1996 Peace Games at Yale Curriculum Introduction

The Peace Games at Yale Curriculum has been expanded and extensively revised for 1996. Now in it's third year, Peace Games has grown from a four session program in 1993 to an eight session curriculum. The most significant changes involve the addition of a new lesson and the refinement of the existing material.

After extensive review by the Peace Games staff , "Conflict Escalators and De-escalators" was expanded and broken into two separate lessons to allow classes to focus more on these important and central concepts. The game making part of the curriculum was also divided into two weeks and expanded into a more functional component of the curriculum. An entirely new lesson was added; "Violence and Conflict," which examines the complex and pivotal role that violence and weapons can play in escalating a conflict to potentially dangerous levels.

In making these changes, which come as a result of two years of teaching in New Haven as well as a continuing dialogue with other Peace Games Organizations, we feel we have produced a curriculum that is innovative and educational, in keeping with the spirit in which Peace Games was founded.

Peace Games at Yale is designed as an eight session program to be taught during the school day as a normal part of the student's daily curriculum. The program emphasizes group cooperation and conflict resolution as a constructive means to solve problems and achieve group goals. The workshops teach various elements of these concepts by using a combination of games and discussion activities, culminating in a group designed "Peace Game," which demonstrates the concepts learned by the students during the program.

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