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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: Arts, Social Studies

Length of Time: 30-40 Minutes

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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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