Tools for Birth to Age 5

According to Dr. Jack Schonkoff from the Harvard School on the Developing Child, by the age of five, a child’s brain infrastructure is 85% developed, which means planting the Ceeds of Peace around young children early is critical for healthy brain development.  The Ceeds of Peace begin to get planted prenatally, when a baby’s brain is beginning to form in utero. The relationship between the parents/caregivers and the physical and emotional health of the baby’s mother help shape the baby’s brain infrastructure. The more love and support the mother receives, the better chance her baby will enter the world socially and emotionally healthy. Babies start to develop relationships with the people around them in utero, but the process of learning to communicate, self-regulate, share, and interact with others takes many years to develop.  

Connection is the foundational ceed, nurtured through creating a solid attachment for the baby to the mother or primary caregiver. When a parent or caregiver positively responds to a baby’s cries, feeds the baby on a supportive schedule, cuddles the baby and talks to them frequently, the synapses that support social and emotional development become solid. When a strong connection is formed, the ceeds of critical thinking, courage, compassion, conflict resolution, collaboration, commitment and connection can thrive.     

The following are tools to support peacebuilding skills in our youngest children (birth to age 5). Early childhood is arguably one of the most intense periods of parenting, caregiving and teaching, but if the ceeds are planted early, they become rooted and children are better prepared for adolescence and life. Providing frequent hugs, responding calmly to tantrums and intense behaviors, playing games, modeling and teaching what to do with angry feelings, helping young children cooperate with one another and developing the language skills that support inclusion, love and empathy will lead you and our young children on the pathway to peace! 

A Better World

Youth work to identify community problems and respond to community needs. They are guided through exercises (many in this Tool Kit) in imagining a stronger

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Action Research

Ask youth to conduct research on various conflicts by visiting peace education websites or multiple media sources. After researching the dimensions and various perspectives of

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Active Learning

Vary instructional strategies to develop the whole brain. Provide youth multiple sources of input including books, videos, lectures, discussions, visuals, stories and songs. Allow youth

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Active Listening

This is more than just hearing what someone else is saying.  Active listening builds trust and ensures that the other person in a conversation knows

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Acts of Kindness

Encourage individuals to perform a kind and selfless act for another person, be it someone known or unknown, with the only purpose being to brighten

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All about Activists

Youth brainstorm a list of activists, leaders, philosophers, philanthropists, and others who have made a difference in their communities and/or the world. They identify the

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Alternate Grades

Consider assigning grades based on absolute standards, and not on a youth’s achievement as defined by the teacher or compared to other youth. Students and

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Ants on a Log

A fun and physical activity that encourages teamwork and collaboration. You will need an even number of youth to participate, ideally close to 10. Find

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Autobiographical Story

To create an autobiographical story, start with the problem, tension, conflict or personal realization that will serve as the heart of the story. Then work

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Be Positive, Not Negative

An activity for “peace within and between” that focuses on negative self-talk, negative thoughts and statements about others, and complaining. A good idea is to

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Beanbags of Cooperation

A fun, noncompetitive game that clearly demonstrates concentration, cooperation, and commitment. You will need a large indoor or outdoor space and many bean bags (or

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Blind Teamwork

This is a fun game that emphasizes clear communication, listening skills, and teamwork. Choose a large indoor or outdoor area and divide youth into two

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Brain Breaks

The brain alternates between various cycles (high and low) and hemispheres (left and right) throughout the day. To boost energy, enhance wellness, or get youth

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Bucket Filling

An idea born in 2006 that works very well with young children, in which a bucket represents your mental and emotional self.  When your bucket

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Bucket Toss

Create laminated pictures or drawings of various needs and wants, or have the items on hand. Have youth toss the items in a “want” bucket

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Buddy Bench

A simple idea to eliminate loneliness and isolation and foster friendship and inclusion on the playground or in any public space. They work best when

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Build a Shelter

A collaborative outdoor activity in which youth are challenged to build a shelter with a limited number and type of materials (ie. no more than

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Canoe Travel

Identify a problem-solving journey (personal, local, national or global) that you would like to undertake. Imagine you are in a problem-solving canoe, heading toward successful

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Cast the Net

Ensure broad participation and diversity of representation in developing classroom, family, or community action plans. Have youth think about casting the largest possible net to

