How much precious time is lost each week managing minor disagreements, the inevitable squabbles over the biggest crayon, the misunderstanding on the playground, or the relentless cycle of tattling?
For those working inside the school walls, these interruptions erode instructional minutes and drain morale. For parents and grandparents, these conflicts follow the kids home, turning afternoon routines into negotiation battles.
The reality is simple: We can’t stop conflict, but we can teach children the skills to solve it.
Here are 50 distinct lesson plans designed to equip elementary school students with essential conflict resolution skills, each including a title, objective, learning outcomes, detailed expansion with activities, discussions, and assessments, aligning with SEL standards.
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Conflict Ninja: 50 Elementary School Edition Lesson Plans
Sample Lesson Plan Elementary School Conflict Resolution
24. Title: Bystander Power: Upstanding for Peace
- Objective: Students will learn initiative-taking strategies for intervening safely and effectively as a bystander in a conflict situation.
- Learning Outcomes:
- Students will identify different roles in a conflict (initiator, target, bystander).
- Students will list at least three ways a bystander can help.
- Students will practice bystander intervention in a role-play.
- Detailed Expansion:
- Activities: Discuss different bystander actions (ignoring, joining in, seeking help, speaking up, distracting); "Bystander Brainstorm" (list safe ways to help); role-play scenarios focusing on "upstander" actions.
- Discussions: "Why do people sometimes not help?"; "What are the risks of helping? How can we stay safe?"; "What makes an upstander powerful?"
- Assessments: Identification of bystander roles and actions; observation during role-play; verbal explanations.
- SEL Standard Alignment: Social Awareness (empathy, ethical responsibility), Responsible Decision-Making (acting with integrity).