Wildflower Bouquets – Enjoy Simple Pleasures: March 2014

Good Videos about Stopping the Abusive Cycle of Bullying

Bullying. Most of us have experienced one side or the other or perhaps both sides of the issue. As a parent, one of the toughest challenges is equipping a bullied child with helpful and realistic resources, helping the child to avoid the temptation to define him or herself through warped lenses, and encouraging that child to recognize the reality of his or her innate, unique worth.

Bullying can have serious far-reaching and long-lasting effects. Situations are often unique, and I don't think there is an easy formula to prevent and deal with bullying in every possible instance. Life is complicated, but knowledge can be powerful.

I decided to compile some anti-bullying videos that might help various ages through different approaches. Some are more suitable for older ages while others are geared toward younger children. Several of these videos have gone viral with their poignant messages with good reason.

I hope you might find something here that may be helpful.

Anti-Bullying Videos

Famous Failures (1:16) Lucille Ball was considered too shy. Michael Jordan was cut from the basketball team. Walt Disney was told he lacked imagination. This video has captions that highlight famous people who were told they lacked potential. They proved the critics wrong!

Jennifer Livingstone - CBS WKBT News Anchor Responds to Negative Comments Related to Appearance (4:20) A woman who has several daughters seeks to demonstrate to them and to others how to stand up to a bully as she encourages people to recognize the people in our lives who support and nurture us. This was her response on air after receiving an email that indicated she was not fit for the public eye because she was overweight.

To This Day - Shane Koyczan (7:36): This video talks about various types of bullying and how the system often fails to protect those who are bullied. Although those who were bullied still struggled with issues as adults, he encourages people to break free from negative thoughts that often last many years even after the bullying stops.

Nick Vujicic - No arms no legs no worries (4:10) How does someone with no arms and no legs live a fulfilling life? Mr. Vujicic talks about how the storms of life may be challenging but people can rise above it and see the amazing value of the true self within. His ability to laugh is contagious! Near the end of this video is a link to his web site where you can order his complete videos and other products.

Lizzie Velasquez - How do you define yourself? (13:10) A photo of Ms. Velasquez when she was 11 years old was voted the world's ugliest woman on the Internet with thousands of incredibly negative comments below it. Her response was to use those negative things as a ladder to accomplish her goals, one of which is a motivational speaker.

You are Beautiful! (3:36) This message includes multiple Biblical references as the speaker reminds girls that they are beautiful, regardless of their outward appearance or their own thoughts. He challenges listeners to take that knowledge and change the world.

Charlotte & Jonathan - Audition on Britain's Got Talent (7:30) Jonathan (age 17) and Charlotte (age 16) try out for a TV show that features amateur singers. Jonathan talks about being bullied due to his size. Their music teacher thought the two might work well together as Charlotte helped to boost Jonathan's confidence. The judges and audience do not look impressed before the two start singing; the performance and standing ovation speak for themselves.

Erik's Opera from Happy Feet 2 (2:07) - This scene from the animated movie highlights how a little penguin who struggles to dance stands up for his father by singing a touching opera. Heroes don't have to be multi-talented - they just need to show someone true love.

Break the Chain (4:28) This musical message includes women dancing to an empowering song with lyrics that demand the end of violence toward women.

Dove Real Beauty Sketches (3:00) An artist sketches women based only on their self-descriptions. Next, the artist sketches the same women based on the descriptions of them provided by someone else. The experiment indicates that others often see us in a better light than we see ourselves.

Kids React to Bullying (8:57) Kids (ages 7 to 13) watch and share their thoughts about a video of a child who is bullying another child. The victim eventually decides that he has had enough and fights back. The kids who are interviewed talk about various issues related to bullying.

Tired of Being a Bully (5:18) People who bully others are often insecure and lack effective communication skills. This video offers specific suggestions for incorporating Dicy McCullough's picture book related to bullying while teaching and interacting with young children regarding the subject.

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Thanks for reading my article! Feel free to visit my Wildflower Bouquets blog for scavenger hunts, printables, and much more.

Conservation Scavenger Hunt by Katrena

Doing our part to save the earth is a daily choice. Adults and children can make a huge difference in how we conserve energy and use resources wisely. This latest scavenger hunt is a "green" one that has twelve conservation tips.

If you wish to save paper, feel free to pull up the riddles on the computer screen and read them. If you are printing, each page is designed to fit on half a piece of paper, so you can turn it around and print the next page on the other half. You might also print on the back of paper that is ready for recycling.

Here are some additional resources related to conservation:

Directions:

Set-Up....

Click on each image below to enlarge.
Print the riddles, clues, and hidden message using file-print.
Cut the letters of the hidden message and hide in the twelve locations (scramble the order to add difficulty). You may wish to print enough for each player to have one of each letter or have all players share and work together.

To play...

Have players read and answer each riddle.
When answered correctly, give them a clue to find the hidden letter.
Players assemble the twelve letters to spell the secret message: CONSERVATION.
You may wish to discuss ways in which your family and/or class works together to conserve our resources and how you might do more in the future.

Here are the first six riddles: