NT

Activities

These activities can also be found with images at http://www.skybusiness.com/peaceable/index5.html

PRIMARY – GRADE 1-2

FUNNY FACE

A good fun-creating circle exercise. Teacher begins by an unusual expression on her/his face. That "funnyface" is demonstrated to the next person in the circle who has to imitate it as exactly as possible. The "imitator" now turns to the person adjoining and puts on a new "funnyface" which in turn has to be imitated. If you have a very large group, it can be helpful to make 2 circles so that people get their turn faster. This game is a good "ice-breaker" before the following exercise.

SMILE- friends, respect, right to feel safe

To begin to develop an understanding of what it means to live in and be involved with a Peace-able Community. This activity is about instilling in the children the knowledge that they all have a right to feel safe and be safe at all times. To encourage children to respect the rights of others.

By the end of this lesson, the children will have

  • Read the story 'Smile'
  • Acted out the story
  • Illustrated the pages of the story
  • Re-read the story 'Smile'

Discussed how the principal of smiling and passing the message on can be implemented within their small communities to help create a sense of peace. Then read or tell the following story:

Dad passed a smile to me
I passed the smile to the school caretaker
The school caretaker passed the smile to the Principal
The Principal passed the smile to the school secretary
The school secretary passed the smile to the teacher
The teacher passed the smile to the children
And the children kept the smile all day.

Create a page for each line of the story and get the children to illustrate each page. A topic page can be created, around the theme of Peace-able Communities.

Ask the question-What would a peace-able community/peace in the community/peace in families look like?

Brainstorm and whiteboard/blackboard ideas.

Look at what the children have come up with. Is there anything on the board?

That would have the same effect as the Smile story?

Discuss other things they could do that would have a similar effect on others

Eg; A handshake, A good joke, A letter of friendship, Affirmation - "Something good is gong to happen to you today" etc

Conclusion

Revise themes from Protective Behaviours

"We all have the right to feel safe at all times" and "Nothing is so awful that we can’t talk with someone about it".

Read through Smile once more. (thanks to Suzanne Seinor for this exercise)

RIGHTS

Brainstorm with the students what are "rights" and discuss what rights do they have, in the home, school, playground, on the street. Then discuss why we have rights and that with rights go responsibilities. Get students to draw or write a word or symbol representing a right e.g. right to walk on the crosswalk and then to draw the responsibility that goes with that right? Discuss "The right to feel safe all of the time" and what that means to them and others.  

COIN/FREE DRESS DAY – Everyone bring a coin.

Using the coins, create symbol of peace and photograph it for school newsletter. Donate the money to Relief aid i.e. East Timor Crisis. (use playground or cloth as a background)

Students will write/re-tell about the activity, explaining why the activity took place – focussing on concept of Peace in communities. These will accompany the photograph in the school newsletter. (thanks to Suzanne Seinor for this exercise)

NETWORKS OF SUPPORT – (also suitable for 3-5)

Looking at the Theme "Nothing is so awful that we can’t talk with someone about it". Looking the issue of Trust – raise the issue of privacy, support, secrecy and "dobbing". Look at phrase "nothing is so awful" that it can’t be talked about or shared.

Discuss what happens when we hear statements like "What happens in the family stays in the family" "Don’t dob" "Don’t tell tales" "Children should be seen and not heard"

Discuss personal emergencies – and relate back to the ambulance, fire engine etc – and how in personal emergencies you can break the rules – Create a network of support by children drawing around their hands and writing name of people who can help in the fingers. Encourage at least 2 adults to be included and people from the community/school if possible, as well as other children.

PEACE COOKIES

Request that family members help bake "peace cookies" with their child, and as ingredients are added discuss the meaning around the words. Then bring to share with others; everyone receives a free peace cookie. Optional – offer a "peace cookie" to someone to make peace with and following declaration could be made: Possible declaration for Grade 1-2: "I know that sometimes I have hurt your feelings. I promise to respect your right to feel safe and be safe from now on."

