Owning Up

Rosalind Wiseman is the founder of Cultures of Dignity, an organization that shifts the way communities think about our physical and emotional well-being by working in close partnership with the experts of those communities—young people, educators, policy makers, and business and political leaders. Her other recent Corwin publication is Owning Up: Empowering Adolescents to Create Cultures of Dignity and Confront Social Cruelty and Injustice (2020), a comprehensive social justice program for grades 4-12 which is in widespread use across the world. She is the author of the New York Times Best Sellers Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World, the groundbreaking book that was the basis for the movie and Broadway Musical Mean Girls; and Masterminds & Wingmen: Helping Our Boys Cope with Schoolyard Power, Locker-Room Tests, Girlfriends, and the New Rules of Boy World, which addresses the social lives of boys and was awarded Best Parenting Book by Books for a Better Life.  Follow her on Twitter at @cultureodignity.

• Foreword by Donna HicksAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorIntroduction6th GradeSession 1: Getting Started—And (Hopefully) Not Wasting Your TimeBeach Ball Questions—Sixth Grade HandoutSession 2: Dignity and Respect—Words That MatterDrawing Dignity and Respect—Sixth Grade HandoutSession 3: Listening to Each Other—Giving and Getting AdviceAlly—Sixth Grade HandoutGiving and Getting Advice—Sixth Grade HandoutSession 4: Just Kidding—Why Are We Really Laughing?Session 5: Understanding Anger—Managing a Difficult EmotionAnger and Your Brain—Sixth Grade HandoutIceberg—Sixth Grade HandoutSession 6: SEAL—I Know What the Problem Is, but How Do I Fix It?Applying SEAL—Sixth Grade HandoutSession 7: Apologies—What’s a True Apology?True or Fake Apologies?—Sixth Grade HandoutSession 8: Friendships—Developing Good FriendshipsFriendship Bill of Rights—Sixth Grade HandoutSession 9: Navigating Friend Groups—When Friendships Are ComplicatedSession 10: They Said What?—How to Stop Rumors and GossipSession 11: When and How Do I Speak Out?—Building Empathy and Courage in BystandersBystanding—Sixth Grade HandoutSession 12: Getting Out of the Box—Are We Boxed Into Gender Norms?Session 13: Double Standards—Are People Being Treated Fairly?Double Standards Scenarios—Sixth Grade HandoutKnowing What to Say—Sixth Grade HandoutSession 14: Understanding Advertising—What’s My Style?Analyzing Ads—Sixth Grade HandoutSession 15: Getting Past the Products—The Influence of AdvertisingInterview an Adult—Sixth Grade HandoutSession 16: The Mirror—How Do We See Ourselves? How Do We Want Others to See Us?Session 17: Talking With Adults—How Do We Communicate Effectively?Helping Adults—Sixth Grade HandoutSession 18: Managing Technology—It’s Not All BadI < 3 Technology—Sixth Grade HandoutSession 19: What Do You Share?—Deciding What to Post OnlineWhat Do You Share?—Sixth Grade HandoutSession 20: Why Do You Share?—Knowing Why You Post OnlinePleasing the Invisible Audience—Sixth Grade HandoutSession 21: Do They Like Me?—Crushes and RejectionThis Stuff Is So Complicated!—Sixth Grade HandoutSession 22: Recognizing and Respecting Boundaries—How Far Is Too Far?Session 23: Sexual Harassment—It’s ComplicatedSession 24: Race and Bias—What Do We Really See?Session 25: Race and Bias—Did I Say Something Wrong?Session 26: Concluding the Program—Please Say You Learned Something!I Am . . . —Sixth Grade Handout7th GradeSession 1: Getting Started—And (Hopefully) Not Wasting Your TimeSession 2: Dignity and Respect—Words That MatterDrawing Dignity and Respect—Seventh Grade HandoutSession 3: Listening to Each Other—Giving and Getting AdviceAdvice Situations—Seventh Grade HandoutAlly—Seventh Grade HandoutSession 4: Just Kidding—Why Are We Really Laughing?Session 5: Understanding Anger—Managing a Difficult EmotionHiding and Showing Anger—Seventh Grade HandoutSession 6: SEAL—I Know What the Problem Is, but How Do I Fix It?Session 7: Apologies—What’s a True Apology?True or Fake Apologies?—Seventh Grade HandoutSession 8: Friendships—Developing Good FriendshipsFriendship Bill of Rights—Seventh Grade HandoutSession 9: Navigating Friend Groups—When Friendships Are ComplicatedGroup Conflict—Seventh Grade HandoutSession 10: They Said What?