Suggestions
for Peace by P.E.A.C.E. Curriculum
What PXP at
Yale Needs (Based on mid-year evaluations)
n Revise lessons 2-4: Less
discussion, add game to lesson 4 (see outline below)
n More suggestions for how to introduce topics/games & lead discussions (See below)
n More historical examples of successful non-violent leaders (building a peaceful community: Toronto, inner power, suggestions for dealing with bullies (Toronto))
n Emphasizing that non-violent actions deserve respect (Toronto’s Inner-Power unit & bullying unit)
n More activities/discussions in SMALL groups (See Toronto & Baltimore’s instructions for when/how to divide up class for various activities, how to use smaller groups to do role-play-like activities)
n More role-playing/applying things to real life (use journals, very structured & specific small-group role-playing activities in Toronto & Baltimore’s curricula)
n LESS DISCUSSION!
n More about getting the kids to respect themselves (inner power, leadership opportunities offered by the building a peaceful community concept)
n More activities that involve the kids sharing/writing about their own experiences/ideas, so we can understand them better (homework, bringing in something to share about their cultural background (name activity), more writing activities, more discussion focused on the kids’ personal experience)
n Should be more addressed to kids who always like to fight (bullying lesson, anger management exercises, Columbia’s anger unit)
n Repetition of same ideas in various activities good, but there should be more logical progression of activities (see suggestions below)
n Record comments on each lesson at dinner meetings & add them to curriculum before each section!!!! (See Toronto’s evaluation questionnaire at end of each lesson)
n Have each lesson establish certain concepts you want the kids to understand & apply to their own lives at end of each lesson, & a way of assessing what they’ve learned. (see Toronto & Baltimore’s closing activities for each day, as well as final assessments).
n Emphasize more having several different activities (some more structured, some less structured) so teachers can choose based on level of their class (Toronto often offers 2 or more alternate games to choose from; take alternate games from other schools’ curricula)
n More clearly set-out instructions for each game (see Toronto, Baltimore, & Columbia, especially boxed major themes, detailed leading questions for discussions, and time & classroom space-allotments for each game)
n Have less superficial issues in activities like stereotyping game (see understanding cultural differences/points of view lessons from Baltimore & Toronto)
n More activities centered around why violence is bad in society (i.e., more Quentin Carter or Jonesboro, Media lesson, Peaceful Communities, Columbia’s “current events” article)
n Maybe an activity involving
the study of MLK or even more recent non-violence actions, or even recent
activities by other kids their ages in schools in different parts of the
country
What Other Schools Have That We Could Incorporate
n Overall Structure/layout of
Curriculum: how easy it is to use, ensuring volunteer responsibility, etc.
·
Columbia
has on the first page, “Important information section”: write name, number,
etc. of teaching partner, driving directions to school, etc: extremely
helpful/important
·
“Reflections”
sheet for each lesson with DEFINITE questions: can be collected each week (See
Toronto’s)
·
Sample
skit suggestions & icebreaker games in appendix of Columbia’s
n Flow/transition between
lessons/themes
·
See
Toronto’s layout, as well as most curricula: most start with a mock-conflict
between volunteers, then have introduction/definition of conflict, talk about
what’s worth fighting for (bother-o-meter), THEN do an escalation unit, then a
separate de-escalation unit which forms the bulk of all subsequent activities,
such as communication methods, respecting diversity, inner power, bullying,
etc. Eventually moves into world &
community conflict issues, giving kids change to think about how to solve
problems in the rest of the world.
·
Toronto
& Baltimore both stress certain key elements throughout the entire
curriculum, such as inner power (Toronto) and choice (Baltimore)
·
Columbia
especially chooses its icebreaker games carefully to fit in specifically with
the themes of the lesson.
·
Columbia
starts off by talking about current events & conflict in world, then moves
to conflict in our lives, ways it escalates, & ways of choosing to make
conflicts better.
n Structure and flow of individual lessons themselves
· Columbia has each lesson clearly outlined/summarized before lesson plan, including time allotment & name of volunteer who will lead each thing!! Blank spaces for volunteers to write names next to which activities they will be leading. Very attractive layout in general.
