Stop Teasing Me!

Stop
Teasing Me!
Grades K-2
SUNBURST
COMMUNICATIONS
2542-03
Executive Producer: Jean Robbins
Producer: Carolyn Vanderslice
Video Production: Mazzarella Communications
Bristol, CT
Teacher’s Guide: Barbara Christensen
Stop Teasing Me! is based on a behavioral
goals program (“If you tease, you must
please.”) created by the faculty at Wampus
Elementary School, Armonk, NY. Special
thanks to Ellen Franzosa, first grade teacher,
for bringing it to our attention.
Copyright 1995
SUNBURST COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Pleasantville, NY 10570
ISBN 0-7805-4188-x
Table of Contents
Program Overview ................................................................................................ 4
Summary of the Program ..................................................................................... 6
Using the Program ............................................................................................... 11
Review Questions ................................................................................................. 12
Suggested Activities.............................................................................................. 13
Role Plays .............................................................................................................. 15
Activity Sheets ...................................................................................................... 17
Song Sheet............................................................................................................. 27
Bibliography .......................................................................................................... 28
Script ..................................................................................................................... 31
Program Time: ....................................... 13 minutes
4
Program Overview
Introduction
There is nothing new about teasing. It is a form of
behavior as old as civilization itself. People usually
outgrow teasing by the time they reach adulthood
because they learn that it is hurtful to others and is,
therefore, antisocial. Teasing is common among young
children, however, because their stage of development
makes it hard to understand how others feel.
Some children are targets of teasing because of their
inability to keep up with their peers in some area.
Others are teased because they are “different” in some
way, while still others react so strongly that their peers
find it fun to tease them. And sometimes there is no
reason for the teasing, other than the teaser’s immature
wish to have fun at the expense of someone else. Whatever the reason, most psychologists agree that being
teased as a child can lead to diminished self-respect in
later years. Helping children understand and recognize
teasing and the feelings involved helps them to begin to
understand other children’s points of view.
The Sunburst video program Stop Teasing Me! is designed
to illustrate how teasing makes the “teasee” feel, to help
children develop greater respect for others, and to learn
how to cope with being teased. The program features
short, realistic vignettes about kids teasing, and being
teased, in a variety of situations. It is hosted by a space
pilot named Sam Space, and his friend Roger the Robot.
Lively music enhances the program and carries the
message that “teasing isn’t fun, not for anyone.”
5
Watching Stop Teasing Me! and participating in the related activities of the program will help your students
learn methods of dealing with teasing and overcoming
the impulse to tease. These are invaluable lessons that
will help children develop into responsible, caring adults.
Learning Objectives
This program will help students:
• Recognize teasing when it occurs.
• Resist the temptation to tease others.
• Learn how to make amends after teasing someone.
• Learn specific strategies to use when someone
is teasing.
• Recognize the importance of mutual respect
among children.
6
Summary of the Program
The program features three short vignettes
that are introduced by a storyteller, a space
pilot named Sam Space who is accompanied
by Roger the Robot, a mechanical creature
who only speaks in verse. A lively music
video separates the segments and recaps the
concepts introduced in the vignettes.
Scene 1
Some children are playing tether ball when
Jean, a younger girl, comes along and asks if
she can play with them. Two children tell
her kindly, that she is too small—that she
might get hurt. But Alan begins to tease
Jean, calling her names like “Baby Jean”
and “Shorty.” When Jean begins to cry, Alan
calls her a Cry-baby. Jean runs home in
tears. The other children chide Alan for
hurting Jean’s feelings.
Alan begins to feel very remorseful and
wants to do something to show Jean he is
sorry. He goes to her house and finds her
sitting sadly by herself. He tries to say he is
sorry, but Jean tells him angrily to go away.
Alan persists, asking Jean to come to his
house and see his new hamster. She is reluctant at first, but Alan wins her over by telling her she can hold the hamster if she
wants. The story has a happy ending, and
Roger the Robot comments, “If you hurt
someone by teasing, make up for it by pleasing!” The words to the music video at this
point are as follows:
Discussion Questions
• Have you ever been teased
by anyone? What kind of
teasing was it? How did it
make you feel?
