1. Using Literature to Address Healthy
Relationships and Positive use of Social
Media
Danika Barker and Robin Giles

2. Generation M:
Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year olds
1. Youth spend an average of how many hours a
day with media?
a)
b)
c)
d)
6 hours a day
4.5 hours a day
7.5 hours a day
10 hours a day
Courtesy of Katie Cole

3. Generation M:
Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year olds
1. Youth spend an average of how many hours a
day with media?
a)
b)
c)
d)
6 hours a day
4.5 hours a day
7.5 hours a day*
10 hours a day
Compared to 1 hour of
physical activity
1 hour of homework
and 30 minutes of
chores
*accounts for multitasking
but not texting
Courtesy of Katie Cole

4. Generation M:
Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year olds
2. What percentage of youth (age 8-17) report
having access to TV, video games, or
computers in their bedrooms?
a)
b)
c)
d)
71%
52%
83%
37%
Courtesy of Katie Cole

5. Generation M:
Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year olds
2. What percentage of youth (age 8-17) report
having access to TV, video games, or
computers in their bedrooms?
a)
b)
c)
d)
71%
52%
83%
37%
53% of families have no
family rules on access or
content
Courtesy of Katie Cole

6. Sex & Tech:
The National Campaign
3. What percentage of teens are posting or
sending sexually suggestive messages or
images online?
a)
b)
c)
d)
11%
44%
76%
39%

7. Sex & Tech:
The National Campaign
3. What percentage of teens are posting or
sending sexually suggestive messages or
images online?
And 44% say it is
a)
b)
c)
d)
11%
44%
76%
39%
common for those
messages to be shared
with other than the
intended recipient
75% of teens realize/say sending sexually
suggestive content “can have serious
negative consequences.”
Courtesy of Katie Cole

9. Grade 9 English
th
4
R Program
Small Book Groups – moving beyond
the traditional role sheets

10. Book Resources for Grade 9
Title: Speak
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
During the summer months before she begins high school, Melinda Sordino is raped by a senior
student, Andy Evans. Melinda calls the police, but when they arrive and break up the party, she
does not report the rape. As a result of her call to the police, and the fact that Andy is one of the
most popular students in the school, Melinda struggles into her grade nine year, carrying her
secret and enduring social ostracism from the student population. Melinda is challenged to
speak when Andy starts dating one of Melinda’s former friends, Rachel. Rachel doesn’t believe
Melinda and the story develops as Melinda tries to regain her confidence and heal, especially
through her expressive art work.
Issues: sexual violence, peer pressure, substance abuse, bullying, academic disengagement.
Title: Sticks and Stones
Author: Beth Goobie
Fifteen year old Jujube discovers , the day after a big school dance, that Brent, her date, has
been spreading rumours about her. She is now viewed as the school “slut,” and must endure
constant harassment. With the help of friends, Jujube strikes back. She presents a powerful
oral report in English class on the subject of graffiti as a form of communication, using
pictures of the writing on the school washroom walls to illustrate her points. In doing so, she
empowers herself as well as all the other victims of this kind of attack.
Issues: bullying, harassment, family dynamics (blended families).

11. Title: New Blood
Author: Peter McPhee
Callum McDuff’s family moves to Canada after he is badly injured by a gang in Glasgow, Scotland.
Cal has permanent injuries, and frequent nightmares about the beating. Cal soon experiences
bullying at his new school because he is “foreign.” Although Cal tries to stop the violence, he keeps
getting attacked. He also is the target of cyber bullying through a classmate’s blog. When Cal
discovers that one of his new friends is beaten by her father, he tries to help. With the help of his
mom, dad, brother, and sister-in-law, Cal finds a way to fit in.
Issues: physical violence, physical abuse, cyber bullying, identity, gangs.
Title: So Hard to Say
Author: Alex Sanchez
This novel has two narrators, thirteen year-old Xio and her new classmate, Frederick. The
chapters move back and forth between these two points of view as Frederick navigates a new
school and meeting new friends, with the help of Xio. As Xio finds herself drawn to her new
friend, Frederick begins to realize that the only person he is attracted to is Victor. When Xio tries
to get Frederick to commit to her, he must figure out what he wants, and what this will mean to
the friends he has made. With the help of Iggy, a boy whom everyone torments and calls
gay, Frederick learns to accept himself, and to stand up for who he is.
Issues: homophobia, identity, questioning of sexual identity, romantic relationships, gender
diversity.

