- Unit 1: Introduction to Peace by P.E.A.C.E./Discussing Conflict

GOALS: 1. Introducing ourselves & PXP

2. Getting to know the kids

3. Define “conflict” & “fight”

4. Community rules

5. Why people fight

6. Engaging their interest in PXP

a. Conflicts have causes & consequences

b. Consequences can be causes, etc.

c. There are good and bad consequences

MATERIALS:

Make name tags?

ACTIVITIES

1. Short intro: “we’re from PXP…” (1 min.)

2. Fake fight, leading into “we’re here to talk about conflict” Use a script from a different curriculum, with all the different factors that can go into a conflict/stages

3. Finish explaining who we are (2 min.):

a. Who we are/where we’re from

b. Conflict-Resolution: the main thing we’re talking about is conflict

c. Festival

4. Silent Quiz (5 min.)

a. Have you ever been in a fight?

b. Wanted to hit anyone?

c. Hit anyone?

d. Yelled at your parents/siblings

e. Stopped a fight

f. Seen/not stopped a fight?

g. Did you want to stop it?

h. Been upset because of a fight?

i. Hurt in a fight?

j. Regretted getting into a fight?

k. Felt pressured to fight by peers

5. Name game: go around the room, say your name and the first thing you think about when think of conflict, something NOT already on the board.

a. Start off with “Some things you could say are, i.e., yelling, body language, insults…”

b. Be encouraged to get ideas from our fake fight & reflect upon it.

c. Or from fights you’ve had recently

d. NOTE: this is NOT the normal “name game” where you repeat what other people say.

6. Defining conflict: Conflict Tree & Staircase (10-15 min.)

a. Write brainstorms on board

b. Relate staircase to fake fight: list different steps

c. Different types: individual, community, world

d. Reasons people fight

e. Is a conflict always bad?

f. We’re not here to tell you not to fight

g. Everyone gets into fights

h. Conflicts can have good results too

i. Constructive use of anger in conflict: how to make it an advantage, to get what you want

j. Escalation and De-escalation: Conflict Staircase: include lists of escalators/de-escalators

7. Human pretzel (10 min.)

a. Note: this is a type of de-escalation

8. Discussion of game: cooperation à what happens if people don’t cooperate? (5 min. max)

a. Class Rules (I.e., what makes the game work/not work)

i. Respect Each other

ii. à Fights à next activity

b.

9. Extra game: Circular Ball Toss (or other name game options, including name tags: have note in beginning of lesson about learning kids’ names).

10. Evaluation questions (for each lesson, questions can be either written or verbal)

a. Establish way of coming together as a class

b. What is our main point from this lesson/what did we learn?

i. Get definition of a conflict

ii. Some things are both causes and effects (leading to escalation)

iii. Necessity of rules and cooperation

o Introduce Yourselves

o Define word “conflict”

o Survey: get to know the kids: serious & not serious questions: Our silent quiz

o Fake fight (if teachers feel comfortable). Suggestions p. 14 of Toronto

o Spectrum of conflicts: individual, community, world, etc.

o Fight vs. Conflict

o Discussion of what kids think about conflict/personal experience

o Keep some of the games but not all

o Why we’re here

o Rules

o Starting small & working up to bigger: how you impact what’s around you