Restorative justice for the classroom: Lesson 1 the community web

3-page pdf lesson “to identify community roles in conflict resolution and develop understanding of the significance of each role in keeping the community safe. Through role play, students learn how each role is a part of an intricate web of community support and how a breakdown in one part of the web affects the whole. Through this lesson students develop communication skills and empathy.”

Building empathy: Creating community

32-page pdf handbook created, “to help students explore new ways of interacting through a process of learning about — and learning to honor — one another’s individuality. Learning about peers humanizes people and helps them to identify with one another rather than ostracize or alienate. The activities below are designed to help individuals — particularly independent-minded pre-teens and teens — think of their classroom or school as a community and thereby experience solidarity with their peers.”

Making friends, being friends: Cooperative conversations for grades K-6

26-page pdf handbook which “show[s] K-6 teachers how Mix It Up themes can be woven into classroom discussions, issues, events, holidays, routines and academic content. Mix It Up is about talking with and connecting with those around you. The lessons center on group conversations combined with cooperative learning — termed “cooperative conversations” in this handbook. These conversations help children reach across social boundaries, get to know each other and gain respect for different viewpoints.”

Mixitup: 2008-2009 planner

50-page pdf document, “designed for teachers, counselors, students, administrators and others looking for activities and ideas to organize Mix It Up at Lunch Day, reduce social boundaries at school and promote an inclusive learning environment for all students. It includes lesson plans for early, middle and upper grades based on content standards and can easily be adapted for use in school clubs. For additional activity ideas, online polls and essay prompts, visit www.mixitup.org.”

Harmony Island STAR and APE Activity Handouts

This 6-page pdf provides colorful poster and handout examples excerpted from the Teacher’s Guide for Harmony Island by Academic Edge, Inc. Harmony Island is a multimedia-enhanced conflict resolution curriculum designed to help learners broaden their understanding of conflicts and develop their conflict resolution skills. Students are introduced to core strategies that have proven to be effective in conflict resolution. STAR (Stop, Think, Act, Refect) is a series of steps learners can take to think about and avoid or resolve conflicts. APE (Active Listening, Problem Solving, and Emotional Awareness) is an acronym that summarizes some of the key skills involved in avoiding and resolving conflicts. The full teachers guide and information on purchasing the game materials is available via www.harmonyisland.org

Licensure Report – Conflict Management Pilot Program In North Carolina

A 9-page pdf document discussing the experiences of Center for the Prevention of School Violence’s “Reach In, Reach Out, Reach Over Conflict Management Curriculum” development initiative and related work done on revising statewide licensure of new teachers to include conflict management concepts and skills. Includes reports on results of focus groups with preservice teachers regarding the need for conflict management skills development. As the report indicates, “Although the goal of implementing a teacher licensure enhancement can be ambitious, there were a number of supporting factors for the initiative and foreseeable challenges that were addressed.”

Making a difference: Creating more skillful educators & students & more peaceful schools through CRE

24-page pdf report which documents the work of the “Conflict Resolution Education Partnership (CRE Partnership)[which] has given over 80 grants to schools in Maryland that have resulted in significant and meaningful changes. Beyond implementing short-term safety measures, Conflict Resolution Rducation (CRE) involves teaching problem solving, anger management snd life lessons for effectively de-escalating and resolving conflicts in productive and peaceful ways. The tesults of the CRE Partnership show dramatic improvements in schools: duccessful conflict resolution programs reduce school discipline problems, improve student decision-making skills and increase academic achievement.”

Ferdinand the bull: The story of a bull who wouldn’t fight: Resource guide for teachers on NV

23-page pdf study guide created to accompany “The Hudson Vagabond Puppets’ production of Ferdinand tthe Bull [which] can serve as a focus point for an indepth look at conflict resolution in the classroom. The performance will end with a brief lecture-demonstration developed in conjunction with ENACT, a not-for-profit organization that teaches social skills to young people.”

Schools conflict resolution and mediation competition: Manual

27-page pdf manual for SCRAM a, “Year 9 & 10 interactive role play program which encourages the development of mediation skills in secondary school students. The mediation is based on fictitious community based scenario. A team of 6-8 students is given background information on an issue which is causing conflict among 4 participants. The team uses this information to practice their mediation skills.” Objectives for the students include: Learning to manage conflict in a productive way, to encourage the development of self esteem through self awareness, to encourage the development of self esteem through self responsibility, to encourage the parties to identify the issues that are in dispute, considering options, working towards an agreement that will meet the needs of all parties and encouraging the development of self esteem. For practice training scenarios go to: http://www.scram.business.ecu.edu.au/scenario.htm To find out more information about SCRAM see their website at: http://www.scram.business.ecu.edu.au/

Kids Working It Out Resource Appendix

A listing of books, publications and websites provided in the appendix to Tricia S. Jones and Randy O. Compton (Eds.) 2003 book Kids Working It Out: Stories and Strategies for Making Peace in Our Schools.

Global education guidelines: A handbook for educators to understand and implement global education

85-page pdf handbook “written on the premise that educational processes in formal and non-formal settings should open the path to a better understanding of an increasingly globalised world. It also raises important issues about the professional responsibilities of educators and teachers and the role of schools and different organisations and institutions in raising global awareness and knowledge on worldwide issues across the curriculum and in non-formal projects and activities … this document should be regarded as a guide for understanding and practising global education, also as a pedagogical coaching tool to help establish global education approaches where they do not yet exist and enrich existing ones. Its content was set up taking into account in-field practices and references and cultural, geographic, social and economic realities.”

Tackling tough topics: An educator’s guide for working with military kids

12-page pdf booklet “created by the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to assist educators in better understanding and being responsive to the unique issues facing military kids whose parents or loved ones have been or are currently deployed. It provides practical, hands-on information to help those in school settings deal with the “tough to talk about” topics students experience in the schools setting including: Talking to Kids About Violence, Terrorism, and War; Supporting Military Kids During Deployment, Homecoming, and
Reunion; Helping Kids Cope with Stress; Understanding the Impact of Grief and Loss; Coping with Death and Fostering Resilience.”

In the mix lesson plan: Cliques, friendship groups, or boxes

Web based lesson plan which “helps students explore the social ‘boxes’ that they place themselves in or are put in by others, and focus on how they judge one another. The lesson can also serve as a training session for students who wish to be Big Brothers and Sisters to incoming freshmen, or student facilitators of Human Relations groups — two programs that promote a greater sense of community within schools.” Draws on materials provided by PBS’s In the Mix program http://to.pbs.org/2sX2aD2

In the mix lesson plan: Managing anger

Web based lesson plan “designed to teach anger management and conflict resolution through the ‘I-Message’ communication technique and other group activities.” Draws on materials provided by PBS’s In the Mix program http://to.pbs.org/2sX2aD2

In the mix lesson plan: A primer on peer mediation

Web resource “designed to introduce students to the process of mediation. If Peer Mediation is an ongoing program at your school, this lesson can be used to inform students of what they can expect if they choose to solve a problem through mediation. It can also be used to encourage students to train to become mediators. If Peer Mediation is new to your school, this lesson can be the jumping-off point to bringing a training program into your building. If possible, the PBS In the Mix episode http://to.pbs.org/2sX2aD2 should be used because it shows an actual mediation (re-enacted) and shares viewpoints from both the participants and the student mediators.”