• Did you say anything to
the person who was teasing you? If so, what did
you say?
• Have you ever teased
anyone? Was it fun to
tease that person? Why?
• What are some of the
ways you can let someone
know you are sorry that
you hurt their feelings?
• If you were playing with
a group of your friends
and a much younger child
asked to play, what would
you say? Why do you
think Jean was teased
by Alan?
7
If you think you’re having fun
When you start to tease someone,
Think again.
It’s not nice.
Think again.
If you make someone feel sad,
Don’t blame them for getting mad.
Think again.
It’s not nice.
Think again.
And if you’re sorry that you teased them,
Find a way to try to please them.
Think again.
Do something nice.
Do something nice.
Scene 2
Sam Space introduces this vignette about
children who don’t know when to stop teasing.
As Roger says, “If their teasing never ends,
They will soon lose all their friends.” This
story takes place in a school lunchroom where
Jenny is busy teasing as many children as she
can. When she sees Paul coming she loudly
tells Chris that she knows a secret about
Paul, and starts to whisper in his ear. Paul is
hurt when he sees Jenny whispering about
him. But Chris gets angry when Jenny tells
him the “secret”: that Paul writes his letters
backwards. He asks Paul to eat lunch with
him and they walk away. Kim asks Jenny
why she is picking on Paul, and Jenny replies
that she is “just having some fun.” Kim tells
her it’s not funny. A few minutes later, Jenny
sneaks up behind Kim and grabs her back-
Discussion Questions
• Have you ever known
anyone like Jenny, who
liked to tease all the time?
Did this person have a
lot of friends?
• Why do you think Paul
was upset when he saw
Jenny whispering a “secret” about him? How
would you feel if someone
did that to you?
• Do you know what respect
means? What did Sam
Space mean when he
talked about treating
others with respect? Does
teasing someone show
respect for that person?
8
pack. Kim grabs her bag back and tells
Jenny to get lost. Jenny finds herself standing all alone. “How come everybody gets so
mad?” she wonders.
After a while, Jenny ends up without a
single friend. One day when she has been
left out again, she notices a girl named
Sandy also alone, and asks her if she wants
to play. When Sandy says no, Jenny wonders
aloud why no one wants to play with her.
Sandy tells Jenny it is because of her teasing
and hurting people’s feelings all the time.
Jenny finally understands, but doesn’t know
what to do. Sandy gives her some good advice: figure out how to make up for all the
teasing she has done.
Jenny decides to start with Paul. She finds
him in the library having trouble with his
writing. When Jenny offers to help Paul, he
says she is too mean. She says she’s sorry,
and asks if she can help him correct the
letters he has written backward. She resolves not to tease anymore. The words to
the next music video are as follows:
If you want to have a friend
All your teasing has to end.
Think again.
It’s not nice.
Think again.
If you’re always acting mean
All your friends will leave the scene.
Think again.
It’s not nice.
Think again.
• Why do you suppose
some people have fun
when they tease others?
Would you want a person
like this for your friend?
• What did you think
about the advice Sandy
gave Jenny? How do you
think Jenny would be
more careful in the future?
9
And if you’re sorry that you teased them
Find a way to try to please them.
Think again.
Do something nice.
Do something nice.
Scene 3
Sam Space introduces this vignette by pointing out that, instead of feeling helpless when
someone teases you, there are ways that you
can fight back.
Vicki is trying hard to learn how to
rollerblade, but she’s having some trouble.
Erik and his friend are watching, and they
start teasing her. “You should wear your
skates on your knees, not your feet,” says
Erik. At first, Vicki is upset and angry. But
as Erik continues to make fun of her, she
suddenly turns and walks away, leaving
Erik talking to himself. Surprised, he calls
to her to come back, but she just keeps walking away. Sam Space points out that Vicki
chose the quickest way to stop a teaser—
just walk away.
