Writing Feature Articles - Step 1 - Lesson 1 | Page 82

Writing Feature Articles - Lesson
Writing Feature Articles - Handout . a

Intermediate

Name: ________________________________________ Date: ___________________

. a: Feature Articles Packet

(page

of

)

“Are Girls Meaner Than Boys?” continued
Fifth-grader Ed Wiggins takes part in an Ophelia Project program in Portland, Oregon. He says harsh
words hurt more than punches because "you remember words for a long time."
Why Can't We Be Friends?
Rosalind Wiseman, cofounder of the Empower program and author of a new book, Queen Bees &
Wannabes, has studied girl behavior for years. She describes certain girls as "queen bees." They
acquire a cruel kind of popularity by excluding some while showering favor on others. She calls another
set of girls "wannabes." Such girls want to be popular and are afraid to stand up to the queen bees.
They become part of the problem. "Everybody loves power, and girls want to be in the thick of it," says
Wiseman. "For most kids, loyalty is seen as agreeing with someone in power."
Wellman observes that there is a "good popular and a bad popular." She advises kids to forget the bad
popular crowd and ?nd a few good friends who will stick up for you. "If you have one good friend," she
says, "you are popular."
GENaustin, the Ophelia Project and Empower are among the ambitious new groups that are helping
girls—and boys—build better friendships. The groups share a common goal: teaching kids to deal with
hurtful words and body language like back turning, eye rolling and rumor spreading. One of the keys is
teaching girls to express angry feelings in more direct and honest ways.
That's one of the lessons Miranda Oropeza and Lauren Hermes are passing along to ?fth- and sixthgraders at Mathews Elementary School in Austin. Just last week, two girls who had been hurting each
others' feelings were ?nally able to talk it out. "When I see that," says Miranda, "it means so much."

Hoffman, Kathryn. (May 3, 2002). “Are Girls Meaner than Boys?” by Time for Kids,
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/teachers/wr/article/0,27972,233883,00.html Permission pending.
© 2010, Teaching Matters, Inc.

www.teachingmatters.org

Page 241