From Conflict to Peace
Students will explore the causes and effects of a range of conflicts, leading to an exploration of strategies for conflict resolution and maintaining peace. Students will be challenged to think critically about what causes conflicts to happen, and to suggest strategies that could de-escalate volatile situations, including when we are faced with conflict in our own lives. Exploring the effects of serious conflict on families will hopefully help students to develop empathy and provoke a desire to manage conflict. The effects of conflict are closely related to work in a previous unit about identifying basic human needs and the reasons why some communities are unable to meet their needs. The unit is closely aligned to the Literacy units that are happening during the same 6 weeks, namely Historical Fiction Reading and Conflict Writing Workshops.
Key questions:
- What is peace?
- What is conflict and how does it escalate?
- How does perspective affect conflict?
- How can people move towards resolution and sustain peace?
- What organisations exist to resolve conflict and how do they help?
Through a simulation, students will learn about how conflict can escalate and that it is the series of decisions we make that determine the outcome. Our perspective can play a critical role in the way a conflict escalates.
One of the activities that has stimulated student thinking in the past is a visit to Kranji War Memorial. Covid allowing, we will return again this year. It is a powerful, peaceful and reflective experience. The cemetery evokes appreciation of family and respect for those who have given their lives in the cause of freedom. It brings the consequences of unresolved conflict to the fore. Currently this activity is postponed due to coronavirus restrictions.
Additionally, we will be looking at the way governments and organisations promote peace. Resolution is needed to bring peace when conflict has broken out. We will study how groups such as the UN and IFP do this work.
Students will be carrying out an independent inquiry. They will be focusing on the research and presentation skills required for the forthcoming Grade 5 Expo. How to gather, sort and cite data effectively will be considered.
We are looking for students to make conceptual connections between history and current affairs.
The video clip below is a small extract from a longer TED Talk, which encapsulates the big ideas within the unit quite neatly. The lesson to learn is that if we show a sense of perspective and have empathy we can all take a little responsibility for keeping and promoting peace at some level.
Next unit... Web of Life.
