Lesson Plans & Research on Conflict Resolution

From Responsive Classroom:

https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/coaching-children-in-handling-everyday-conflicts/

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From Communities in Schools in North Carolina:

http://www.cisnc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/EB3_Conflict-Resolution.pdf

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Conflict is a natural part of life that occurs whenever there is dissent between one’s needs, desires, and/or demands. Conflict is neither positive nor negative; rather it is our reaction to it that determines if its outcomes will be constructive or destructive (Crawford & Bodine, 1996).

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Human conflicts usually occur due to one of three reasons: lack of resources, unmet basic needs, and/or disputants with differing values (Crawford & Bodine, 1996; Palmer, 2001). Also, these conflicts result in three different responses that produce specific outcomes. Soft responses include behaviors such as avoidance, accommodation, withdrawal, and compromise. These responses will result in a loss for the disputant that gave in and a win for the other or it may result in a loss for both disputants if the resolution does not meet either of their needs. Behaviors associated with Hard responses include forcing, threating, yelling, aggression and anger. They too tend to result in a Lose-Lose or Win-Lose scenario in favor of the aggressor. The last set of responses is called Principled responses. Principled behavior includes positive conflict resolution skills like listening, understanding and respecting, all of which use a problem-solving process to create Win-Win.

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Examples of grade-appropriate books can be found on Alita Zurav Letwin’s “Examining Issues of Violence and Conflict Resolution” website or Trudy Ludwig’s “Recommended Readings” website.

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