RECIPE

Use one of your own or the recipes below:

CRUNCHY PEACE COOKIES

Serves: 15 cookies

I cup self-raising flour

2 cups corn flakes

6 tblespns (90g) reduced fat margarine (flora light)

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg white

˝ cup sultanas

2 tblspns desiccated coconut

2 tblespns skim milk

Preheat oven 180 ° C. In a large mixing bowl cream margarine and sugar. Add in egg white and beat, fold in coconut, sultanas, and flour until ingredients are combined. Drop a dessertspoon of mixture onto a baking tray that has been coated with cooking spray. Flatten each cookie. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Variations: for a plain biscuit omit sultanas, add ˝ tsp vanilla essence or replace sultanas with chocolate chips.

(Thanks to Tegan Roberts for the exercise)

OR

AUNT NELLIE’S GINGERBREAD’ PEACE’ NUTS -1879

1 1/2lb flour 1/2lb moist sugar

1 oz ground ginger 1lb black treacle

1 tspn bicarb soda 6oz clarified butter

3oz mixed chopped candied peel a little milk if necessary

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Warm the butter till just melted, add treacle and stir well. Add to the dry ingredients, and knead well. If the paste is not wet enough, add a little milk. Shape into nuts, the size of a large walnut, and flatten slightly. Set the nuts, (or biscuit shapes if preferred) on a buttered baking tray, and bake for 30min in a slow to moderate ove

(Thanks to Connie Iredale for recipe)

GRADE 3-5

BADGE MAKING

Examine the symbolism surrounding peace – Dove, olive branch, heart, and world.

Make a badge with a word on it e.g. PEACE LOVE, TRUST, RESPECT – with a symbol of peace e.g. Dove, olive branch, heart, world or perhaps other symbols that could represent peace and have meaning for the children i.e. rainbow, dolphins, Handshake Or a phrase – "Peace begins with (you and) Me", "Peace be with you", Peace is Cool. Or Create an Art activity around a peace symbol and ask them to draw, write, paint, the words around or in-between/through the picture. (thanks to Suzanne Seinor for this exercise)

FRIENDLY CLASSROOMS

Brainstorm – With Whole class or in small groups – what would a friendly classroom look like? e.g. What would people be saying, doing, being, feeling. Each person will write down the words from the brainstorm, that they feel relates to them and reflects how they behave.

Then write out a phrase including 3/4 words other words from the board that they would like to be now and in the future. E.g. I ……….am caring, considerate, happy and helpful in class and am indeed a worthwhile person. This activity could be done replacing classroom with playground, home or Community. (thanks to Carol Walmsley for this exercise)

"NEW BILL OF RIGHTS FOR CHILDREN"

Brainstorm what are "rights" and where do they come from. Discuss are the rights for children in this country different to other countries. Then ask students if they could create a new Bill of Rights for Children what would it contain? In developing their list of rights add the accompanying responsibilities next to the right.

RIGHT

RESPONSIBILITY
   

Optional follow up activity- read the UN Charter of Children’s Rights, perhaps comparing to their own from the previous lesson. Discussion around points. SONGS Teach a song from a distance. Looking at how people in that country live and work and discuss differences to Australia, how safe it is or isn’t. (thanks to Carol Walmsley for this exercise)

INTERNATIONAL FOOD

Different classes make dishes from countries around the world – children from different classes and/or year levels "buddy up" to do an interesting activity e.g. Kite flying, chess competition, peace collage, mural acknowledging all different cultures. (thanks to Carol Walmsley for this exercise)

WHAT I’D BE – HOW I FEEL

Prepare enough sheets for each person. Side one The sheets will have the following sentence starters on them: (devise others if you wish) If I were a colour I’d be…………….. If I were an animal I’d be…………… If I were an athlete/sportsperson I’d be…………. If I were an actor/actress I’d be…………………… If I were a plant or a tree I’d be………………….. If I were a fish I’d be…………………. Side 2 On the reverse side of the page or separate sheet write following: When I feel sad……….e.g.my throat aches When I feel happy… When I feel excited……… When I feel angry… When I feel safe……… When I feel unsafe………

Teacher/group leader collects papers which each student signs. The papers are read out, but NOT the name.

The group has to guess who wrote each one. Discuss things we say or call ourselves can be a block to recognising how we feel. (make reference to how sometimes these feelings can be called Early Warning Signs)

Our ‘self messages’ or ‘self talk’ can be a significant barrier to acknowledging unsafe situations and perhaps stop us from ‘keeping safe’. Papers are returned to the students and they then complete side2 (reverse side).