But there is something else Vicki could have
done, Sam says, and that is to stay and face
up to Erik. The scene shifts back to Erik
teasing Vicki. This time, Vicki tells Erik to
stop teasing her, that what he is doing is
really mean, and that she didn’t make fun
of him when he was learning. Erik realizes
he has hurt Vicki’s feelings, and he and his
friend help her up and support her as she
practices. Sam Space points out that this
Discussion Questions
• Why is teasing especially
hard when you’re trying
to learn how to do something new?
• Do you think it’s funny
when you see someone
falling down? Did Vicki
think it was funny?
• If you walk away from
someone who is teasing
you, does it make it
harder for them to tease?
How do you think they
feel when you do that?
Did it work for Vicki?
• What do you think was
the meanest kind of teasing in this video? Can you
think of other kinds of
teasing that were not
mentioned?
• Do you feel any different
about teasing now than
you did before you
watched this video?
Tell about it.
10
method doesn’t work all the time, but it’s worth a
try. The main thing to remember is that if you
show respect for others, you’ll get respect from
them. The words to the final song are:
If you want to have a friend
Then you have to be a friend.
Think again.
Show respect.
Think again.
If you tease your friends they’ll run away
And leave you all alone to play.
Think again.
That’s no fun.
Think again.
And if you’re sorry that you teased them
Find a way to try to please them.
Think again.
Do something nice.
Do something nice.
11
Using the Program
Stop Teasing Me! deals with a practice that is common
among young children and often leads to hurt feelings
and broken friendships. Teasing is viewed here as a way
of showing disrespect and, as such, an ineffective way of
relating to others. The video presents scenarios depicting different aspects of teasing—why children do it, how
it hurts the victim, how a victim can deal with teasing,
and how it can damage a child’s standing among his
peers. Basic, easy to comprehend concepts about teasing
and being teased, as well as strategies for “making up”
afterward are taught. By identifying with the characters in the video, children will be able to better understand why they tease, as well as their own feelings
about being teased.
The video is divided into three segments, each a short
story about children in different situations involving
teasing. Each segment is introduced by a “spaceman”
host and his robot sidekick, an amusing character who
only speaks in rhyme. Brief music videos follow each
segment to illustrate different strategies for dealing
with teasing. You may choose to stop the video after
each section to give children an opportunity to discuss
what they have just seen and reflect on their own experiences. Or, if you feel it is more appropriate for your
group, let the entire video play without interruption.
Questions for discussion, review questions, suggested
role plays and program-related activities can be found
in this Guide. You will find the Activity Sheets that
accompany this package reproduced on pages 19
through 26, along with a brief statement of the purposes
of each (page 18).
12
Review Questions
1.
Why did Sam Space tease Roger Robot?
(Roger only spoke in rhymes.)
What made him stop?
(Sam’s teasing upset him.)
2.
What happened when Jean asked to join in the
older children’s game?
(Alan made fun of her size until she began to cry.)
3.
How did Alan make up with Jean?
(He invited her to come and play with his new
hamster.)
4.
Fill in the blank in Roger Robot’s poem:
“If you hurt someone by teasing, make up for it
by ___________ them”?
(pleasing)
5.
Why did the children get angry at Jenny and refuse
to have lunch with her?
(She was always teasing others and making them
unhappy.)
6.
What did Jenny have to do to get her friends back?
(Stop teasing other children and treat them with
respect.)
7.
Are there any ways to fight back against a teaser?
What are they?
(Walk away from the teaser, or stay and tell him
he is wrong.)
8.
Why was Erik teasing Vicki?
(She was having trouble learning to use her
rollerblades, and she kept falling down.)
13
Suggested Activities
Art; Creative Expression
Help children make finger puppets out of construction
paper, felt, or some such material and use them to act out
the stories from the video, the role play situations on page
15, or any other situations they come up with. Discussions
about teasing may be difficult for some children, or may
lead to their disclosing more than is appropriate. Use of
puppets can help children keep a little distance, yet still
respond safely about their feelings.
