Bully on the Bus

Overview

Today you will introduce the unit “Bully on the Bus Journey” by exploring what bullying can look and feel like. You will begin with the book trailer and blurb, then use hands-on activities to brainstorm behaviours and discuss respectful choices.

Learning intentions

• Students will use comprehension strategies to make meaning while listening to the blurb and viewing the book trailer.
• Students will predict, connect, question, and summarise what they notice about the bully and the bus situation.
• Students will participate in respectful discussion using turn-taking, active listening, speaking clearly, asking questions, and rephrasing to show understanding.

Success criteria

• I can explain what I think is happening in the story by using at least two comprehension strategies (predicting, connecting, questioning, summarising, or visualising).
• I can describe bullying using clear, age-appropriate examples of actions.
• I can listen to others, take turns, and rephrase or answer questions to show I understand.

Curriculum links

• Using comprehension strategies when listening and viewing, and when reading print and multimodal texts.
• Using interaction skills for discussion: turn-taking, speaking clearly, active listening, asking questions, and rephrasing.
• Communicating ideas appropriately in group conversations and building understanding through discussion.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 5 min — Warm welcome & discussion norms

• Briefly remind students how to be a good listener and speaker: face the speaker, wait your turn, and use a calm voice.
• Use a quick “Give one / Listen one” routine: each student shares one feeling word about being on a bus (or a safe place), then a peer repeats it back in their own words.

2. 10 min — Read the blurb (visualising & predicting)

• Show the book cover and read the blurb aloud clearly.
• Pause at 2–3 key moments to ask: “What do you think will happen next?” and “What do you imagine it looks like?”
• Teacher models a think-aloud on chart paper: “I predict…” “I visualise…”

3. 8 min — Watch the book trailer (questioning & connecting)

• Watch the book trailer once without pausing; then watch again with teacher pauses for guided questions.
• Ask students to point to a simple anchor choice card (e.g., “I wonder…”, “That reminds me of…”, “I think…”).
• Capture 3–5 student ideas on a class board: connections to feelings, friendships, and bus routines.

4. 10 min — Hands-on “What is bullying?” sorting

• Set up three stations with picture cards and sentence starters on short strips:
• “Bullying”
• “Not bullying / Being mean sometimes” (or “Conflict”)
• “Safe and kind”
• In pairs, students sort 6–8 scenario cards (e.g., blocking seats, laughing to hurt, teasing with no stopping, taking turns kindly, telling an adult).
• Teacher circulates with prompts: “What makes you say that?” and “Which strategy are you using to help you understand?”

5. 7 min — Whole-class share & summarise

• Bring students together. Ask each student to share one scenario they sorted and justify it using a comprehension strategy word (e.g., “I connected…”, “I questioned…”, “I summarised…”).
• Teacher leads a short group summary: “Today we learned bullying can be… and we can respond by…”
• Students help finish two sentence frames on the board:
• “Bullying is when someone…”
• “A safe choice is to…”

6. 5 min — Exit ticket (assessment of understanding)

• Each student completes one quick choice on a small card:
• Draw one thing that bullying might look like on a bus, or
• Write one sentence: “I think the bully is… because…”
• Teacher collects cards as evidence for next lesson grouping.

Resources

• “Bully on the Bus” book (or shared copy) and the blurb page
• Book trailer video (downloaded ahead to avoid tech issues)
• Anchor chart/whiteboard for class thinking (“I predict…”, “I visualise…”, “I connect…”, “I wonder…”, “I summarise…”)
• Picture scenario cards (bus-appropriate, age-appropriate)
• Sorting mats or labelled paper stations
• Sentence starter strips for discussion and justification
• Small choice cards for questioning/connecting (visual icons)
• Student exit ticket slips and pencils/crayons
• Timer and a calm transition cue (e.g., soft music or countdown)

Assessment

• Observation checklist during partner sorting: can students justify answers and use respectful discussion language?
• Collect exit tickets to see whether students can describe bullying behaviours and make meaning using at least one comprehension strategy.
• Listen during whole-class share for interaction skills: turn-taking, active listening, speaking clearly, and rephrasing.

Differentiation

• Provide visual supports for all students (emotion word cards, strategy icons, scenario pictures).
• For ADHD/Autism: use shorter interaction bursts (1–2 questions at a time), clear station instructions, and predictable routines with a timer.
• Sentence frames and word banks for students who need extra language support (e.g., “Bullying is when someone…”).
• Extension: students who finish early can add one more scenario card and explain whether it fits “bullying” or “safe and kind”, using a reason and one comprehension strategy word.
• For EAL: allow pointing to cards and oral responses using rehearsed stems; pair with a supportive peer for rephrasing.