· More logistical steps for how activity will work: i.e., how kids should be seated (see Toronto & Baltimore)
·
Columbia
has GOAL OF THE DAY which is written on board at beginning of each lesson. Each lesson has specific components, agenda
& goal of the day written on the board to provide structure!
·
Discuss
specific rules pertaining to each type of activity before doing it (i.e.,
discussions, role-plays, etc.). These
types of teacher-expectations & structure should be written into
curriculum, not just mentioned in training sessions (See Columbia)
·
JOURNAL
WRITING activities for EVERY class: good way to get kids to reflect on what
they’ve learned & bring in personal experience (Columbia)
·
Very
specific discussion questions and outlines for each activity, notes on what
might go wrong, major themes boxed and set apart (see especially Toronto)
·
Definite
wrap-up and closing ritual for each week (Toronto, p. 10)
n Giving Peace by P.E.A.C.E.
more legitimacy, so kids take it more seriously, classroom control
·
HOMEWORK
activities: see especially Toronto, also Baltimore
·
Peace
by P.E.A.C.E. MANUALS/HANDBOOKS (see especially Toronto, Baltimore). These also assist in individual games, etc.
·
Have
everyone sign “community code” of following rules they come up with
·
Columbia,
unit 1: Include specific methods that mean “be quiet” in curriculum, define
them on day 1
n Remembering Kids’ Names
·
Columbia’s
journal suggestion: having kids create something they can leave on their desks
·
“About
Me” sheets: Toronto
n More Emphasis on concept of
“choice” vs “consequence” in resolving conflicts
·
p.
7 Toronto: “Choice & Consequence” activity
·
p.
71 Toronto: Choosing to use PXP skills in the future
·
Baltimore,
Unit 4
n Helping kids understand
concept of what a “peace game” is and how it applies to real life, avoiding
competitiveness, etc.
·
“Shake
Your Buns” game (Toronto, p. 10)
·
“win
win” vs. “win-lose” (Toronto, 42).
n
Making
Conflict Tree & Escalation/De-escalation lessons more accessible to kids
·
Having
them as completely separate units, adding more to escalation lesson or
combining it to what’s worth fighting for & psychology of anger, adding
more to de-escalation, including role-playing, & clearer-cut step-by-step
procedures
·
Adding
more writing & drawing activities, or storytelling as a group
·
Breaking
down the mock-conflict between volunteers into more definite stages (all
curricula, see Toronto p. 14)
·
Conflict
Web as alternative to tree (Baltimore, Unit 1)
·
Storytelling
in a circle about a conflict that gets escalated (Baltimore, Unit 1)
·
Presenting
tree in terms of different choices people can make to deal with incidences of
conflict (Baltimore, Unit 4)
·
Columbia’s
“Slippery Steps” & “Vines” model (Unit 4)
·
Columbia’s
“Climb of Courage” (Unit 5) and creating stories out of specific ways to
“climb”
n Helping kids define what’s
worth fighting for
·
“Big
bug/Little Bug” (Columbia, Unit 3)
·
Differentiating
between “Conflict” & “fight”
·
“helpful/Hurtful”
(Columbia, Unit 3): when conflicts hurt & when they help
n Factors in people’s
lives/situations that might make a conflict worse
·
Concept
of “Baggage” (Toronto, p. 14, Baltimore, Unit 2)
·
Discussions
of conflicts between cultures
n Very concrete steps/methods
of anger management/de-escalation
·
“bug
board” & “cool-off” board (Toronto, 15)
· Definite structure relaxation/meditation activities (Toronto, 16-17, and appendix)
· Columbia, Unit 6: everyone comes up with his/her personal relaxation techniques
· CLIMB acronym (Columbia, Unit 6): step-by-step method
· Using pictures/stories to illustrate scenarios (Columbia, Unit 6)
n Concept of I/You Statements
(big emphasis in other curricula!)
