
Friendship – Conflict Resolution
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
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.
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.
Related Lesson Plans
Foil Printing
In this visual arts lesson, students will create a print using paint on foil then add detail to the print.
Yarn Painting
This lesson will allow students to practice creating art using a unique medium, yarn.
Friendship - Accepting Differences
This lesson on "Friendship" integrates Social Studies standards along with Music, Dance, and Visual Arts. The lesson focuses on "accepting differences" and is great for grades K-2.
Holiday Traditions
This lesson is designed to help students understand what holidays and festivals are important parts culture through multiple activities, discussions and research surrounding holidays.