Tools for Change: An Educator's Resource Site

Author(s): International Center for Conflict Resolution and Mediation

Publisher: Imprimeries Transcontinental Inc.

Type of Resource: Lessons and Classroom activities

Target Grades: 1-3

Canadian Resource? yes

Resource formally evaluated? unknown

What is the source, internet link, or article title for viewing the formal evaluation of this resource? (none supplied)

Subject Areas:language, the arts, health and physical education, family life

GRADE THREE

Language: Writing

Write materials that show a growing ability to express their points of view and to reflect on their own experiences (e.g., journal notes)

Choose words that are most appropriate for their purpose (e.g., express a feeling)

Language: Reading

Express clear responses to written materials, relating the ideas in them to their own knowledge and experience and to ideas in other material they have read

Begin to develop their own opinions by considering some ideas from various written materials

Language: Oral and Visual Communication

Apply the rules for working with others

Rephrase to clarify their ideas (e.g., what I meant was, when I think about)

Speak on a variety of topics in classroom discussions using some specialized language (e.g., metres in measurement), and select words carefully to convey their intended meaning

Use appropriate volume, tone of voice, gestures, and stance when speaking, making a presentation, or reading aloud

Contribute ideas appropriate to the topic in group discussion and listen to the ideas of others

The Arts: Drama and Dance

Communicate, through movement, their thoughts and feelings about topics studied in other subject areas (e.g., create a movement sequence to express their fear of an environmental event such as a storm)

Health and Physical Education: Healthy Living

List safety procedures and practices in the home, school, and community

Use a problem-solving process to identify ways of obtaining support for personal safety in the home, school, and community

Identify examples of real and fictional violence (e.g., schoolyard fights, cartoons, movies)

Health and Physical Education: Active Participation

Demonstrate respect for the abilities and feelings of others (e.g., accepting everyone into the group)

Follow the rules of fair play in games and activities (e.g., giving everyone a chance to play)

Communicate positively to help and encourage others

Catholic Education Religion and Family Life

Family Life:

• exploring our own physical, mental, and emotional growth
• roles within relationships
• promises, choices and process of decision-making
• interdependence of people in society

N/A

(where noted: Consistently (C)   Often (O))

Exploring Well-Being Through Relationships

Knowledge

• Consistently focuses on personal growth in and through relationships
• Consistently focuses on how healthy relationships support a healthy sense of well-being
• Consistently increases awareness of how actions and choices impact the well being of others
• Consistently increases awareness of how actions/choices of others impact personal well-being

Skills

• Consistently explores relationships from personal perspectives and experiences
• Consistently helps develop personal self-awareness and understanding of well-being
• Consistently develops and practices mutual empathy
• Often identifies and practices values of mutual respect
• Consistently helps express personal feelings, thoughts, and experiences
• Consistently provides opportunity for classmates to respond empathetically and respectfully

Exploring Identity, Gender, and Diversity

Knowledge

• Often uses knowledge about how values and biases are (can be) used to exclude and cause harm to individuals and groups of individuals

Skills

• Consistently provides opportunity for students to identify, explore, and name their own identities, experiences, and values
• Consistently provides opportunity for students to develop an understanding and respect for the identities, experiences, and values of their classmates/peers
• Consistently provides opportunity for students to express, learn from, and build multiple perspectives on social experiences and diversity

Developing Connections, Creative Thinking and Participation

Knowledge

• Consistently provides strategies for personal and/or social change are offered to students for the promotion of healthy and equal relationships.
• Consistently engages in learning conflict resolution and anti-violence strategies
• Often provides opportunity for a gain in knowledge about choices and actions that promote mutual empowerment and respect

Skills

• Consistently provides opportunities to develop and practice their capacity for healthy interactions and connections within the context of the classroom/school
• Consistently provides opportunities to work collaboratively with peers to discuss and develop strategies for healthy and equal relationships
• Consistently provides experiences and practice of how to resolve conflict positively
• Often provides opportunity for the development of supportive connections between students and teachers/adults

Structure and Format:

• Evaluation of the resource (e.g., formal research on the effectiveness of the program
• Strategies to integrate lessons/activities into the educational curriculum
• Information guide or scope and sequence of lessons (i.e. how to strategies)
• Ready to use scripted format
• Sequential guide or lessons that are user friendly
• Availability of support to implement the program/resource
• Accommodations for exceptional students indirectly and directly identified

Teaching/Learning Strategies:

• Direct Instruction: whole class and small group
• Explicit Teaching
• Demonstration
• Explicit teaching and use of thinking skills and strategies
• Explicit teaching and using self-assessment and reflection

Interactive Learning

• Small-group cooperative learning
• Small group discussion/debriefing
• Presentations
• brainstorming
• Conferencing: peer and student-teacher

Indirect Instruction

• Guided teacher-directed inquiry
• Reflective discussions

Experiential Learning

• Simulation, role play
• Case studies/scenarios

Teaching and Learning Activities/Lessons Include:

• Choice, where possible, in student tasks and assignments
• Multiple opportunities for practice and feedback.
• Use of graphic organizers (e.g. Venn diagrams, mind maps, tables)
• Opportunities to use computer/information literacy skills
• Opportunities for students to use their learning styles to learn and demonstrate learning
• Integration of Multiple Intelligences theory to learn and demonstrate their learning.
• Portfolio development
• Oral and written reflection/journal writing

Assessment Methods:

Pencil and Paper:

• Quizzes

Demonstration/Performance:

• Class
• Skills demonstrations
• Role playing
• Organizing events
• Simulations

Personal Communication:

• Portfolio work

Other:

• Staff training

The lessons and classroom activities in this conflict resolution program foster important skills that promote personal growth in resolving conflict (i.e., empathy, active listening, communication). The resource is intended for use by teachers of grades 1 and 2, but could be easily adapted to work well with students in grade 3. The resource consists of nine different sessions that address different aspects of healthy relationships and conflict resolution. Lessons are age-appropriate, easy to follow, and contain activities which encourage personal reflection and recognition of/appropriate expression of feelings. The activities provide opportunities for students to identify, explore, and name their own identities, experiences, and values, as well as those of their classmates. The program provides a supportive environment for students who are dealing with conflict. Multiple ways of learning are integrated into the program’s pedagogy, including visual, oral, written, and interactive.