<TITLE>Lession 1 Introduction to Peace Games and Creating a Language for Conflict </TITLE> <META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="Internet Assistant for Microsoft Word 2.0z"> </HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"> <P> <A NAME="reference"></A><A HREF="index.html" ><I>Go Back ...</I></A> <BR> <P> <B><FONT SIZE=6>1996 Peace Games at Yale Curriculum Summary<BR> </FONT></B> <P> <I>Quick Reference</I> <P> <A HREF="#esum">Executive Summary</A> <UL> <LI><A HREF="#s1">Session 1</A> <LI><A HREF="#s2">Session 2</A> <LI><A HREF="#s3">Session 3</A> <LI><A HREF="#s4">Session 4</A> <LI><A HREF="#s5">Session 5</A> <LI><A HREF="#s6">Session 6</A> <LI><A HREF="#s7">Session 7</A> <LI><A HREF="#s8">Session 8</A> </UL> <P> <U>Introduction</U> <P> The Peace Games at Yale Curriculum has been expanded and extensively revised for 1996. Now in it's third year, Peace Games has grown from a four session program in 1993 to an eight session curriculum. The most significant changes involve the addition of a new lesson and the refinement of the existing material. <P> After extensive review by the Peace Games staff , "Conflict Escalators and De-escalators" was expanded and broken into two separate lessons to allow classes to focus more on these important and central concepts. The game making part of the curriculum was also divided into two weeks and expanded into a more functional component of the curriculum. An entirely new lesson was added; "Violence and Conflict," which examines the complex and pivotal role that violence and weapons can play in escalating a conflict to potentially dangerous levels. <P> In making these changes, which come as a result of two years of teaching in New Haven as well as a continuing dialogue with other Peace Games Organizations, we feel we have produced a curriculum that is innovative and educational, in keeping with the spirit in which Peace Games was founded. <H2><A NAME="esum">Executive Summary: 1996 Peace Games at Yale Curriculum</A> </H2> <P> Peace Games at Yale is designed as an eight session program to be taught during the school day as a normal part of the student's daily curriculum. The program emphasizes group cooperation and conflict resolution as a constructive means to solve problems and achieve group goals. The workshops teach various elements of these concepts by using a combination of games and discussion activities, culminating in a group designed "Peace Game," which demonstrates the concepts learned by the students during the program. <P> <A NAME="s1"></A><A HREF="#reference">Go Back</A> <P> <B>Session 1 Introduction to Peace Games and Creating a Language for Conflict</B> <P> The goals of session 1 are to introduce the philosophy and responsibility of the Peace Games program and to allow students to develop a language for defining and examining conflict in its different levels. Conflicts examined range from global and national issues to local and personal ones. <P> I. INTRODUCTION<BR> Peace Games at Yale teaches conflict resolution skills to middle school students in Connecticut through playing and creating cooperative games. Based on the observation that we learn more effectively by doing and creating than by listening and studying, we will be using creative group learning to teach the concept of cooperative problem solving. <P> II OPENER/ ICEBREAKER <P> Students play activities designed to break the ice and establish a rapport between the students and teachers and encourage the students to become comfortable with one and other. These include the Adjective Name Game, Think! and Crossing the Line. <P> III. DEFINING CONFLICT <P> This activity examines definitions of conflict supplied by the students during a group discussion. The activity encourages students to draw upon examples from their own experiences as well as local and national current events. <P> IV. CONFLICTS IN THE NEWS <P> Students are encouraged to select articles from newspapers provided by the instructors and define the elements that contribute to and perpetuate the conflict in the story. Students then discuss their own personal views on the event and suggest possible solutions. <P> V. CONFLICT WAVE (OPTIONAL) <P> The class is presented with a story which illustrates the three settings of conflict: setting, action and resolution. <P> VI. CLASS DISCUSSION <P> In this activity, students discuss the positive and negative aspects of conflict. For instance, a conflict is a good way to externalize viewpoints, or to make your opinion known. What is tricky, though is to identify when and how conflicts get out of hand. It isnít healthy to insult each other to get out frustration <P> <A NAME="s2"></A><A HREF="#reference">Go Back</A> <P> <B>Session 2: Conflict Escalation </B> <P> The goals of session two are to examine the different stages of conflict and practice methods to inflame a potentially conflictive situation. <P> I. INTRODUCTION TO CONFLICT: A CASE STUDY<BR> Students learn about conflict and its components, causes and effects. <P> II. OPENER: TREASURE HUNT <P> Students go on a Treasure Hunt, searching for students who have