Feedback to the board/or freely on ideas generated on how they feel. Encourage discussion around how the EWS/feelings can be useful/not useful, and brainstorm when we get the EWS/feelings safe v unsafe situations. Differences between peace V war, Bullied V Respected, Friends V enemies.

End with a discussion around the first Theme "We all have the right to feel safe" and how we can "Claim that right to feel safe" discussing Personal Emergencies and it’s OK to break the rules in a personal emergency e.g. ambulance, fire engine etc.

A possible declaration for grade 3-5:

"I would like to make a promise to consider and respect you.

I honour your rights to feel safe and be safe in the school and community environment."

NOTE: Some of the activities are suitable for more than one age group; these activities have been compiled as a guide only. Please insert your own or adapt as necessary for your individual group needs.

Acknowledgement is given to the New Zealand Foundation for Peace Studies (Inc) where several of these activities were sourced.

GRADE 6-7

Invitation:

Presented to a Community Member (Adult) – a Senior (War Veteran) perhaps, invite to a class party to share and celebrate Peace, (they may even be able to talk on topic to students) i.e. stories of bravery and how solders had to go to war (NB not glorifying war) and what happened when peace was declared. Brainstorm party activities/games/music/food? Possibilities "Imagine" (: John Lennon)One Love (Bob Marley) Radiation (Topp Twins) Brothers in Arms (Dire Straits) Run to the Hills (Iron Maiden) Blowin’ in the wind (Bob Dylan) Universal Soldier (Donovan) "What a wonderful World" (Satchmo), Russians (Sting) To close party, all are invited to make group declaration for peace in our communities.

RESEARCH PROJECT

Option 1 -Research declaration of peace in other countries e.g. American Constitution, Peace Treaties with the Native American Indians. Students write their own declaration including words associated with peace e.g. creating, peaceful, relationship, respect, promise, future, and invite/invitation, feel safe.

Option 2 –Research countries, which are presently at war or in conflict. Colour them in on a world map. Have a discussion time around the differences, work, play, school, recreation, sport– students who live in the war torn countries V students of same age in Perth. Students to write an appreciation/gratitude paragraph/poem/letter to Member of Parliament or someone they admire i.e. Cathy Freeman, around their life in Australia.

SUPPORTERS

Students need to be given patterns and examples to use when they want to make statements about others that are positive, affirming, praising and supportive. Ask each person in the class to list 6-8 things that any other person can say or do, or recognise in them that will make them feel good, valued or successful e.g.

  1. Smile when you see me and say something cheerful.
  2. Listen to me carefully when I talk to you….show interest.
  3. Tell me that something I contributed was useful or important.
  4. Tell me that you missed me when I was away.
  5. Praise something that you noticed I had done.
Starters for statements from recipients can be put up on a wall list. Examples are:
  1. I like it when you…………..
  2. It helped me when you…
  3. When you………….,I………….
  4. We worked better together today because you…
  5. It always makes my day when you………..
  6. I felt much happier because you………

Each student can then provide endings for the starters on the list. Circle discussion can follow about how people felt as they tried to find supportive statements to make, as well as how it feels to responds to such positive statements about themselves.

FRIENDS

Have each student complete the checklist. Using the space at the bottom of list ask each student to write the three things on the list that have the highest priority for them when they are look for a friend. They may include here any OTHER criteria that don’t appear on the checklist. Then get each student to circle the ONE out of these three that they would put in the first priority position.

A Friend is someone who:

  • Lives next door
  • You choose
  • You visit on holiday
  • You can fight with
  • You feel sorry for
  • You write letters to
  • Does what you ask them to
  • Shares their lunch with you
  • Helps you when you’re in trouble
  • You change when you get sick of them
  • Is fun to be with
  • Gets mad if you show interest in someone else
  • Will be your friend for ever
  • You never argue with
  • You’ve known for a long time
  • Rings you up every day
  • Is not as good-looking as you
  • Is a happy person
  • Has a nice family
  • Doesn’t bug you
  • Helps you with your work
  • Lends you whatever you need
  • You like being with

Group now comes together ( optional -in a circle) to share their choice. They could begin with: What is most important to me when I choose a friend is… Run an informal check on the qualities that are placed highest and expand on the ideal qualities that if you were feeling unsafe or in a difficult situation, which qualities would you want to be in a friend. Refer to the four basic qualities of a network person – available, listen, and believe, action. Get students to create a network map of their support friends… extend to adults in their community.

