Conflict Resolution - 1
Basic
Lesson Plan
Goal: While in an educational setting (such as in class, in school building, remote learning session) the student will use a learned strategy to resolve a conflict in 8 out of 10 observable opportunities as measured by a teacher assessment tool.
Objectives:
1. Identify a social situation as a conflict.
2. Identify situations or actions that may lead to conflict.
3. Use a learned strategy to resolve the conflict successfully.
Standards: Click on the appropriate link below to view Language Arts standards included in this lesson.
Definitions of Key Terms: Conflict resolution is the ability to assess a social situation that is not going well and to use a strategy to end the situation in a good way. It is the skill of using a strategy to end a disagreement among 2 or more people in a peaceful way.
Discussion Points:
Questions:
- What is a conflict?
- How do you feel when you are in a conflict?
- Why should we attempt to solve the conflict in a positive or peaceful way?
- Can you give an example of what can cause a conflict?
- What can happen if you don’t handle a conflict correctly?
Discuss the meaning of conflict. Review the discussion points with the students. Teachers may want to share their own examples of when he/she was in a conflict and how they used a strategy to resolve it peacefully.
- The group should form a circle. Ask a question and allow students to toss a bean bag to those who would like to answer the question.
- Play tic-tac-toe by dividing the group into teams. Write discussion questions on a post-it note and place them on the tic-tac-toe grid. Allow a representative from the team to select a post-it note and as a team develop an answer to the question. If they get it right they may put their team's marker (x or o) on the grid.
Possible activities to review the discussion point:
Activity 1: Story Lines
Review the discussion points with the students. To help students understand what a conflict is, develop a list of possible conflicts and list them on the board or chart paper. Discuss how the students know that the situation is a conflict. You may want to be sure they share how they feel, what their body may have felt, etc.
- Chart paper or interactive board
- Tongue depressors or wide craft sticks
- Marker
- Mason jar labeled “Conflict Resolution Jar”
Divide the board or chart paper in half, down the middle. On the left side, you can begin to list the ideas of conflict situations from students and on the right side add the strategies or ideas they generate for solving each in a peaceful/good way.
Some examples to get the ideas/sharing started could include:
- Anya and Ken want to participate in two different activities.
- Chris always wants to be first in the lunch line.
- Donny is never willing to share the swings.
- Mom says it’s time to do your chores and you don’t want to.
Now ask the students to think of and share ideas of how to resolve or end the conflict in a peaceful or good way. These ideas can be written/recorded on the right side of the divided board/chart paper.
Some examples to get the ideas/sharing started could include:
- Ask for help
- Go outside
- Take a walk
- Work on a compromise
- Take some deep breaths
- Think about the size of the problem
Write down each possible solution on a tongue depressor/wide craft stick. If able, you can have students write the solutions on the sticks; if not, you may want to complete this part. Once finished, place the tongue depressors/craft sticks in a mason jar. Explain to students that the next time they have a conflict and are unsure what to do, they can look through the conflict resolution jar for a solution.
Activity 2: Stoplight
In preparation for this activity, you will want to use paper plates or a poster to create a traffic light to display for students. Make sure if using a poster, you have the ability to change to light to the different colors (red, yellow, green).
- Scenarios
- Traffic light
Review the discussion from Activity 1 with the students. Ask students if when riding in a car or truck, they have ever noticed the lights at an intersection. Ask them what happens when a car or truck approaches an intersection; ask what the driver is looking for.
Display the traffic light you made and describe how you will use it today, inside the classroom. Explain that you will give them a situation and ask them to respond, based on the color that the traffic light displays.
When the red light is on, they should take three deep breaths and think of something that calms them.
When it turns yellow it is time to evaluate the conflict. Possible questions to ask themselves or think about: can I handle this on my own, do I need an adult to help me, what are some possible conflict resolution strategies that might help?
When the light turns green they should select the best strategy and give it a try.
Here are some ideas for practice or you may use your own:
- You want a turn on the swings but your friend isn’t sharing.
