Friendship – Conflict Resolution

Salpy Baharian, M.Ed
Teacher.org Co-Founder

This lesson on Friendship  and Conflict Resolution integrates Social Studies content along with Visual and Performing Arts (Theater) content.  A highly interactive lesson that is great for kindergartners as well as first graders.

Grade Level: K - 1st

Subject:

Length of Time: 30-40 Minutes

Objectives & Outcomes

After a lesson on friendship, the learner will create a 30 second skit demonstrating his/her understanding of friendship and handling conflicts.

Materials Needed

  • "Hunter's Best Friend at School" by Laura Malone Elliot - Get it here

Vocabulary

  • actor
  • tableau,
  • character
  • audience
  • conflict
  • freeze
  • resolution
  • compromise
  • friendship

Procedure

Opening to Lesson

  • Students will sit around in one circle to play "Name game, name game, what's your name and what's your fame?"
  • While students clap along to the beat they chant "Name game, name game, what's your name and what's your fame?"
  • Students will say their name and something they are known for around the classroom or school.
  • The teacher will go first to model the process, "My name is Mrs./Mr. ______ and I am famous for playing great handball!"

Body of Lesson

What is a best friend?

  • Teacher will explain begin to read "Hunter's Best Friend at School".
  • Read pages 1-4 and stop at "She could run faster than either of them".
  • Ask: What makes a best friend? What did Hunter and Stripe do together? What do you do with your best friend?
  • Write responses on to chart paper.

Tableau

  • Teach children that  in a tableau, participants make still images with their bodies to represent a scene.
  • Show an example and have students guess.
  • Ask student to all find a space in the room.
  • Students will pick one game or activity that they love to do with a friend.
  • After 10 seconds, the teacher will say, freeze! Students must freeze like a statue.
  • Teacher will go around the room and choose certain statues to stay frozen while the rest may relax and become audience members.
  • The audience will guess what activity the frozen statutes are doing with their friend.
  • Who else loves to do this with their friends?

Problems with Friends

  • Continue reading pages 5-18 of "Hunter's Best Friend at School".
  • Stop at "...be his best self."
  • Ask: What were some problems that Hunter and Stripe were having? Why was Hunter upset when he got home? How did his mom help him?
  • Read pages 19-21 and stop at "Maybe Stripe would copy him, thought Hunter".

Independent Practice

  • In groups, students will create an ending to the story by creating a skit to resolve the situation between Hunter and Stripe.
  • Students will get 4-5 minutes of planning time.
  • Groups will perform their skits for the class.
  • After each performance, we will discuss what the group thought would happen next.

Closing

  • At this time, students and teacher will gather back on the rug to finish the last pages of  "Hunter's Best Friend at School"
  • We will compare and contrast the resolutions that students made in their skits to the resolution in the story.
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Assessment & Evaluation

Performance Assessment

  • The skit will be used as a performance assessment.  Did students stay on task and attempt to create an ending to the story that involved a resolution to the conflict? This provides students an opportunity to convey their understanding through gestures, sounds, and physical movement.  This provides students with a deeper connection to the material.

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