Langauge Arts
Have children learn the song from the video. Make a tape
recording of the class singing the song. An audiotape is
provided. Some children might enjoy making up their
own words.
Art; Langauge Arts
Have children emulate Roger Robot by speaking in verse.
Call on volunteers to make up and recite a sentence or
two with rhyming words. Older children might be called
on to write their verses on sheets of construction paper
which could be displayed on a bulletin board.
Langauge Arts
Write the words “tease” and “please” on the chalkboard.
Call on volunteers to supply other words that rhyme with
these two words. Write each one on the chalkboard and
ask students to notice the different ways the “ease” sound
can be spelled. (Examples: these, sees, fleas, breeze)
Creative Expression; Langauge Arts
Assign the roles of the characters in each vignette, and
have students act out the vignettes. You may record each
“performance” on a tape recorder and play the recordings
back for the children. Performances may also be videotaped.
14
Art
Divide the class into two groups. Ask one group to draw
pictures of situations in which someone is being teased.
Have the other group draw pictures of someone doing
something to please another person. Collect the drawings
and hold each one up for the class to look at. Ask the rest
of the class to identify the “teasing” and “pleasing” situations.
Art
Have the children build a “robot” from materials such as
empty cereal boxes, tin cans, light bulbs, wire, scraps of
fabric, etc. The robot should be at least two feet tall, and
children should be encouraged to use their imaginations
in putting it together. Hold a contest to find the best
name for the robot.
Communication
Ask children to discuss what it feels like to be teased by
someone. What happens to you when you are being
teased?
• Does your face get red and feel very hot?
• Does your heart beat very fast?
• Do you feel like crying?
• Is it hard to breathe?
• Do your knees feel weak?
• Does your head start to hurt?
• Do you feel like your stomach is tied up in knots?
• Do your hands start to shake?
Write a list of all the feelings that children come up with.
Help them understand that all these feelings are normal
reactions to being teased.
15
Role Plays
Here is a selection of role plays. You and your students
may think of others.
1.
A student in your class gets very nervous when she
is called on to answer a question aloud. One day the
teacher calls on her and she begins to stutter. You
hear a boy behind her giggling and making fun of the
way she speaks. What can you do?
2.
As you are getting on the school bus one day, a book
drops out of your bag onto the floor. Before you can
pick it up, another girl grabs it and refuses to give
it back. When you ask her for it, she insists that it
is hers and says she doesn’t know what you are talking about. What do you do?
3.
You are sitting at your desk in school when you feel
a yank on your hair that makes you jump. The teacher asks you what’s wrong and you say, “Nothing.”
A second later you feel another tug at your hair. You
turn around and see the person behind you laughing
at you. The teacher is getting a little cross because
you’re not paying attention. What do you do?
4.
You are at a family picnic in a large park. You and
your brothers decide to take a walk in the woods with
an older cousin. A few minutes later your cousin says,
“Oh, I think we’re lost. We may have to stay in these
woods all night.” You know that he is teasing, but
your little brother gets frightened and begins to cry.
You try to comfort your brother, but your cousin
thinks it’s funny and keeps saying that you’re lost.
What do you do?
5.
A friend has just invited you, Alana, and some other
girls to a sleep-over party. You feel like playing a joke
on Alana so you say, “I don’t think Alana will come
because she is too afraid of the dark.” Alana says,
“I am not!” and you know she’s not, but you keep
teasing her until she runs into her house and slams
the door. Then you feel sorry for making her feel bad,
so you go to her house, but she won’t see you. What
do you do?
Activity Sheets
18
Activity Sheet Guide
Sheet
Suggested Use
1
• If this is too challenging for your students, try it as a group on the
chalkboard.
2
• Children can use these puppets as they view the video. They can
also use the puppets for their own puppet show about teasing.
3
• If children cannot think of tips on their own, brainstorm some
ideas as a group.
