprevention,PTSDandshareitwiththeirclassand/or
school.

Encouragestudentstotalktotheprincipalaboutsharingtheirvideoontheschooland/ordistrict
website,FacebookPageand/orYouTubeChannel.

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PreparedbyDerekE.Baird,M.A.|NotendorsedbyoraffiliatedwithBeingGinger.

ASSESSMENTBASEDONLEARNINGOBJECTIVES

Studentshouldunderstandthehistoricalinstancesinwhichjudicialprotectionshavenot
beenextendedtopersonsand/orcommunitiesbasedonrace,creed,color,physical
attributes,genderorothercriterianotdeemedacceptablebysocietyatlarge.

Studentshouldbeabletoexplaincontemporaryinstancesinwhichjudicialprotections
havebeenextendedtothosedeprivedoftheminthepast.

Studentshouldbeabletodefinewhatactivitiescontributetobullyingpreventionatschool
andhowtoidentifyandhelpstudentswhohavewithsuicidalexpressions.

Teacherwillevaluatethereflectivewritingexercisetoseeifthestudenthasan
understandingoftheroleandimportanceoflawintheAmericanconstitutionalsystem
andissuesregardingthejudicialprotectionofindividualrights.

Essayorblogpostshoulddemonstratecompetenceinthegeneralskillsandstrategies
ofthewritingprocess.

NATIONALACADEMICSTANDARDS

ThesestandardsareprovidedbytheMidcontinentRegionalEducationalLaboratory(McREL)
onlinepublication,ContentKnowledge:ACompendiumofStandardsandBenchmarksforK12
Education.

Thefollowingstandardsareaddressedbytheactivitiesofthislesson:

CivicsLevelIV:HighSchool(Gr.912)

Standard18:UnderstandstheroleandimportanceoflawintheAmericanconstitutional
systemandissuesregardingthejudicialprotectionofindividualrights.
Benchmark:Knowshistoricalandcontemporaryinstancesinwhichjudicialprotections
havenotbeenextendedtoallpersonsandinstancesinwhichjudicialprotectionshave
beenextendedtothosedeprivedoftheminthepast.

Standard19:Understandswhatismeantby"thepublicagenda,"howitisset,andhowit
isinfluencedbypublicopinionandthemedia
Benchmark:Understandsthewaysinwhichtelevision,radio,thepress,newsletters,
andemergingmeansofcommunicationinfluenceAmericanpoliticsandunderstandsthe
extenttowhichvarioustraditionalformsofpoliticalpersuasionhavebeenreplacedby
electronicmedia.
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PreparedbyDerekE.Baird,M.A.|NotendorsedbyoraffiliatedwithBeingGinger.

Standard21:Understandstheformationandimplementationofpublicpolicy
Benchmark:Knowsthepointsatwhichcitizenscanmonitororinfluencetheprocessof
publicpolicyformation

HealthLevelIV:HighSchool(Gr.912)

Standard4:Knowshowtomaintainmentalandemotionalhealth
Benchmark1:Knowsstrategiesforcopingwithandovercomingfeelingsofrejection,
socialisolation,andotherformsofstress
Benchmark2:Knowsskillsusedtocommunicateeffectivelywithfamily,friends,and
others,andtheeffectsofopenandhonestcommunication
Benchmark3:Understandstheroleofdenialasanegativeinfluenceonmentaland
emotionalhealth,andwaystoovercomedenialandseekassistancewhenneeded

LanguageArtsLevelIV:HighSchool(Gr.912)

Standard1:Demonstratescompetenceinthegeneralskillsandstrategiesofthewriting
process
Benchmark:Writescompositionsthatarefocusedfordifferentaudiences(e.g.,includes
explanationsanddefinitionsaccordingtotheaudiencesknowledgeofthetopic,adjusts
formalityofstyle,considersinterestsofpotentialreaders)

U.S.HistoryLevelIV:HighSchool(Gr.912)

Standard31:Understandseconomic,socialandculturaldevelopmentsintheU.S.
Benchmark:Understandsmajorcontemporarysocialissuesandthegroupsinvolved
(e.g.,thecurrentdebateovertheevolutionofgovernmentsupportfortherightsofthe
disabledtheemergenceofcivilrightscontinuingdebatesovermulticulturalism,and
groupidentityandrightsvs.individualrightsandidentitysuccessesandfailuresofthe
modernfeministmovement).

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PreparedbyDerekE.Baird,M.A.|NotendorsedbyoraffiliatedwithBeingGinger.

BEINGGINGERTEACHERDISCUSSIONGUIDE

1. BeforeyouwatchedBeingGinger,whatdiditstitlemeantoyou?Didthatchangewhenyou
completedthedocumentary?

2. Ifyouweretocreateavideoblog,asScottdidinBeingGinger,towhomwouldyouaddressit?
Whatwouldyousay?Whatcouldyousayinavideothatyoucouldn'tsayfacetoface?

3. InBeingGinger,Scottsharesthestoryofbeinghumiliatedbyateacherinfrontoftheentire
classroom.Askstudentsiftheyvehadasimilarexperienceandhowitmadethemfeel.After
seeingthefilm,wouldtheyresponddifferentlytowitnessingbullyingbyateacher(scoutmaster,
coach,musicteacher,clergyorpriest)?

4. Askstudentsiftheyveeverwitnessedbullyingbyateachertowardsastudent.Whyorwhynotdid
theyreporttheincidenttoatrustedadult?

5. Bullyingandisolationatschoolcanleadsomestudentstosuicidalthoughts.Whataresomeofthe
warningsignsforsuicidalexpression?Talkaboutresourcesareavailabletohelpthosestruggling
withdepressionand/orsuicidalthoughtsinyourcommunity.

6. Askstudentsunderwhatcircumstanceshavetheykeptsilentaboutwatchingotherstudentsbeing
bulliedbecausetheyfearedtheresponseoftheirpeerstheirfamily.Howdiditmakethemfeeltodo
this?

7. WhendidScottfinallyfeellikehebelongedtoacommunity?Whatconditionsmadethispossible?
HowdidthishelpScotttaketherisktobeopenaboutwhohewas?

8. Whyitisimportanttofeelasenseofbelonging?Whatdoesiffeelliketonotbelong?Havethey
eversharedbeliefs,feelingsoractionsthatsetthemapartwithfamilyorfriends?Whatpromptedor
enabledthemtotaketherisk?Whatweretheresults?

9. Inthefilm,Scottshareshowhewaslookingfortheclassmatethathebulliedsohecould
apologize.Askstudentsiftheyvehadtoapologizeforbullyingbehaviorandhowitmadethemfeel
aftertheirapology.

10. WhataspectsofScottsschoolbullyingexperiencecanyourelateto?Arewesometimestooquick
totellpeopleto"getoverit?Howmightwebemorecomfortingtothosewhoarestruggling?Do
youthinkthebullyingScottdescribesinthefilmfitsasasymptomofPTSD?Doyouthinkbullying
cancausePTSD?

11. Doespopularcultureandmediaplayaroleinfuelinganddefiningstereotypesandsocietalbias
againstaparticulargroup?Shouldweallowtvshows,liketheinfamousBeatAGingerepisodeon
SouthPark,tobebroadcast?
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LicensedunderaCreativeCommonsAttributionNonCommercialShareAlike3.0UnportedLicense.
PreparedbyDerekE.Baird,M.A.|NotendorsedbyoraffiliatedwithBeingGinger.