12. Title: Speechless
Author: Valerie Sherrard
Griffin Maxwell decides to pretend he has given up talking to protest school injustice. In
truth, he wants to avoid giving a speech in class and this is his method. Griffin is bullied by
the school bully when he refuses to do his homework for him, but can’t protest because of
his vow of silence. When he gets around to researching the issue of child soldiers, the cause
he named, Griffin is fascinated and appalled by what he finds, and ends up believing that he
really must try to draw attention to this issue. He spearheads a campaign to collect
1, 000, 000 signatures on petition, and becomes a speaker for the cause.
Issues: bullying, social justice, global citizenship.
Title: Girls Under Pressure
Author: Jacqueline Wilson
Ellie decides that she is fat, and stops eating. She starves herself, then is so hungry that she
can’t stop eating once she starts, and she vomits to get rid of the food. Ellie manages to hide
her obsession with dieting, but eventually her step-mother and teachers notice. She holds
them off with lies until a schoolmate, whom even Ellie can see is anorexic, ends up in hospital.
At this point, Ellie decides she doesn’t want to kill herself, so she takes steps to battle her
disorder. Taking control of her problem makes her feel empowered.
Issues: body image, eating disorders, bullying, fitting in.

13. Using a mentor text to introduce book
clubs
Using a mentor text as a whole-class activity before you begin book clubs is a
good idea because it provides an opportunity for you to introduce activities
and expectations that will be performed on a daily basis once the book clubs
begin. It also gives you the opportunity to see how students can manage a
collaborative group setting if you haven’t previously attempted this in your
classroom. In particular, it is an introduction to mature themes and
situations that students might not have confronted before, and an
opportunity to remind students of addressing the topics in a respectful and
mature manner.
•
•
•
•
•
Unit introduction – media talk
The “rules” for a successful group – student input
Reader response – first impressions
Note taking – post it practice
Symbols & themes

14. Unit introduction – media talk
An introductory
activity provides an
opportunity and a
“safe space” for
students to
address the issues
and themes
presented in these
books.

15. “Rules” of a group
• Be flexible
• Let them have some
input
• Satellite kids
• Reading levels and
readiness
• Behaviour issues
• Independent is ok
too

16. Reader Response – first impressions
I like to use this after the
first day, or so, of reading
and often use it as an exitticket. It’s a clear indication
right away of who is
understanding and engaging
in the text, and who might
need some additional
support.

17. Note taking – post-it practice
This is an activity that
students will use for
each section of reading
once they are in their
book clubs. Their daily
notes are assessed on a
regular basis and
provide scaffolding for
small group discussions.
We also collate their
work at the end of the
unit in a few writing
activities (book
review, character
plotline, quotation
analysis).

20. Checking for readiness
In addition to their daily postit notes and discussion time, I
find it worthwhile to have
students complete both an
independent task and a small
group task with the mentor
text.
For my ENG1P classes, I like to
use this as an opportunity to
review some of our literary
terms (ie. symbol) and one of
our broader topics (ie. theme).
This is usually where I test-run
some potential groupings of
students.

22. Multiple books in one room…
How to confront similar issues when everyone is working on different texts:
- Gallery Walks of theme sheets: identifying similarities and differences of
characters in their novels.
- Dotmocracy activities: what different issues are presented in our class
novels? Are these issues accurate to your lives? (they usually have MUCH
to say on this topic!)
- Close readings of texts: short quotation analysis or passage readings as a
whole class with a text-to-text response.
- Social media: have characters from different books interact with each
other in a faux (or real) social media environment.

23. Engaging activities
What has worked well in in my classroom?
• Character plotlines
• Tableau of a critical scene
• Dramatized scene with a stop and edit approach (modeled after the Safe Schools
drama presentation)
• An extension research assignment about the issue presented in their novel
Use other titles too! I have included the following in my grade nine rotation:
Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner, One Butt-cheek at a Time by Amber Kizer,
Beige by Cecil Castellucci, and Deadline by Chris Crutcher.
You know your students best, the great thing about this unit is it can easily be
adapted and applied to a variety of texts and titles.
Honestly, over the last 5 years of using, adapting, and evolving these activities I have
always found my ENG1P classes engaged and excited about this unit.