4
• This activity sheet can also be done as a whole class exercise. Children can also be divided into two teams. Copy and cut out the pictures from the worksheets and give one to each team member. Ask
team members to recite what their pictures are of and then have
them match the pictures to those on the opposite team.
5
6
7
8
• If this is too challenging for your students, try it as a group activity.
• If this is too challenging for your students, try doing it as a group
on the chalkboard. This way they can watch you write the picture
words.
• This activity sheet can be sent home.
• If this is too challenging for your students, try it as a discussion
exercise.
NAME: _________________________________
ACTIVITY SHEET 1
DON’T BE A TEASER!
Roger and Sam saw a lot of teasing on Earth.
This chart shows how many children they saw
doing this.
Look at the chart. Then answer the questions.
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday Thursday
Friday
Saturday
••
9
••
8
••
(
••
7
••
(
10
(
(
6
••
(
••
(
••
5
••
(
••
4
••
(
(
••
(
(
3
••
(
••
(
••
••
2
••
••
(
••
(
••
(
••
1
••
••
••
••
••
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
••
(
(
••
(
(
••
(
••
0
1. How many kids did Roger and Sam see on Tuesday? __________________
2. How many did they see two days later? _____________________________
3. Did Roger and Sam see more kids on Friday or Saturday?_______________
4. How many kids did Roger and Sam see altogether? ___________________
Stop Teasing Me!
© 1995 SUNBURST Communications, Inc.
NAME: ______________________________________
ACTIVITY SHEET 20
SAM SPACE AND ROGER ROBOT
Cut out and color the puppets.
Tape each one to a pencil.
Use them to help someone deal with teasing.
NAME: ______________________________________
ACTIVITY SHEET 21
STOP TEASING, START PLEASING!
Color the bookmark and cut it out.
Write some things you can do to please
someone if you tease them.
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
Stop Teasing Me!
© 1995 SUNBURST Communications, Inc.
NAME: ______________________________________
ACTIVITY SHEET 22
MATCH THE RHYMES
Each picture on the left rhymes with one on the right.
Match the rhyming pictures by drawing a line
NAME: ______________________________________
ACTIVITY SHEET 23
STOP TEASING ME!
The words in the word box talk about teasing and pleasing.
Find them in the puzzle. Then circle them.
Use different colors if you would like.
K F
J R U
N
R R U D E A U
I
W I
N
I
L E S D
O Q M V N
T X C D E
E
J
N F
E W G E S N A K A
A O P A R E D
S O E
I
J
I
M N S S R
E L A P P
T Q A L
P F Q S M
I
L
E D
WORD BOX
fair
friends
kind
mad
mean
Stop Teasing Me!
nice
please
rude
rules
sad
smile
tease
unfair
© 1995 SUNBURST Communications, Inc.
NAME: ______________________________________
ACTIVITY SHEET 24
SOUNDS LIKE…
Each of these things rhymes with tease.
Write the name under each picture.
What are some other words that rhyme with tease?
Write them on the lines.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
WORD BOX
keys
cheese
bees
trees
NAME: ______________________________________
ACTIVITY SHEET 25
IF YOU TEASE, THEN PLEASE
1. Draw one child teasing another child.
Write something about it.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. Draw the two children making up.
Write about it.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Stop Teasing Me!
© 1995 SUNBURST Communications, Inc.
NAME: ______________________________________
ACTIVITY SHEET 26
MAKE A PLAN
What will you do if someone teases you?
Think about what you learned it the video.
Then make a plan below.
1. What would you do first?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. Why would you do this?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. Would you like to talk to them? What would you say?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. What would you do last?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
SONG SHEET
If you think you’re having fun
When you start to tease someone,
Think again.
It’s not nice.
Think again.
If you want to have a friend
Then you have to be a friend.
Think again.
Show respect.
Think again.
If you make someone feel sad.
Don’t blame them for getting mad.
Think again.
It’s not nice.
Think again.
If you tease your friends they’ll run away
And leave you all alone to play.
Think again.
That’s no fun.
Think again.
