Classroom Activities: Dating Violence Prevention
How to Use this in a Classroom
We invite your class to participate in the Interactive Film; create and post their own dramatic interventions online. Or write and post their violence prevention Ads online. You can do this activity just for your own class comprehension and analysis.
Prepare your students first. Use the activities in the Educational Guide: “This is What I Think” and “On the Street Interview.”
Then view the film.
Follow it up with these exciting activities:
Participate in the Interactive Film
We invite your class to participate in the Interactive Film; create and post their own dramatic interventions online.
Watch Jarvis for practical instructions on how to film and post it online.
After you watch the film with your class, talk about what the problems were, what interactions were effective, and which missed the mark.
Ask: What could they have done differently to improve the situation?
Brainstorm actions that would help prevent harm from coming to Felicity. What could she or others do differently? Select three or four as best options.
Divide the class into three or four smaller groups, each dedicated to ONE of the options. Each group will work on a distinct option. No two groups will work on the same option.
In these small groups, have students create a short scene of about one or two minutes acting out that option and showing how that would change the action in the original play so that things turn out for the better. Remember, these characters are who they are. You can’t magically change them into someone else. Work with the character traits they’ve got. And remember you’re making it better.
Rehearse and present the scene back to the class.
Ask the class what was effective and why? What changed? Was it realistic? What did you see? How do the characters feel about it all now? What might happen next? Then and only then, ask the actors what they were trying to change and do. Did it work?
What is the most effective intervention?
Film it. For instructions view Jarvis Emerald’s video and follow the instructions on how to submit on the page.
Go see what others have posted.
Visit the site and ‘like’ your favorites.
Post your comments.
Have fun!
Create Violence Prevention Promotions
We invite your class to stand up and say Stop the Violence in their own way. Create your ads and post them to our website. Join the campaign.
Watch Jarvis for practical instructions on how to film and post it online.
After you watch the film with your class, talk about what the problems were. What would they say to others to help stop the violence?
How can you say your message in a few words so that other people will notice and understand your purpose?
Divide the class into small groups to write a slogan / catchy phrase / short advertising statement. The intention of the slogan is to campaign against dating violence and sexual assault.
Ask each group to brainstorm ideas, without discussing them yet. Together, select the strongest three or four. Then brainstorm the message behind the slogan. What’s the message saying? What’s the message they want the slogan to say?
Try to heighten the power of the language? Is there a stronger word they could use? (Run could be sprint, flow, scamper, hurry, rush, dash, race... You get the picture.)
Finalize it.
The internet can be a powerful tool for sending positive messages. Use it.
A Public Service Announcement is a kind of advertisement used on radio, television, the internet and over school speaker systems. The short form is PSA. A Video PSA, of course, is one that’s filmed. It’s basically an ad. That’s what we’re looking for.
Every ad places a slogan in the context of a longer message. The slogan sums it all up, packs the punch, and sends the message home. You already discussed the message you want to give.
Now write the whole piece as though it’s a radio or tv announcement, placing the slogan inside the ad where it will really cap the message. Use any style you want. Be creative with it.
The whole piece should be about 30 seconds long at the most when read out loud. That’s about half a page at most.
Once the students have written their PSA / ad, have them share with the class.
Ask the class to select the ones that really deliver the message strongly. Why do they think so? What’s so powerful about it?
Practise reading the ad out loud as though you are an announcer or performer.
What tone of voice and emotional quality delivers it the best?
If there were music, what kind of music, what mood of music, might there be?
Don’t stop here! Have selected PSA’s read by students on the intercom during the school announcements.
To join the Far From The Heart movement, put your Ad into the following format.
Intro: “This is coming to you from xxx (location, country).”
“Our message supports the Far From The Heart campaign against teen dating violence and sexual assault. If you want to help stop the violence, we invite you to participate in Far From the Heart. Post your own message too. Help our voices be heard. Please go to www.farfromtheheart.com for details.”
Your Ad
Out-tro: “Help our message be heard by clicking on the ‘like’ button below this video. (point below) And if you’d like to write your own message and participate, interact with farfromtheheart.com for all the details.”
Film it. For instructions view Jarvis Emerald’s video and follow the instructions on how to submit on the page.
Go see what others are saying.
Visit the site and ‘like’ your favorites.
Post your comments.
Have fun!
Teacher’s Guide
For more activities, download the Teacher’s Guide
