Session 1: Introduction to Peace by PEACE

 

 

Goals:

·        To introduce the Peace by PEACE teachers to the students.

·        To set a tone of comfort, trust, and openness within the classroom community.

·        To familiarize the students with the language and definition of conflict resolution.

 

Objectives:

·        Discuss Peace by PEACE: explain why we are here and what our purpose is.

·        Play fun community-building games to set the Peace by PEACE tone.

·        Explore the different types of conflict, including positive and negative conflicts, relating the situations to the students' lives.

·        Emphasize the importance of the festival at Yale in April.

·        Establish a secure link of communication between the volunteers and the class.

 

Materials Needed

q       School introduction packet

q       Name tags for Peace Games volunteers

q       Suggestion envelope to be left in the classroom

 

Before Class Begins:

All materials for this session and future sessions will be handed out at our biweekly meetings.  Please make sure you or your partner picks up all of your materials at the meeting.  If you or your partner cannot attend the meeting, you can also pick up extra materials in the Peace by PEACE box in Dwight Hall (near the mailboxes).  All of the worksheets and activities can also be found in the appendix of the curriculum or online at www.yale.edu/peace.  Copies can be made in the Dwight Hall Office.  Necessary instructions for copying (including the Peace by PEACE copy number) are located in the office.

 

Methods:

I.        Introduction to Peace by PEACE and Silent Quiz

II.     Name Game

III.   Establishing Rules

IV.  Game: Counting to Ten

V.     The Human Pretzel

VI.   Real World Applications

 

 

Peace Pharse #1:  Define the conflict.

Often two people involved in a conflict are arguing two different issues.  Both people need to clearly define what the issue is.

 

 

I. Introduction to Peace Games

 

A. Personal Introductions

Please introduce yourselves including your name, where you’re from, and anything else you want the students to know about you.

 

B.     Silent Quiz

Tell the students that you will administer a silent quiz to demonstrate why you are here today, teaching them.  Please make it clear to them that they should not answer anything, but only listen to the questions and answer yes or no in their head.

 

Quiz

 

1.         Have you ever been in a fight?

2.         Have you ever wanted to hit anyone?

3.         Have you ever hit anyone?

4.         Have you ever yelled at your parents or siblings?

5.         Have you ever stopped a fight?

6.         Have you ever seen a fight and not stopped it but wanted to?

7.         Has your friend ever been in a fight?

8.         Have you ever been upset because of a fight?

9.         Have you ever been hurt in a fight?

10.       Have you ever regretted getting into a fight with someone?

 

C.        Why are We Here

Teachers should explain that Peace by PEACE is a program that teaches middle school students about topics that they might not cover in other classes but that are vitally important to their lives.  Peace by PEACE tries to teach by doing and creating rather then by listening and studying.

 

            D.        What We Will Teach

Briefly go over the curriculum (at the front of the book).  Explain in one or two sentences the purpose of each lesson (hint: look at the list of goals at the front of each lesson)

 

II.        Name Game

The students will all sit in a circle.  Have each person state their name and their favorite something.  They can name their favorite breakfast cereal, book, person in history, et cetera.

 

III.       Establishing Rules

Since this is the first session, it is important to set up classroom rules that can be followed during every class session.  It is also important to allow the students to make up the majority of the rules:  they are more likely to follow them, and it doesn’t place the teachers in a position that appears extremely authoritative or punitive right away.  Explain that things can be done more efficiently and harmoniously with the classroom rules.  Some examples:  (1)  Be positive; (2) Have only one person speak at a time; (3) Be supportive; etc.  This list of rules should be written up by the teacher and then posted every time the team comes to teach.  It is key to stress the importance of following these rules.   It is also good to talk about consequences; for example, anyone who breaks one of the rules has to sit out for the most fun game in the lesson.

 

IV.       Counting to 10

Break the class up into two smaller groups.  Each group needs to count to ten aloud but only one person can talk at one time.  One person begins and by saying "one" and then another student continues the counting with "two," until the group reaches "ten".  This game is harder than it seems because often two members of the group will say the same number at the same time.  Every time this happens, the group must start all over again from "one."  They must successfully work together, using eye contact and caution, to reach "ten."

 

V.        Human Pretzel

Have the students stand in a circle in groups of 8 or 10. Each student should grab another hand in the circle, making sure they do not grab a hand of a person next to them or both hands of any one person. Tell the group to untangle themselves without letting go of any hands. 

 

VI.       Real World Applications

First ask the students to explain what kinds of things they had to do in order to work through the games.  What would have happened during the human pretzel if everyone had tried to do his/her own thing?

 

A.        Now have the whole class brainstorm what kinds of conflicts are presented to a community. 

1.To get them started, you can suggest some: gang violence, homelessness, AIDS, child abuse, the Palestinian/ Israeli conflict. 

2.  Once you have listed several of these conflicts on the board, and everyone understands what they are, examine how each one can at least be made better, if not solved, by cooperation.

 

B.           Before you erase the list from the board, ask the class if there are any problems up that they would like to address in the Peace Game they will create. 


Explain that in the coming weeks students will begin work on their own Peace Game to be played at the festival.  Perhaps they can already choose what types of conflicts (between countries, between gangs, between individuals) they would like their game to help solve.

 

 

If you get done with this lesson early (normally the problem is that you run out of time), you can try the Broken Squares Activity (in the appendix) if you have prepared it for the lesson.

 

 

 

BEFORE YOU GO:

Ž    Tell the class when you will be visiting next.

Ž    Discuss with the teacher how your groups handled the students and ask for his or her critique.