· Role-play about getting a CD back from someone (Toronto, 21-22)
n Communication & Good
Listening Skills
·
Body
language activities (Toronto, 20-21)
·
Columbia’s
body language activities (Unit 7): Body Language, notecards, going through the
emotions
· “Listen So Others Can Speak” Poor/Good Listener Activity (Toronto, 23)
· Escalating/De-escalating conflict using gibberish (Baltimore, Unit 9)
n Respecting Cultural
Differences
·
“Origin
of Names:” Everyone discussing cultural origins of their name (Toronto, 26), or
some other such aspect of their culture: preparing something to present to
class
·
Suuls
& Ichthalonians could be used as an example of this rather than just
communication
n Empathy/Understanding Point
of View
·
Toronto
p. 27: “Putting Yourself in Other People’s Shoes” activity: could be an
alternate to, or combined with, “What Happened in Room…”
·
Drawing/writing
activity: self-expression (Baltimore, Unit 6)
n
Inner
Power/Feeling good about yourself
·
Big
concept in Toronto, respecting yourself & feeling powerful enough to solve
your problems is a big factor
· “All Round:” Writing what’s good about yourself (Toronto, 33)
· “Cool Vibes” (Toronto, 35)
· “Throw Away the Negative Self-Talk:” Changing “negative self-talk” to “positive” (Toronto, 35-36)
· Inner power activity: “You have inner power!” (Toronto, 36-37)
· “You’re a Superstar, Too!” (Toronto, 38)
· Drawing pictures to show inner power (Toronto, 59)
· Defining positive & negative aspects of pride & self-esteem (Baltimore, Unit 10)
· “Take Another Little Piece of My Heart” (Baltimore, Unit 10)
· “Name and Claim to Fame” (Columbia, Unit 4)
n Negotiation/Problem-Solving
·
The
steps of negotiation: “Negotiation: 3-Step Problem-Solving” (Toronto, 43)
·
Role-playing
negotiation (Toronto, 45)
n Mediation
·
Definition
and role-plays (Toronto, 44)
n Dealing with Bullies
·
Hand
out bullying survey to fill out before the lesson (Toronto, 47)
· Link bullying to lack of inner power (Toronto, 48)
· Coming up with definition of bullying & WHY bullies do it (Toronto, 50)
· Distinction between teasing and bullying (Toronto, 51)
· “My Feelings, My Choice:” Coming up with class procedure for dealing with bullying & helping others being bullied (Toronto, 52-53).
· Bullying role-plays & suggestions (Toronto, 55-56)
· Could Quentin Carter article be linked to bullying?
n Building Peaceful
Communities
· Envisioning community where everyone has inner power (Toronto, 59)
· Having kids define what communities they’re part of (Columbia, 3)
· “Trip to Moon” (Toronto, 60)
· What we can do to build peaceful community (Toronto, 61)
· Designing class crest/peace quilt square (Toronto)
· Think of issues to address in their community & brainstorm solutions (Baltimore, Unit 11)
· Letter to the Mayor
· Hubba Bubba chewing gum?
· Jonesboro article?
n Current Events
· Columbia’s article & discussion about Sept. 11 & racial discrimination (Unit 2)
n Thinking critically about
the media
·
Defining
& thinking critically about the media (Toronto, 65)
· Finding out kids’ favorite shows (Toronto, 65)
· “Evaluating TV Violence” (Toronto, 65)
· “The Real Deal:” compare video game/TV consequences of violence to real life (Toronto, 66). Quentin Carter article could be of use here!!
· “A Peaceful Word With the Media” (Toronto, 67): how to give more peaceful messages with the media
· Jonesboro article here?
n Reviewing skills learned in
PXP/Concluding the program
·
“Choice
& Consequence in Conflict” (Toronto, 71): Emphasis on CHOOSING for
themselves to use PXP skills on their own
·
Having
students reflect on program, write what they’ve learned (Toronto, 76-77)
·
Baltimore,
Unit 14: Kids fill out surveys of what they’ve learned
n
Helping
kids make the games
·
Making
guidelines very clear, step by step process of how to come up with what will be
in game (Toronto 71)
·
Using
handbooks & worksheets to help (Baltimore, Unit 12)
· Having kids work in smaller groups to come up with games!
· How to supervise kids & assign tasks to facilitate game (Toronto, 72-74)
· Play the games in class