- Your friend always wants to go first when playing a game.
- A kid in the cafeteria tells you that your shirt is ugly.
Lead students in a discussion about the ideas they thought of when the light was green.
Activity 3: Scenarios
Before starting this activity, write a conflict situation on an index card. You will want to have duplicates of each situation;
Assign students into groups. Give each group a conflict situation(each student should have an index card displaying the same situation per group). Instruct the students to discuss as a group the ideas for resolving the conflict in a good way. On the back of the index card write or draw how they would resolve the conflict.
- Conflict Situations
- Index cards
- Pencils/crayons for each group
Possible situations you can use (or you can create your own):
- You want to pick a game to play today but your friend won’t let you. What will you do?
- The student in line behind you keeps poking you. What will you do?
- You are trying to talk to your parent but another family member keeps interrupting you. What do you do?
- Someone calls you a name at recess. What do you do?
- Your best friend doesn’t invite you to her birthday party. What do you do?
Lesson Extension: Listening Comprehension
Explain that a script is a form of writing; a dialogue between characters in a movie, play, or broadcast. Utilizing the immersive reader students should listen carefully as the teacher plays the example script below. Replay the script if needed. Allow students time to complete Student Activity Sheet A.
- Student Activity Sheet A - 1 per student
- Pencil for each student
After students have finished, allow those that want to share their comic do so or role play one of the example scripts.
Example script of demonstrating appropriate conflict resolution:
Darren: Hey, I really want to go sledding. Do you want to go?
Tori: I don’t really like sledding but I will still go with you.
Darren: That’s so nice of you. Is there something you would like to do also?
Tori: Yes, I would love to go ice skating.
Read Aloud Recommendations: Completing a read aloud with students is a great way to connect text with lesson content while incorporating reading and language practice. Below are suggested titles including, a YouTube link, Lexile and Grade Level information for books relating to the lesson.
| Book Title | Author | Grade Level | Lexile Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anton and the Battle | Ole Konnecke | 2-5 | 540 |
| The Biggest Valentine Ever | Steven Kroll | Pre K-1 | AD510L |
| Enemy Pie | Derek Munson | K-2 | AD550l |
Student Activity Sheet A
Directions: Draw a comic to match the script you listened to.
Application Activity
In small groups, have the students create scripts demonstrating appropriate and inappropriate conflict resolution. Use the script sheet to assist the groups in creating scripts.
- Script sheet for each group
- Pencil for each student
Have students record their scripts using the SiLAS software. Remind students to name and save their recordings. Premiere the movies with the group members at the end of each session.
Script Extensions:
Click the following hyperlinks to have students choose their Characters, Background and Props prior to writing scripts. For examples of script writing accommodations, click Here.
Ideas for modifying this activity based on your students’ needs:
- create a script as a class
- pair or group students so that skill levels are varied and assign each a role or task that uses their skill
- create the script by recording the dialog with a phone or other recording device.
Example script of demonstrating appropriate conflict resolution:
Darren: Hey, I really want to go sledding. Do you want to go?
Tori: I don’t really like sledding but I will still go with you.
Darren: That’s so nice of you. Is there something you would like to do also?
Tori: Yes, I would love to go ice skating.
This is an example of an inappropriate script on gaining attention:
Darren: Hey, I really want to go sledding. Do you want to go?
Tori: I don’t like sledding at all so no.
Darren: Why don’t you ever want to do what I want to do. I always have to do what you want.
Tori: I’m not going sledding and that’s it.
Darren: Wait, this just isn’t right! Why can’t we just take turns picking an activity. That’s what is fair to everyone.
Topic Checkout
Review the key points from each activity. Allow students to complete the Student Topic Checkout. Discuss answers as a group when finished.
- Student Topic Checkout
- Pencil for each student
Student Topic Checkout
Directions: Think of a traffic light and a conflict situation. Fill in the missing colors for each sentence.
| green | yellow | red |
|---|