24. Grade 12
th
4
R Program

25. Novels
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming-of-age epistolary novel
written by American novelist Stephen Chbosky. The story is narrated by
an introverted teenager who goes by the alias of "Charlie". He describes
various life experiences through a series of letters to an anonymous
stranger. Issues: sexuality, drug use, abuse, relationship violence, mental
health
Skud
Tommy, Brad, Andy, and Shane are on four distinct paths as they struggle
through their last year of high school and prepare for very different
futures. Tommy, a model student, is headed for the military; Brad is
looking at a hockey career; Andy, who has just secured an agent, may or
may not break into the movies. Issues: violence, masculinity,
relationship violence

26. Looking For Alaska
Fascinated by the last words of famous people, Pudge leaves for
boarding school to seek what a dying Rabelais called the "Great
Perhaps.” Pudge becomes encircled by friends whose lives are
everything but safe and boring. Their nucleus is razor-sharp, sexy, and
self-destructive Alaska. Issues: sexuality, alcohol, risk-taking
behaviour, drunk driving
Crank
Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school
junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee
father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place. Bree is the exact
opposite of Kristina -- she's fearless. Through a boy, Bree meets the
monster: crank. Issues: drug addiction, rape, teen pregnancy
Far From Shore
Faced with instability on many sides, and living in an outport community
in Newfoundland, fifteen-year-old Chris gropes for direction in a family
broken apart by unemployment. Even his easy-going, humorous attitude
fails to steady him as he stumbles through the summer after grade ten.
Issues: poverty, education, identity

27. Cut
Fifteen-year-old Callie McPherson isn't speaking to anybody, not even
to her therapist at the residential treatment facility where her parents
and doctor sent her after discovering that she self-mutilates. At some
point, Callie does begin speaking to her therapist/doctor, and she helps
Callie understand why she self-harms. Issues: mental health, self
harm, eating disorders
What Happened to Lani Garver
Where does Lani come from? How old is Lani? And most disturbing of
all, is Lani a boy or a girl? Popular Claire McKenzie isn't up to
tormenting Lani. Instead, she decides to befriend the intriguing outcast.
But within days of Lani's arrival, tragedy strikes. Issues:
sexuality, identity, eating disorders, peer pressure
It’s Kind of A Funny Story
At his new school, Craig realizes that he isn't brilliant compared to the
other kids; he's just average, and maybe not even that. He soon sees
his once-perfect future crumbling away. The stress becomes
unbearable and Craig stops eating and sleeping-until, one night, he
nearly kills himself.

28. The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian
A first-person narrative by Native American teenager Arnold Spirit
Jr., also known as "Junior", a 14-year-old budding cartoonist. The
book details Arnold's life on the Spokane Indian Reservation and his
decision, upon encouragement from a reservation high school
teacher, to go to an all-white public high school in the offreservation town of Reardan, Washington. Issues:
poverty, racism, violence, alcoholism, identity

29. Teaching Cooperative Learning to
Grade 12s
• Brainstorming positive and negative
experiences with “group work”
• Introduce the 5 Basic Elements of
Cooperative Learning
• Practice 5 Basic Elements: Survival
Game, Practice book club

30. The Basic Elements of Co-operative
Learning
• Positive Interdependence: all members of a group feel
connected to each other in the accomplishment of a
common goal
• Individual Accountability: Every member is responsible
for demonstrating their learning
• Face to Face Interaction: Group members need to be
close in proximity to each other and talk to each other
in ways that promote progress
• Social Skills: Treating each other in such a way that
enables groups to function effectively (taking turns,
encouraging, listening, clarifying, etc.)
• Processing: Taking time to assess collaborative efforts.

31. Survival Game

32. Developing Discussion Questions

33. Developing Discussion Questions

34. Developing Discussion Questions

35. Developing Discussion Questions

36. Using Social Media in Positive Ways

37. Blogging In the Classroom

38. Research report

39. Social Bookmarking

40. Where to get information on the 4thR
Programs
http://www.youthrelationships.org/curriculum_resources.html