Handling Disagreements - 1

Basic

Lesson Plan

Goal: In a social situation, the student will use a respectful response when disagreeing with a peer or adult without escalating the situation in 8 out of 10 observable opportunities, as measured by a teacher assessment tool.

Objectives:
1. Use good listening skills to hear/listen to the other person’s ideas/perspective in a disagreement.
2. Ask a clarifying question to help you understand the other person’s view or idea.
3. Use a learned/rehearsed respectful response to express your own personal opinion (such as “I see what you are saying, but…; “That is a good point…; “I am sorry but I disagree with you on this.”).

Definitions of Key Terms: Disagreeing means to have a different feeling or opinion about a topic, like food, from other people. You may think that pizza is the greatest food ever, while your friend does not like to eat pizza at all.

Discussion Points

Discuss the meaning of a disagreement. Review the discussion points with the students. Teachers may want to share their own examples of when he/she disagreed with a friend, classmate, parent or family member. You may also want to discuss some do’s/don’ts of disagreeing.

  • What does it mean to disagree?
  • Is it okay to disagree?
  • What are the consequences of disagreeing?
  • How do you feel when you disagree with someone?
  • Does your body feel or look different when you disagree with someone in a mean way?
  • How do we disagree respectfully and politely?
    Some Thoughts About Disagreeing
  • Don’t put others down when disagreeing.
  • Listen to other people's point of view or ideas.
  • Don’t use abusive/mean language/words when disagreeing.

Discuss with students what it means to disagree and why it is important to do so appropriately. Review the discussion point questions.

Possible activities to review the discussion point:

  • 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.

Directions for In-Person or Virtual Learning: You have three options for students to complete this lesson.

  • Option 1: Print the Student Activity Sheet for each student. Complete the lesson as a group and assign the activity sheet to the students.
  • Option 2: Click the Student link to access the activity sheet electronically and post to your Learning Management System (if your school has one) or send the link to the student. The student may complete the activity sheet electronically within the classroom on a shared computer or device.
  • Option 3: Click the Student link to access the activity sheet electronically and send the link to the student. The student may access the link from a home computer, chromebook, iPad or other device.

Activity 1: Circumstances

Review the discussion points with the students. Ask the students to think about a time when they disagreed with a friend or classmate or family member. As a large group, develop a list of situations when you might disagree with other people. (Example: When choosing what activity to do next.)

Materials Needed:
  • Chart paper or interactive board

Record the responses on the board or chart paper. For each response, discuss how you could respond differently to have a respectful disagreement. Record those ideas/responses on the board or chart paper.

Activity 2: Agree or Disagree

Review the discussion points and ideas generated in Activity 1 with the students. Allow students time to complete Student Activity Sheet A. Separate the class into small groups. Instruct the students to discuss their answers on Student Activity Sheet A. Ask them to share why they would agree or disagree with each situation on the activity sheet.

Materials Needed:
  • Student Activity Sheet A - 1 per group
  • Pencil for each student
    •

Bring the groups together to review some of the answers and discussions that occurred in the smaller groups. Discuss the ideas for disagreeing in each situation using respectful words.

Discuss or role play some of the situations on the sheet reminding students to use respectful words (responses).

Student Activity Sheet A

Directions: Check whether you would agree or disagree the following situations are socially acceptable.

1. Your friend wants to borrow someone’s bike without permission.

2. A police officer tells you to wear your bike helmet.

3. Your mom says you’re grounded for not following directions.

4. Your friend wants to drive bikes in a location where bike riding is not allowed.

Activity 3: Comic Strip Worksheet

Review the discussion points and ideas shared during Activities 1 and 2. Instruct students that on the Student Activity Sheet B, they will see a set of 2 comic pictures. For each picture pair, they should read the comic strips and then check the box on top of the picture that shows how you can respectfully disagree. Allow students time to complete Student Activity Sheet B. Bring the class together to discuss the answers.

Materials Needed:
  • Student Activity Sheet B - 1 per student
  • Pencil for each student
    •

Student Activity Sheet B

Directions: Study the comic strips below. Check or circle the answers that show that the characters are making new friends.

Lesson Extension: Listening Comprehension

Explain that a script is a form of dialogue writing between characters in a movie, play, or broadcast. Utilizing the immersive reader students should listen carefully as the teacher plays the example scripts below. Replay the script if needed. Allow students time to complete Student Activity Sheet C.

Materials Needed:
  • Student Activity Sheet C - 1 per student
  • Pencil for each student
    •

Example script demonstrating disagreeing appropriately:
Anya: I am angry that you broke my toy.
Kim: I am sorry that happened but I didn’t break it.
Anya: Are you sure?
Kim: Yes, I am. Let’s focus on either fixing it or getting you a new one.

If time allows students may partner together and role play the script.

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
Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type Doreen Cronin Pre K-4 AD470L
Little Critter; To the Rescue! Mercer Mayer K-2 140L
The Recess Queen Alexis O'neill 1-2 AD550L

Student Activity Sheet C

Directions: Draw a comic to match the script you listened to.

Application Activity

Review the discussions and ideas generated in activities 1-3. In small groups, have the students create scripts disagreeing appropriately and inappropriately.Use the script sheet to assist the groups in creating scripts.

Materials Needed:

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 demonstrating disagreeing appropriately:
Anya: I am angry that you broke my toy.
Kim: I am sorry that happened but I didn’t break it.
Anya: Are you sure?
Kim: Yes, I am. Let’s focus on either fixing it or getting you a new one.

Example script of not demonstrating disagreeing inappropriately:
Anya: I am angry that you broke my toy.
Kim: No I didn’t. Be quiet!
Anya: You were playing with it.
Kim: I don’t want to speak to you anymore.

Topic Checkout

Review the key points from each Activity. Allow students time to complete the Student Topic Checkout. When everyone is finished, as a group review the answers.

Materials Needed:
  • Student Topic Checkout - 1 per student
  • Pencil for each student

Student Topic Checkout

Directions: Check the box for the best answer.

1. Your friend wants to pick the next game to play. But, it’s your turn. You say, “Anya if I remember correctly you picked the last game. That would mean it is now my turn.”

2. Your friend says you did the math problem wrong. You say, “No I didn’t. You are dumb and don’t know what you’re talking about.”

3. Your sister says you broke her new toy. You yell and scream at her telling you did not do it.

4. Your best friend says spaghetti is the best food. You say, “I like spaghetti, but I think another food is the best. I think lasagna is the best.”