And if you’re sorry that you teased them,
Find a way to try to please them.
Think again.
Do something nice
Do something nice.
And if you’re sorry that you teased them
Find a way to try to please them.
Think again.
Do something nice.
Do something nice.
If you want to have a friend
All your teasing has to end.
Think again.
It’s not nice.
Think again.
If you’re always acting mean
All your friends will leave the scene.
Think again.
It’s not nice.
Think again.
And if you’re sorry that you teased them
Find a way to try to please them.
Think again.
Do something nice.
Do something nice.
Stop Teasing Me!
© 1995 SUNBURST Communications, Inc.
28
Bibliography
Carrick, Carol. What A Wimp! Boston: Houghton, 1983.
(grades 4-6)
Cleary, Beverly. Mitch and Amy. Morrow, 1991.
(grades 3-5)
Cohen, Barbara Nash. Molly’s Pilgrim. Lothrop, Lee and
Shepard Books, 1983. (ages 6-8)
Dragonwagon, Crescent. I Hate My Brother Harry. New
York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1984. (ages 4-8)
Gormley, Beatrice. The Magic Mean Machine. Avon, 1989.
(grades 4-6)
Grunsell, Angela. Bullying. Franklin Watts, 1990.
(grades 3-5)
Grossnickle, Anna Hines. Tell Me Your Best Thing.
Dutton, 1991. (grades 2-4)
Kiser, Constance. Dog On Third Base. Holiday, 1991
(grades 2-4)
Le Shan, Eric. When Kids Drive Kids Crazy: How to Get
Along with Your Friends and Enemies. Dial, 1990.
(grades 5-8) (teacher)
Lucas, Eileen. Peace On the Playground: Nonviolent Ways
of Problem Solving. Franklin Watts, 1991. (grades 3-5)
Park, Barbara. Dear God, Help! Love Earl. Knopf, 1993.
(grades 4-6)
29
Robinson, Nancy K. Wendy and the Bullies. New York:
Scholastic, 1983. (grades 3-5)
Scribner, Virginia. Gopher Takes Heart. New York: Viking,
1993. (grades 3-6)
Shreve, Susan. Joshua T. Bates Takes Charge. Knopf,
1984. (grades 3-5)
Ure, Jean. You Two. William Morrow & Co., Inc., 1984.
(ages 9-11)
Winthrop, Elizabeth. Luke’s Bully. New York: Viking,
1990. (grades 2-4)
Script
32
Script
SAM
SPACE
ROGER
SAM
SPACE
ROGER
SAM
SPACE
Hi, Earthlings! My name is Sam
Space, and this is my friend Roger.
We were out flying around in space
and we decided to stop on Earth for
lunch. In fact, we come here quite
often. Earth is one of our very favorite places. Isn’t it, Roger?
Between you and me
Earth is fun to see.
Oh, I forgot to tell you—Roger always speaks in rhyme. I used to
tease him a lot about that, but he
got very upset with me.
Teasing isn’t fun—
Not for anyone!
All right, all right—I learned my
lesson—I won’t tease you anymore.
Do you know what teasing is? It’s
when someone makes fun of you, or
calls you names, or tells lies or secrets about you—just to make you
feel bad. When I used to tease
Roger, I just wanted to have a little
fun. But it wasn’t fun for Roger.
33
ROGER
SAM
SPACE
ROGER
SAM
SPACE
All that teasing
Isn’t pleasing.
Roger’s right. Let me show you
what happens when people tease
each other. Who should we start
with, Roger?
What about that girl named Jean?
Alan’s teasing sure was mean.
Okay. That’s a good one.
One day Roger and I were cruising
around Earth in our jet-car and we
saw some kids playing. Everything
was going along fine until a little
girl named Jean came along…
JEAN
Hi. Can I play, too?
FRED
You’re too small, Jean—you might
get hurt.
SALLY
When you get a little older you can
play with us, Jean.
JEAN
But I can run real fast, and I’ll be
careful.
