Students learn disappointment, frustration, and anger are feelings which everyone experiences. The violence occurs when someone does not get their needs met and can not control their feelings. The class participates as characters in a story which illustrates violence as a spiral. The story shows how violence not only fails to solve the conflict, but actually escalates the problem. Students learn how to apply these skills in order to resolve conflicts.
Students review a videotape showing various types of conflicts involving their peers.
In cooperative learning groups, students develop solutions using the steps of conflict resolution. In discussing their solutions with the rest of the class, students learn there can be more that one solution to a problem. This lesson helps students understand and be empathetic to the effect people have on one another. Students learn perceptions of other people and situations are based on their own experiences, needs, values and beliefs. Again, the class utilizes cooperative learning groups to design a Plan of Action for the prevention of violence and gang involvement based on the needs and values of the people in their community.