FINDING FRIENDS - (NETWORKS)

This is a follow-on activity from the one above. One thing that greatly reduces self-esteem is the inability of some young people to make and keep friends: This exercise helps students to extend their range of skills in building and improving relationships; in co-operating with others for the benefit of both. Hold a discussion about the ways in which each person attempts to make friends. Starter questions could include:

  1. Should friends like mostly the same things?
  2. Should difference cause friends to part?
  3. What is a good suggestion you would make to advise someone of a good way to make a new friend?
  4. Is it better to have one friend, several, or a lot?
  5. Can people help others in the process of making friends? How?
  6. Should friends have disagreements?
  7. What are some ways making sure these disputes don’t ruin the friendship?

Follow-up Activity

Think about a friend that you have, or that you had in the past. Write down the things that made you want that person for a friend. Try for 5/6 things. End with stating 4 things you can do that will make people want you for their friend. (Network qualities could be discussed)

PEACE DECLARATION

Discussion around what is a declaration or promise and what it means if a person makes a declaration/promise. Students to write their own peace declaration, to try using 6/7 of the following words: (or extend the choice list) Consider, promise, respect, right, community, environment, co-operation, commitment, privacy, peace, relationship.

LISTENING TO/READING POETRY

Research poems of : Denise Levertov Adrian Mitchell Lauris Edmond Robert Bligh James K Baxter William Blake Hone Tuwhare Roger Mc Gough Riemke Ensing Edwin Brock Hilda Doolittle Slyvia Plath Adrienne Rich Allen Ginsberg William Stafford Choose one and read/discuss interpret ate. Write your own poem around what Peace looks like to the students.

VIOLENCE SURVEY

This needs to be set up a week or so before the class gets together to do the work. Each student needs a dozen or so news clippings, with content of conflict/violence/dispute. Have a few newspapers available for the forgetful or the "too tireds". The exercise begins with a sorting of the whole collection on a pin board or suitable display space. The headings could include:

  • Violence in our town/community
  • Violence against a child
  • Violence against a woman/women
  • Violence in an overseas country
  • Violence out in the streets
  • Violence between two groups
  • Violence between enemies
  • Violence/dispute in the workplace
  • Violence committed by a state

As clippings are allocated a place, much good discussion will happen. One aim of this activity is to show that the "peace" we say we have is a very partial peace to say the least. It is quite definitely peace for some and not for others. We need to look at all un-peaceful things and see what links there are to be made to OUR lives (a brainstorm here could be useful). We need to look at all peace issues not just open warfare, if we are to become aware and educated about true peace, or about how best to tackle the questions of resolving conflict positively.

Brainstorm ways of tackling conflict using the "Best Options Model" if you wish (see Mediation activity for format).

HANDS GAME

A good closure activity – all in a circle or small groups in circles. Hand on heart – saying peace. A sign of offering yourself peace, then place one arm into the centre one top of the person hand next to you, ending with a pile of hands. The pile of hands goes down towards the floor, and comes back up with a (whoosh) everyone saying Peaccccccccccce throwing arms up into the air, symbol of giving it away to others. (optional- Repeat 3 times) (thanks to Sandra Bagshaw for this exercise)                                              

NOTE: Some of the activities are suitable for more than one age group; these activities have been compiled as a guide only. Please insert your own or adapt as necessary for your individual group needs.

Acknowledgement is given to the New Zealand Foundation for Peace Studies (Inc) where several of these activities were sourced.

SECONDARY 8-12

DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW-LEARNING CIRCLE

Use newspaper cuttings showing recent press report of violence or abuse by youth. Collect, (or get students to collect, can be done by research or interview) differing viewpoints and statements made about such violence from such people as one of the youths involved, the Youth’s Mother, local community news, concerned community member, Justice Dept, Judge, Psychologist, ex-prisoner, economist, sociologist. e.g. He’s not a bad lad really – just a bit high-spirited.