attributes similar to those on the provided Treasure Hunt map. Students learn about each other and <P> III. CONFLICT AS A CASE STUDY. <P> A roleplay in which two teachers act out an argument wihich ends in a fight. The students then discuss the various actions that make the conflict get worse. <P> IV. THE CONFLICT STAIRCASE <BR> This activity introduces the idea of conflict progression. It uses the metaphor of a staircase to graphically represent the different stages in the growth of a conflict from a minor dispute to a major conflict or fight. <P> V. BRAINSTORMING ESCALATORS <P> Students are introduced to the concept of an escalator as something which worsens a conflict. The students then think up a list of escalators, which will be used in the take home activity. <P> VI. CHOOSE YOUR OWN ESCALATOR <P> Teachers and later students role play a conflict in three rounds. In the first round there is no escalation of the conflict, but in successive rounds the teacher and later the students 'throw in' escalators, and the role-players react by incorporating them into the skit, using them to make the conflict worse. Students examine several factors in the conflict, such as the factors that caused the conflict to escalate as it did, what each person did to further the conflict, and what causes conflicts to get worse. <P> VII. Take home activity: Exploring Descalators <P> Students are given out cards and assigned an escalator that was generated from the lesson. The students take these home and think up ways in which the escalator can be reversed. <P> VIII. Closing Activity: Alien Shoe Tie <P> Students assemble in a group and pretend that the teacher is an 'alien' from another world. The alien needs to tie its shoe, and it needs your help. The alien is very attentive, and very unsure of itself. Therefore, the alien will understand English, but it will do EXACTLY what it is told. The alien can also listen to only one voice at a time: if it hears too many people talking, it will get easily confused. For example, when told to pull the tongue, the alien will reach into its mouth and pull its tongue. Students have to cooperate and work together to give the alien specific instructions so that the alien (and the group) can reach their goals. <BR> <A HREF="#reference">Go Back</A> <P> <A NAME="s3"><B>Session 3</B>: De-escalation</A> <P> Session Three lets students examine the idea of De-escalators; things which diffuse a conflict and bring it to an amicable resolution. <P> I. OPENER: CIRCULAR BALL TOSS. <P> Students gather in a circle. One student takes a ball and throws it to another student, calling out his or her name. This continues until everyone has had the ball once. A second, and third balls are added to get students to work cooperatively at tossing the balls so that everyone recieves each ball at least once. <P> II. REVIEW OF LAST WEEK <P> The basic concepts of conflict escalation and descalation are reviewed for the students. <P> III. BRAINSTORMING DE ESCALATORS <P> Students share the deescalators that they came up with while doing their take home activity from last week. <P> IV. CHOOSE YOUR OWN DESCALATOR <P> Essentially the same game from Session Two, except that the students brainstorm Descalators instead of escalators. <P> V. DISCUSSION <P> The Students discuss the effects of certain escalators and descalators on conflict: how they can make conflicts worse, better, provide a lasting solution or lead to permanent embitterment. <OL> <LI>VI. BREAD AND BOMBS </OL> <P> Students play a game about international conflict using food and nuclear weapons. <P> VII. CLOSING ACTIVITY <P> Students play Synectics, a game of associations. Each student must think up a series of words and use them as a springboard to describe conflict. <BR> <A HREF="#reference">Go Back</A> <P> <A NAME="s4"><B>Session 4</B>: Cooperation</A> <P> The goals of the third session are to familiarize students with the merits of working in groups and sensitize them to some of their own behaviors which contribute toward or obstruct the solving of a group problem.<BR> <P> I. OPENING ACTIVITY: HUMAN PRETZEL<BR> This hands-on game provides another opportunity for students to experiment with different cooperative methods. The students stand in a closely packed circle and grasp hands, and then attempt to untangle by passing over, under and through the confines of the human knot they have created. The game is designed to be played without talking so that students can explore other avenues of cooperative behavior. <P> II. BROKEN SQUARES ACTIVITY<BR> The students are divided into groups and each group is given a set of pieces to a square puzzle. The students must cooperate with themselves and other groups to complete their puzzle. The students are not allowed to talk during the game. This game is designed to give students a practical experience with which to study their own behaviors and assess their effectiveness in a group effort. <P> III. LINKS <BR> Students playing this game learn to work together by sitting with their backs to each other, locking arms, and attempting to stand. This game is also played without speaking, and since the players cannot really see each other, they must be especially sensitive to each other's movements and positions.