FRED
I’ll tell you what—after we finish
playing, I’ll play catch with you.
SAM
SPACE
Jean felt kind of sad, but she knew
the kids liked her even though she
was too small to play their game.
34
Everything would have been all
right if Alan hadn’t started to
tease her.
ALAN
Baby Jean, Baby Jean!
JEAN
I am not a baby!
ALAN
Then why are you so small? Maybe
you forgot to grow! Better watch out
that no one steps on you, Shorty.
SAM
SPACE
Jean felt very bad when Alan made
fun of her. She didn’t know why he
was being so mean.
ALAN
Hey! You’re not just a baby—you’re
a cry-baby!
SALLY
Now look what you did! Why did
you have to be so mean?
ALAN
I was just kidding.
SAM
SPACE
ROGER
SAM
SPACE
That’s what teasers say a lot—I was
just kidding. But it sure wasn’t fun
for Jean.
There was no reason why
He had to make her cry.
That’s right. But, you know, afterwards Alan began to feel sorry
about his teasing. So he decided to
make up.
35
ALAN
Hi, Jean.
JEAN
Go away. I hate you.
ALAN
I’m sorry I teased you. I guess I just
wanted to have some fun.
JEAN
It wasn’t funny. You’re not funny.
Go away.
ALAN
Listen, you want to come over and
see my new hamster? My dad made
a big cage for him. He’s really cute.
JEAN
I don’t know. Maybe you’ll tell me
I’m too short to look at your hamster.
ALAN
I won’t, I promise. Come on—his
name is Mugsie and you can hold
him if you want.
JEAN
I can? Okay, let’s go.
SAM
SPACE
So this story had a happy ending.
ROGER
SAM
SPACE
If you hurt someone by teasing,
Just make up for it by pleasing.
That’s right. Alan felt sorry for
teasing Jean, so he decided to do
something pleasing to make up for
it. That made them both feel better.
36
SONG
If you think you’re having fun
When you start to tease someone,
Think again.
It’s not nice.
Think again.
If you make someone feel sad,
Don’t blame them for getting mad.
Think again.
It’s not nice.
Think again.
And if you’re sorry that you teased
them,
Find a way to try to please them.
Think again.
Do something nice.
Do something nice.
Scene 2
SAM
SPACE
ROGER
SAM
SPACE
The story about Jean and Alan had
a happy ending. Alan felt sorry for
teasing Jean, so he did something
nice for her to make up for it. But
sometimes teasers don’t feel sorry.
They just keep on teasing people
over and over until……
If their teasing never ends
They’ll soon lose all their friends.
Right. Let’s look at what happened
to Jenny because she wouldn’t stop
teasing. Jenny was one of those kids
who thought teasing was a big joke.
The trouble was, Jenny didn’t know
when to stop.
37
JENNY
Chris, do you want to hear a secret
about Paul?
CHRIS
What kind of a secret?
JENNY
Come closer. Did you hear that
Paul...
PAUL
Why are you whispering about me? I
didn’t do anything.
CHRIS
What do you mean Paul writes backwards? What kind of a secret is that?
Come on, Paul, let’s go eat our lunch.
JENNY
Paul is a Fraidy-Cat. Paul is a
Fraidy-Cat!
KIM
Why are you picking on Paul? He
never did anything to you.
JENNY
I’m just having some fun.
KIM
You’re weird. Stop bothering me.
You’re not funny!
JENNY
Hey, how come everybody gets so
mad?
SAM
SPACE
ROGER
Jenny’s idea of fun was to make
someone else feel bad. The other kids
got so sick of her teasing that after a
while Jenny didn’t have a single
friend left.
She kept teasing on and on.
Then one day her friends were gone.
38
SAM
SPACE
ROGER
SAM
SPACE
That’s what happened. And Jenny
was pretty unhappy about it. But
she still didn’t figure out that her
teasing was the cause of it all.
Her teasin’
Was the reason.
The next day, Jenny was by herself,
watching everyone else play. She
really felt bad because no one asked
her to join in. Then she noticed
Sandy all by herself.