—How to Stop Rumors and GossipDefinition Game—Seventh Grade HandoutSession 11: When and How Do I Speak Out?—Building Empathy and Courage in BystandersBystanding—Seventh Grade HandoutSession 12: Getting Out of the Box—Are We Boxed Into Gender Norms?Session 13: Double Standards—Are People Being Treated Fairly?Session 14: Understanding Advertising—What’s My Style?Analyzing Ads—Seventh Grade HandoutWhat’s Authentic?—Seventh Grade HandoutSession 15: Getting Past the Products—How Does the Advertising Affect Me?Are You a Walking Advertisement?—Seventh Grade HandoutInterview an Adult—Seventh Grade HandoutSession 16: The Mirror—How Do We See Ourselves? How Do We See Others?The Armor HandoutSession 17: Talking With Adults—How Do We Communicate Effectively?Helping Adults—Seventh Grade HandoutSession 18: Managing Technology—It’s Not All BadSession 19: What Do You Share?—Deciding What to Post OnlineWhat Do You Share?—Seventh Grade HandoutSession 20: Why Do You Share?—Knowing Why You Post OnlinePleasing the Invisible Audience—Seventh Grade HandoutThinking About What We Share—Seventh Grade HandoutSession 21: Do They Like Me?—Crushes and RejectionThis Stuff Is So Complicated!—Seventh Grade HandoutSession 22: Recognizing and Respecting Boundaries—How Far Is Too Far?Thinking About Boundaries—Seventh Grade HandoutSession 23: Sexual Harassment—It’s ComplicatedSession 24: Race and Bias—What Do We Really See?What Do You Say?—Seventh Grade HandoutSession 25: Race and Bias—Did I Say Something Wrong?I Really Don’t Know—Seventh Grade HandoutSession 26: Concluding the Program—Please Say You Learned Something!I Am . . . —Seventh Grade Handout8th GradeSession 1: Getting Started—And (Hopefully) Not Wasting Your TimeSession 2: Dignity and Respect—Words That MatterDrawing Dignity and Respect—Eighth Grade HandoutSession 3: Listening to Each Other—Giving and Getting SupportAlly—Eighth Grade HandoutSupport Network—Eighth Grade HandoutSession 4: Just Kidding—Why Are We Really Laughing?Session 5: Understanding Anger—Managing a Difficult EmotionUnderstanding Anger—Eighth Grade HandoutSession 6: SEAL—I Know What the Problem Is, but How Do I Fix It?Session 7: Apologies—What’s a True Apology?Session 8: Friendships—Developing Good FriendshipsThinking About Vulnerability—Eighth Grade HandoutSession 9: Navigating Friend Groups—When Friendships Are ComplicatedGroup Conflict—Eighth Grade HandoutSession 10: They Said What?—How to Stop Rumors and GossipSession 11: When and How Do I Speak Out?—Building Empathy and Courage in BystandersWhat Really Happened?—Eighth Grade HandoutSession 12: Getting Out of the Box—Are We Boxed Into Gender Norms?How Do These Rules Affect You?—Eighth Grade HandoutSession 13: Reputations and Double Standards—Are People Being Treated Fairly?Session 14: Understanding Advertising—What’s My Style?Session 15: Getting Past the Products—The Influence of AdvertisingAre You a Walking Advertisement?—Eighth Grade HandoutInterview an Adult—Eighth Grade HandoutSession 16: The Mirror—How Do We See Ourselves? How Do We See Others?What’s Up With Labels?—Eighth Grade HandoutSession 17: Talking With Adults—How Do We Communicate Effectively?Helping Adults—Eighth Grade HandoutSession 18: Managing Technology—It’s Not All BadSession 19: What Do You Share?—Deciding What to Post OnlineSession 20: Why Do You Share?—Knowing Why You Post OnlineFlip Chart Questions—Eighth Grade HandoutSocial Media Armor—Eighth Grade HandoutSession 21: Do They Like Me?—Crushes and RejectionThis Stuff Is So Complicated!—Eighth Grade HandoutSession 22: Recognizing and Respecting Boundaries—How Far Is Too Far?Giving and Getting Consent—Eighth Grade HandoutSession 23: Sexual Harassment—It’s ComplicatedSession 24: Race and Bias—What Do We Really See?What Do You Say?—Eighth Grade HandoutSession 25: Race and Bias—Did I Say Something Wrong?Session 26: Concluding the Program—Please Say You Learned Something!What Are You Proud Of?—Eighth Grade HandoutOwning Up PretestOwning Up PosttestAppendix A: Parent Welcome Letter (English)Appendix B: Parent Welcome Letter (Spanish)Resource Guide