Divide class into groups of 5/6 persons. Each group gets a photocopied Newspaper report. They can take turns reading around until all the viewpoints have been aired. The object of the exercise is to get each group to pick out from the different viewpoints the elements they want to combine in order to come up with their solution regarding treatment of the offender. However, they MUST address the following.

  1. People in society must be protected and have a "right to feel safe", as far as possible from such behaviour.

  2. Action taken against the offender(s) should be that which makes re-offending less likely.

  3. What causes could we try to change so that re-offending would be less likely?

There solution must contain those three elements. At each of the three levels the group should try to make three positive recommendations. Consensus is desirable for this task. Group sharing of decisions reached is valuable. to what extend is there general agreement? Are there differing solutions? Discuss the possible effectiveness of the solutions.

MEDIATION

Have a discussion around ways that conflict can be approached to achieve a resolution e.g. Judicial Processes, Arbitration, Conciliation, Mediation, Negotiation, Counselling.

Then introduce a hypothetical dispute e.g. between two friends (age to suit your group) have got into a heated argument about where to go together one Friday night. They can’t agree, and are now very angry, shouting and abusing each other, almost coming to blows. They’ve been good friends for quite a long time and nothing like this has ever happened to them before (or draw an scenario from the group).

Steps for Mediation (this can also assist teachers helping in disputes)

Do’s

  • Do get the issues clear. Recognise that there is a real problem

  • Do have the parties facing each other

  • Do contract and create a safe environment for both parties to be honest.

  • Do start with Who was involved

  • Do ask each person one at a time what happened and what they DID, starting with, the pronoun, "I"…Accusations and interpretations of the others behaviour are out/not allowable.

  • Do ask how that felt for THEM.

  • Do make sure that each person has their turn and knows they have been heard and understood.

  • Do ask each party in turn what THEY need the other to do in order to make co-existence possible.

  • Do direct each party to state their needs to the other, using names and facing the other person e.g. "Sean, I need you to…."

  • Do ensure that both sides have been heard and that the agreement is understood.

  • Do set a time to evaluate the solution. Agree to alter arrangements made, but only through further mediation if needed.

Don’ts

  • Don’t allow parties to get into pas history

  • Don’t allow them to say what the OTHER person did

  • Don’t allow them to get the mediator on one "side"

  • Don’t become an enforcer or punisher

  • Don’t ask probing questions like "Why did you do that?"

Some Possibilities

  • Capitulate (one party moves to the other’s side voluntary)

  • Compromise (each side moves to middle ground)

  • Co-existence (Agree to stop the argument and agree to differ)

  • An alternative (neither gets full wishes, but each gets something that is new, and acceptable)

NOTE: The most important point is that the parties have to rescue themselves….Come up with their own solution.

Using the Best Option Problem solving, can be useful at this time, if an impasse occurs e.g. write down in flow chart format on whiteboard final block/situation at the top of the board. From that create options; brainstorm with parties the options available to them. Then from the options look at the consequences that would come from adopting each option. Then the parties agree to the best choice option for both. This builds skills, which they can call on in the future.

Action Role-Play

Pick two students, set up the "argument" and act as mediator yourself, in front of the whole class….dropping in and our of mediator role to explain the process and arriving at a solution. Put students into groups of 3. Set up another dispute and allow 5/8 minutes for process to happen. The steps need to be displayed somewhere, so that they can refer to them.

Debriefing

Bring groups together and compare solutions reached. Discuss the pros and cons of these solutions, using the Best Options Model as an option.        

DON’T GET INVOLVED

This exercise looks at some of the reasons why people "do nothing". Use the attached sheet of cartoons called Fighting Shy.

All the individual drawings show more than one person.

  • Discuss firstly with the whole class the issue that each one raises, e.g.
  • That it is a caring and responsible thing do to assist a person with special needs in our community, if such help is required for their safety or well-being.
  • Each cartoon can be assigned a positive statement of that kind, and the class should do that, for each one.

Now break the class into smaller groups. Talk about what communication is going on in the drawings. The object of the activity is to write the next part of the script i.e.