JENNY
Sandy is all by herself, too. Maybe
she’ll play with me. Want to play?
SANDY
Not really. I’m just waiting for my
turn in this game.
JENNY
Nobody wants to play with me.
SANDY
Maybe it’s because you tease people
all the time.
JENNY
I don’t mean anything by it. Why do
people get so mad?
SANDY
Because teasing hurts their feelings.
No one wants to be with someone
who makes them feel bad.
JENNY
I didn’t know I was hurting their
feelings. What should I do?
SANDY
Maybe you could try to do something to make them feel good.
39
SAM
SPACE
That was good advice Sandy gave
Jenny. What do you think, Roger?
ROGER
People feel bad if you tease them.
But they’ll cheer up again if you
please them.
JENNY
Hi, Paul. Paul, please, listen. I’m
sorry I teased you.
PAUL
Just leave me alone. I’m trying to
get this done.
JENNY
I could help you.
PAUL
Just go away. You’re too mean.
JENNY
But I want to make up for being so
mean.
PAUL
Do you know which way the letters
go?
JENNY
Some of them. Like, I think that
one should go the other way.
SAM
SPACE
ROGER
Another story with a happy ending.
When the rest of the kids saw
Jenny being nice to Paul, they
started to think maybe she wasn’t
so bad. One by one, Jenny got her
friends back. And she remembered
not to tease anyone again.
If you want to have a friend
All your teasing has to end.
40
SONG
If you want to have a friend
All your teasing has to end.
Think again.
It’s not nice.
Think again.
If you’re always acting mean
All your friends will leave the scene
Think again.
It’s not nice.
Think again.
And if you’re sorry that you
teased them,
Find a way to try to please them.
Think again.
Do something nice.
Do something nice.
Scene 3
SAM
SPACE
Lots of kids think there’s no way to
fight back against a teaser, but
that’s not true. Let’s look at some
things you can do if someone starts
teasing.
ERIK
What’s the matter, Clumsy? You’re
on the ground more than you’re on
your rollerblades.
VICKI
I’m just learning.
ERIK
Vicki is just learning! Vicki is just
learning! Maybe you should put
your rollerblades on your knees
instead of your feet.
41
Hey Vicki, where are you going?
Hey, come on back! I won’t tease
you anymore, I promise.
SAM
SPACE
ROGER
SAM
SPACE
Vicki did the smartest thing she
could do—she just walked away
and left Erik talking to himself.
That’s the fastest way to stop
someone from teasing you.
If someone’s teasing you all day
Just get up and walk away!
Right. But there’s another thing
Vicki could have done—she could
have stayed and just told Erik to
quit teasing.
ERIK
Maybe you should put your
rollerblades on your knees instead
of your feet.
VICKI
Erik, why are you being so mean?
I didn’t laugh at you when you were
learning how to skate.
ERIK
Aw, I’m just kidding.
VICKI
Well I don’t think it’s funny. I’m
trying real hard to learn, and you’re
trying to make me feel stupid.
ERIK
Oh, all right...here, we’ll help you.
SAM
SPACE
Vicki stopped Erik’s teasing by
telling him how she felt about it.
That doesn’t always work, but it’s
sure worth a try.
ROGER
SAM
SPACE
SONG
It’s worth a try
Oh my, oh my.
Sounds like Roger just ran out of
rhymes for today. But I hope you
learned something about teasing.
It hurts others, and sometimes it
ends up making you feel bad, too.
Just remember, pleasing is better
than teasing!
If you want to have a friend,
Then you have to be a friend
Think again.
Show respect.
Think again.
If you tease your friends,
they’ll run away
And leave you all alone to play.
Think again.
That’s no fun.
Think again.
And if you’re sorry that you teased them,
Find a way to try to please them
Think again.
Do something nice.
Think again.
ROGER
Oh, boy, just in time
I thought of another rhyme —
It’s been fun, lots of fun
But now we’re done!
THE END
TEACHER’S NOTES