Description

Through a video, group discussion, and role-playing, students learn about types of conflicts that occur in the school setting, identify how they escalate, and identify behaviors needed in resolving them.

Materials

-Video Mediation: Getting to WIN WIN! This can be checked out from the Bay County District Department for Safe and Drug Free Schools or contact Peace Works in Education through their webpage listed in Weblinks.
-3x5 index cards (6 per student)
-Overhead projector
-Vis--vis pen
-Overhead transparency of Word Bank worksheet (see Attached File for worksheet)
-Word Bank worksheet (1 per student - see Attached File)
-Conflict Worksheet (1 per student - see Attached File)
-Role Playing worksheet (1 per group - see Attached File)
-Peer Review sheet (1 per student - see Attached File)
-Television
-VCR

Procedures

This is a Conflict Resolution lesson. It addresses the Goal 5 standard School Safety and Environment/Strand and Responsible Health Behavior/Standard 3.

1. Tell the students to get comfortable and direct their attention to the TV screen. Play the video called Mediation: Getting to Win Win! The film is about two boys who get in a scuffle. The teacher sends them to Peer Mediation. Through mediation, the boys realize that they were fighting over something that did not even occur. It was nothing more than a series of misunderstandings and misinformation. It shows how an incident can turn into a big conflict. (Allow 23 minutes.)

2. After the video, use the Discussion Prompts sheet (see Attached File) as a guide for a class discussion of the video. (Allow 10 minutes.)

3. If students left their desks for the video, ask them to return to their desks and take out a pen/pencil for the next activity.

4. Give each student a copy of the Word Bank worksheet (see Attached File) and six 3x5 index cards. Ask the students to use the category codes at the bottom of the page to code the words. Students need to decide if the word represents a verbal cue, a non-verbal cue, a positive or negative word, or a violent or non-violent word. A word may have more than one code. Before the students begin, ask them to skim the page and see if they need any of the words defined for them. Allow five to seven minutes to complete this task. On the overhead, using the Word Bank transparency, review the words with the students. Allow one student at a time to tell how he/she coded a word. Remember to give corrective feedback and academic praise to each student as he/she shares. (Allow 15 minutes.)

5. Next, have the students write a word from the Word Bank onto an index card. Each card will contain a different category word. Card 1 a positive word, Card 2 a negative word, Card 3 -a verbal cue, Card 4 -a non-verbal cue, Card 5 -a violent word, and Card 6 -a non-violent word. Collect the cards and place them in a box (or other item like a hat). (Allow 2-3 minutes.)

6. Mix up the cards and ask the student with the most buttons on (or use another cute idea to select a student) to pick a card. He/she will act out the card. Students, when called upon by the actor, will guess the word being portrayed and what type of word it is. If the student is correct, he/she becomes the next actor. (Allow 15 minutes.)

7.Break the class into groups of three to four people, using the cute way you came up with. Ask one person to be the recorder and give each student a copy of the Conflict Worksheet. (See Attached File.) Each group will brainstorm possible causes of conflicts for students in a school setting. Have each of them record these on their own worksheet. Circulate among the groups to help students stay on task, refocus them if needed, and answer any questions they have. (Allow 10-12 minutes.)

8. Hand out one Role-Playing sheet (see Attached File) to each group recorder. Based on the discussion, they will choose a conflict and complete the details listed on the sheet. (Allow 10 minutes.)

9. Collect the Role-Playing sheets and fold them in half. Shuffle the sheets and hand one out to each group. Allow them time to review, to plan, and to discuss a solution they will act out.

10. Hand out a copy of the Peer Review sheet to each student. (See Attached File.)

11. Have the first group act out the given conflict. After they role play, give their peers time to fill out the review sheet. Now, as a class, discuss the conflict review, using their review sheets as a prompt.

12. Repeat step 11 with each group.

13. Have a cool down session for any thoughts, and/or questions, and answers.

Extensions

Through Peaceworks, you can order student workbooks and a teacher guide to extend this lesson further. It is suitable for students that require modifications in the classroom (eg., SLD). See Web Links.

Attached Files

Word Bank, Conflict Worksheet, Role-Playing Sheet, Peer Review Form, and Discussion Prompts.     File Size: 38912 bytes (0.038 mb)      File Extension: pdf