"What does the other person in the picture say next?". In the picture of the person with special needs example, for instance the child might respond to the adult with him, "But there isn’t anyone else nearby and there’s a car coming. I’m going to help him, you go on ahead and I’ll run to catch you up"…OR "If it was you that was blind you wouldn’t say that".

Looking at the words that students put into the mouths of the others will provide a rich resource as a start to look at why people don’t DO more about what’s wrong.

The door is now open to look at answers like: "I’m too busy, I just don’t have time." "Things are okay the way they are." "The little bit I’d do couldn’t possibly help." "It’s hard enough keeping my head above water now without taking on extra worries." "Stirrers always get themselves into trouble." (others will emerge)

It is good to read the story the "Weight of Nothing" at this point.

THE WEIGHT OF NOTHING

"Tell me the weight of a snowflake," a sparrow asked a wild dove.

"Nothing more than nothing," was the answer.

"In that case I must tell you a marvellous story," the sparrow said.

"I sat on the branch of a gum close to its trunk, when it began to snow, not heavily, not in a raging blizzard, no, just like in a dream, without any violence. Since I didn’t have anything better to do, I counted the snowflakes settling on the twigs and leaves of my branch. Their number was exactly 2,741,952. When the next snowflake dropped onto the branch – nothing more than nothing you say – the branch broke off."

Having said that, the sparrow flew away.

The dove, since Noah’s time an authority on the matter, thought about the story for a while and finally said to herself: "Perhaps there is only one person’s voice lacking for peace to come about in the world."  

From A Race to Nowhere, Pax Christi, USA

Follow Up: Look at other countries where civil liberties are not properly upheld. What difference does this make when we are look at the scripts we write? Or have written? How would WE feel if face with that kind of problem? What rights (to feel safe) do we have access to, that some others don’t have?

When teaching about peace topics, one of the aims is to get the students interested and involved in the issues. But involvement usually leads to a wish for action. Consequently, when working with un-peace problems, we could bear in mind the following questions. What can be done to ease/solve the situation we are looking at? (Individuals look at ONE issue, that speaks to them) teacher could give an example and use a staircase to illustrate the following (Start the staircase at 8 being the lower level, and ending with the Individual level.):

  1. What can we do on the individual level?
  2. What our class can do?
  3. What our school can do?
  4. What can be done by the clubs/organizations we are members of?
  5. What our community can do?
  6. What our country can do?
  7. What the churches, the political organizations, youth groups, etc can do?
  8. What can be done on the international level,e.g. by organizations like the United Nations?

You may wish to get the students to brainstorm in small groups each level with a particular societal problem i.e. child abuse, bullying, Domestic Violence on butcher paper, then feedback to the main group. Always finishing with the individual level. It is important to encourage involvement based on knowledge about the matters concerned. But it is also important to teach the pupils to be realistic when it comes to discussing action forms. Our starting point is that everybody can do something, but none of us is able to solve world problems all by ourselves. There are several levels of actions, and we have to select the level corresponding to our capacity. "Peace begins with ME" fits well here, and to re read the "Weight of Nothing" story.

MIRACLE PLAN

Students in small groups/individual look at a miracle plan, i.e. If a miracle happened and we/I had all the skills and resources we/I needed, how what would this problem be solved and what would it look like now, in a year, 5 years? (Tangible, specific, measurable results)

STUDENT ACTION PLAN

Then get students to write out their own realistic action plan making sure the actions are tangible, specific and measurable. i.e. A change in attitude….how will that be demonstrated. The adult declaration could be used here for students to make a commitment to Peace-able Communities and "Claiming the Right to Feel Safe".

"I stand for the possibility of creating Peace-able Communities. I make a declaration and promise now and in the future to treat all my community members with respect, and invite you as my community to join with me in "Claiming the right to feel safe" now, and creating the possibility of a "Peace-able Community"."

NOTE: Some of the activities are suitable for more than one age group; these activities have been compiled as a guide only. Please insert your own or adapt as necessary for your individual group needs.

Acknowledgement is given to the New Zealand Foundation for Peace Studies (Inc) where several of these activities were sourced.

For further information please contact:
Email: bronwynclee@yahoo.com
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