Conflict Resolution Lessons

From Educators for Social Responsibility (ESR), whose mission is to make teaching social responsibility a core practice in education so that young people develop the convictions and skills needed to shape a safe, sustainable, democratic, and just world.  ESR is recognized for its prominent role in social and emotional learning, conflict resolution, violence prevention, and intergroup relations. They offer comprehensive programs and  resources for adults who teach pre-school through high school aged children.

ESR uses the "Peaceable Classroom" model which emphasizes six themes: cooperation, communication, appreciation for diversity, the healthy expression of feelings, responsible decision making, and conflict resolution.  Programs and activities have been developed for all grades, some examples are: Pre- K to Grade 2 [Talk It Out Together; Responding to Conflict Amongst Young Children]; Grades 3 to 5 [What's So Bad or Good About Conflict?; Many Ways to Resolve Conflict; Grades 6 to 8 [Conflict Resolution Activities; Practicing Problem Solving]; Grades 9 to 12 [Acting Out Conflict; Exploring the Nature of Conflict]. For more information:  www.teachervision.fen.com/classroom-discipline/resource/3038.html

Conflict Resolution Lesson Plans.  

Links to the following 24 lesson plans can be found at: www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/health/conflict/

1.     Acting Out Conflict- Students will review the Problem Solving Technique for resolving conflicts.

2.     Are You a Peacemaker or a Man Eating Shark?- Students work on the concept of "fairness" through a group activity, discussion, and written responses with conflicts/resolutions from a short story, and then produce a page on the computer (or on paper) for a class book.

3.     Be Strong, Be Mean, or Give in?- Two lessons.

4.     Childhood Conflict- Some great advice on conflict resolution.

5.     Conflict Resolution- To help classmates have a way to solve problems without always needing the teacher. To help have responsible children help other children in the class by giving suggestions to problems.

6.     Conflict Resolution Activities- These activities are designed to encourage young students to think about peaceful ways to solve problems.

7.     Conflict Resolution Lesson Plan 1- To learn to identify how others might be feeling in order to encourage sensitivity.

8.     Consensus Brainstorming- Students will learn how to brainstorm. Students will learn how to come to a consensus.

9.     Decision Making- This lesson encourages students to think of different ways to solve their problems. Students can work together to make a group decision.

10.   Exploring the Nature of Conflict- Students will construct definitions of conflict and violence Students will distinguish between conflict and violence. Students will identify what is positive about conflict Students will analyze a conflict they have experienced.

11.   Fair is Fair- Students learn more about the concept of -fairness- by being involved in two unfair activities, role-playing three scenarios, and filling in a web about fairness.

12.   Five Styles of Handling Children's Conflicts- It seems to only discuss four, but still is great.

13.   Follow Me Freeze- Students will build community. Students will practice following directions.

14.   Many Ways to Resolve Conflict- Students will learn a range of possible conflict resolution techniques. Students will learn some of the technical terms of conflict resolution.

15.   Practicing Problem Solving- Students will be introduced to a problem-solving procedure. Students will participate in a structured practice of resolving conflict.

16.   Resolution Vocabulary- Provides six salient definitions.

17.   Resolving Conflicts- Examine different kinds of hurtful behavior.

18.   Similar and Different- Students will learn that we are all as similar as we are different. Students will build community by discovering their similarities.

19.   Solving Minor Problems- The purpose of this activity is to see if students can identify four steps to use when solving minor problems with other students.

20.   Start Talking about Conflict Resolution- Here is a list of five to ten minute activities that are intended to promote positive community-building. In all activities, students should have the opportunity to pass if they so desire.

21.   Talk It Out Together- Students will practice this conflict-solving process. NOTE: Few children in preschool or the primary grades will master this process initially, and most will need help remembering and implementing it. By introducing it and practicing it, children will begin to acquire some of these skills, but even older children may still need help in using them or rely on adults to get the process started.

22.   What about Fighting?- Students will identify the potential positive and negative consequences of using violence to resolve conflicts.

23.   What is a Peaceable Classroom?- Students will explore the connections between these three words and their own environment. Students will analyze the current classroom environment and discuss ways to make it more peaceable.

24.   What's Bad or Good about Conflict?- Students will explore how conflict can be negative and positive. Students will create a bulletin board about conflict.

NOTE:  Free Presentations in PowerPoint format are available at: facs.pppst.com/conflictresolution.html.  Among other topics, they deal with friends and peer pressure and dealing with anger.  Others are available for students [e.g.,You've got to be kidding!] and for teachers [e.g., Lesson Plans for Problem Solving and a Problem Solving Lesson Plan Index.