<BR> <BR> Students then discuss how working together (cooperation) made their job easier, while working individually(competition) made the job easier. <OL> <LI>IV. CONFLICT: REAL WORLD APPLICATIONS </OL> <P> The whole class brainstorms social problems (i.e. problems in their community, international conflicts, domestic violence, etc.) and how cooperation could be used to solve them. The students then take one of these problems and possible solutions with the aim of developing their own peace game centered on solving the problem. <P> <A NAME="s5"></A><A HREF="#reference">Go Back</A> <P> <B>Session 5: Violence and Society</B> <P> Students study the effects and severity of Violence as a conflict escalator. <OL> <LI>OPENING ACTIVITY: FACE TO FACE </OL> <P> A memory game where students face each other, then turn, make physical changes (take off hat, etc.). The students then face each other again, and each one must point out the changes in the other. <P> II. CASE STUDY ACTIVITY: THE STORY OF QUENTIN CARTER <P> A case study of Quentin Carter, a 12 year old boy who was gunned down by a 16 year old. Students analyse the conflict, looking for specific escalators and their effects towards the conflict's final face off. <OL> <LI>III. CLOSING ACTIVITY: THE SECRETARY </OL> <P> Students pretend that they are the Secretary to Dr. Martin Luther King, who is out for the day. Students try to mediate conflicts that come into their office, matching specific escalators to descalators. <P> <A HREF="#reference">Go Back</A> <P> <A NAME="s6"><B>Session 6</B>: Race and Gender Issues Workshop.</A> <P> The race and gender workshop is designed to demonstrate how victims of racial prejudice feel, and to explore more constructive ways of dealing with stereotypes and situations involving racial tension. <P> I. OPENING ACTIVITY: ROLE PLAY<BR> Students observe in a role play that uses prejudice and stereotypes . <OL> <LI>II. REACTION </OL> <P> The Students discuss their reactions to the roleplay, answering 'What If' questions in small groups. <OL> <LI>III. DISCUSSION. </OL> <P> The students discuss the role play, and teachers and students discuss their reactions to the situations as well as any personal contact with stereotypes. <OL> <LI>IV. ROLE PLAY </OL> <P> The students and teachers do 2 role play sessions dealing with stereotypes. The role plays use depreciating language (i.e. a style of music or clothing that makes the person otherwise unacceptable) and later involves the exchange of racial/ethnic/religious slurs. The conversation is replayed and students can 'freeze' the replay, asking questions and suggesting possible ways in which the dispute could be moderated. <OL> <LI>V. DISCUSSION </OL> <P> The students talk about how the conflict escalated, discussing specifically the role of stereotypes as conflict escalators. <OL> <LI>VI. CONCLUSION </OL> <P> The students talk about ways of dealing with the problems of prejudice and stereotypes. Students share their own views and discuss possible methods to diffuse the conflicts that can arise due to prejudice and stereotypes.<BR> <P> <A HREF="#reference">Go Back</A> <P> <A NAME="s7"><B>Session 7</B>: Brainstorming the Games</A> <P> Session 7 consists of an activity period devoted to the planning of the Peace Game which each group must bring to the festival. The game should incorporate some of the techniques for resolving conflict learned in the program.<BR> <P> I. OPENING ACTIVITY. <OL> <LI>II. DISCUSSION OF PEACE IN THE GAMES </OL> <P> Students discuss the games which they have played, noting in each one the message and specific concept being taught. <OL> <LI>III. GAME DESIGN WORKSHOP </OL> <P> Teachers and students brainstorm game ideas, and then evaluate them to determining which one is the most effective, innovative, etc. The class then chooses a topic or design for their game. <P> IV. CLOSING ACTIVITY <P> Students play the 'hide the nickel' game, during which students yell out escalators and descalators to tell the student if they are 'hotter' or 'colder.' <P> <A NAME="s8"></A><A HREF="#reference">Go Back</A> <P> <B>Session 8: Constructing the Games</B> <P> Students implement the design they selected in Session 7, and talk about how it will be presented at the festival. <OL> <LI>I. OPENING ACTIVITY: GIFT GIVING </OL> <P> Students 'give' each other things that they think will improve the way they deal with conflict. <OL> <LI>II. CONSTRUCTING THE GAME </OL> <P> Students construct the game together. <OL> <LI>III. CLOSING ACTIVITY </OL> <P> Students play one last activity (this may be omitted due to time constraints). <P> <A HREF="#reference">Go Back</A> <P> <A HREF="index.html" ><I>Back to Summary Page</I></A><I></I> <HR> <P> Copyright 1995-96 Peace Games at Yale. All rights reserved. Duplication by any means, electronic or mechanical is a violation of applicable laws. Violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent under U.S. and International Copyright laws. </BODY>