Mean Machines When 13-year-old Katie recently went

online, she couldn't believe that some classmates were making fun of her. The

seventh grader from New Jersey discovered mean and hurtful comments written about

her in an online Web journal. "It was really offensive1 and upsetting to

me because I knew everyone could see it online," Katie told Weekly Reader. "There

was nothing I could do to take it down." Katie's story is not unusual. She is one of

the many victims of cyberbullying. "Cyberbullying is when a child torments,

humiliates or tries to frighten another child using interactive

technology," online safety expert Parry Aftab told Weekly Reader. Instead of teasing or picking on kids in the school yard, bullies have

new territory—cyberspace. The explosion in technology, such as computers, cell phones, and interactive games, gives bullies more

places to do their dirty work. Cyberbullies use e-mail, instant messages, text messages, and online

journals to spread nasty rumors, post embarrassing photos, and tease other kids. Breaking into others' e-mail accounts and sending out

mean messages to their buddy lists is a common practice for cyberbullies. Cyberbullies also run up other kids' cell phone bills with

text messages. Some kids have even conducted online votes for the ugliest person in class.

A Growing Problem For many kids like Katie, online bullying has become part of everyday life. Most cyberbullies are between the ages of 9 and 14. Studies show

that about 55 percent of kids in grades 4 through 8 have had mean or hurtful remarks made to them online. "Cyberbullying is a huge

problem in fourth, fifth, and sixth grades," said Aftab. Why is cyberbullying such a growing problem? For starters, kids spend

a lot of time online at both home and at school. Nearly two-thirds of American kids have computers in their homes, according to the U.S.

Census Bureau. Online experts say being mean online is easier because computers

give kids a sense of being anonymous, or not being known. Kids say

things on the Internet that they would never say face-to-face. Some kids also don't realize that they're cyberbullies because they

don't see the consequences of their actions. "In face-to-face communication, we see when we've gone too far," she says. "We lose

all those visual cues online."

Fighting Back To address the problem, more schools and communities are educating

kids about online etiquette2 and are holding anti-bullying seminars. Aftab trains groups, called TweenAngels and TeenAngels, to become

safe and responsible cybercitizens who share their knowledge with others.

TeenAngel Kendall, 12, experienced cyberbullying when kids at school blocked him out of gaming sites. His advice for dealing with a

cyberbully: "Don't be afraid to tell your parents, teachers, or

whomever you trust the most." Another recommended way to combat, or fight, cyberbullying, is to

take a stand against it. "The only way cyberbullying will stop is if kids protect each other," says Aftab. "If you stand by and let someone else

hurt someone, you're part of the problem. You need to be part of the solution."

Dealing With Online Bullies Online safety experts offer the following tips to protect yourself from

cyberbullying:

• Guard private information. Don't give out your passwords or any private information to anyone, even close friends.

• Be responsible. Don't post any information online that you don't want others to read.

• Stop, block and tell. Don't answer a mean or threatening email, block the person who sent you the offensive message and

tell a trusted adult. That person can help you take action. • Think B4U click. Don't react to a mean message. Walk away

from the computer and do something else that you enjoy for a few minutes.

• Google yourself. Run your name through search engines, such as Google, to check whether there is information that you don't

want on the Internet. Some search engines let you set up alerts

that send you an e-mail if a new posting includes your name.

“Mean Machines” Questions _____ 1. The main idea of this passage is a. Aftab is now holding anti-bullying seminars. b. it is important to tell an adult when you are bullied. c. online bullying is so easy because the bully feels anonymous. d. more and more kids are being bullied online. _____ 2. The author writes that "cyberbullying is when a child torments, humiliates or tries to frighten another child using interactive technology." Torment means to

a. spy on. b. cause suffering. c. ignore. d. talk to. _____ 3. Which of the following sentences uses the word humiliating incorrectly? a. Falling down the stairs in front of her friends was humiliating. b. He was tired of his friends humiliating him by telling that embarrassing story. c. She would only pick the humiliating flowers. d. It was humiliating when her mother would wear pink pants. _____ 4. Which of the following is not a good tip for dealing with bullies? a. Buy a webcam so you can see who is bullying you. b. Do not respond to mean e-mails, just block the person that sent you the message. c. Do not bully others so you can avoid being bullied yourself. d. Keep your passwords a secret. _____ 5. The author writes that "some kids have conducted online votes for the ugliest person in class". Explain what conducted means. _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ © 2010

Oceans

Write a story about the ocean or

the animals in it. It can be a

true story, like a report on an

animal or a made up adventure.

Contractions Worksheet 2

Directions: Find the two words in each sentence that can make a contraction and underline them.

Then, write the contraction on the line.

1. If Dad finds out, he will be so mad.

_______he’ll______

2. Cats should not receive swimming lessons.

__________________

3. Dogs do not mind swimming.

__________________

4. Dolphins are not as foolish as they look.

__________________

5. I think that if Dolphins ruled the world, they would be cruel leaders.

__________________

6. If I were you, I would learn to swim too.

__________________

7. If you know how to swim, water will not scare you.

__________________

8. If you didn't know how to swim, it would be scary.

__________________

9. Lifeguards are the people who are in charge of the pool.

__________________

10. As far as I know, there is not a lifeguard who does not know how to swim.

__________________

11. You may be wondering, "How is the ocean doing?"

__________________

12. It is currently being overfished and polluted by careless industries.

__________________

13. So you may then wonder, "What is something I can do to help?"

__________________

14. If I wanted to help, I would run for office or write a song about it.

__________________

15. Of course, I have never been too concerned about the ocean.

__________________

16. It is really big and would take a lot of work to ruin.

__________________

17. Still though, please do not litter.

__________________

18. It will pollute the water supply.

__________________

19. Does it not feel better to help the environment?

__________________

20. Let us work really hard to make the world a better place.

__________________

On the Back – Create contractions from each of the following and use them in a complete

sentence:

21) I would 22) they will 23) he did 24) should not 25) will not

Religion Word Game