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Celebrations

It is really important to celebrate both small and large successes, honor the people involved, maintain momentum, and continue to inspire improvement. Remember to build

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Change the Ending

Revisit an event that ended with a less than desirable outcome. Encourage youth to create their own alternative endings. Why did they make the choices

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Character Lenses

While doing creative writing, have youth investigate the people involved in their storyboards. What types of people were involved? What do you think they were

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Community Care

Establish age appropriate shared jobs that rotate throughout the year and that will help build the classroom or home environment. Create a classroom or family

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Compass Points

An interactive activity that increases awareness of our own and others’ preferences and opens doors to empathy. Create four signs on large chart paper –

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Conflict Resolution Drama

Research shows that practicing pro-social behaviors is essential to internalizing these dispositions. Have youth form small groups of two to four. Hand out a sample

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Connect-Challenge-Serve

After exploring some of the many facets of representative democracy, including voting, representation, free speech, assembly etc., youth identify ways to: a) participate and connect

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Connections Map

Youth draw a map that identifies relationships people have with each other. From that map, they identify key decision-makers as well as people that might

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Contracts/Pacts

These are promises people make to each other about how to act toward one another. They create shared accountability to outcomes. Find contract templates online

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Count to Ten

Have children sit or stand in a circle. The group counts from one to ten. Anyone can say a number, but if two people say

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Create Shared Values

Create a list or use pictures to chart individuals’ values, rules or expectations. Wherever there is a common value or expectation, you’ll find the foundation

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Deflating Anger

Teach youth that anger can be a healthy emotion, and that it informs us about the importance of an issue. Teach them to remain calm

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Design Thinking

Map out the larger system within which a conflict or an issue resides. Discover how the system might be reinforcing the conflict or issue. Identify

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Don’t to Do

Instead of “Don’t hit,” try “Touch nicely” and demonstrate. Reinforce by asking, “How do you touch nicely?” Instead of “Don’t touch the lamp,” say, “You

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Double Listening

Includes active listening plus listening for the counter story. A counter story is one that will introduce possibilities of resolution or that will help you

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Drama and Dance

Use drama and dance to build community, foster active learning, and support youth growth. Use both to aid classroom management, address multiple intelligences, and to

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Engaging Nature

Getting people outside can do wonders for building capacities for problem solving. Through engaging nature, youth become calm, learn to listen carefully, develop their empathic

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Ethnomathematics

Defined by Brazilian mathematician Ubiratan D’Ambrosio as intersections of culture, historical traditions, socio-cultural roots, and mathematics.  It seeks to answer the question of students in

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Exercise in Empathy

Have youth adopt the perspective of those in history who are poorly represented or not represented in history books. With each news story, piece of

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Family Cultural Sharing

Identify cultural treasures from the families in your classroom. Have families come in and share their cultural traditions. Highlight ways of celebrating community through dance,

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Family Meetings

Plan meetings as a whole family (try for weekly) where members discuss the upcoming week. Identify where family members might need some help. Family Meetings

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Family Narrative

Research shows that youth who have knowledge of their family history, events, challenges, and successes have more self-control, higher self-esteem, and handle difficulties better. This

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Feedback

The use of feedback can reduce stress and confusion. Immediate feedback should be specific and focus on ways that youth can improve. Try to avoid

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Field Trips

Create field trips that reinforce the Ceeds of Peace that you are planting. Service learning excursions are an example. Youth can work to better understand

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Fight or Flight

When people are upset, they access the fight/flight part of their brain. Do not try to solve problems if you or the youth are angry

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Fist of 5

A way of measuring how everyone is feeling about a process. A useful tool to use as a check-in throughout a process. People show fingers

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Funders

Aloha United Way American Association of University Women, Honolulu Branch AppLovin Atherton Family Foundation Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation Hawaiʻi Community Foundation Luke Center Nā Lei

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Gender Critique

Critically reflect on the role gender played in a particular situation. Gender critiques should be visited when reading history, current literature, looking at current events,

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Girls Talk Back

Girls Talk Back was created by the partnership of the American Association of University Women – Honolulu Branch, Women’s Fund of Hawai’i (WFH), and Ceeds

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Gratitude Journal

Keep a journal with writings and/or artwork to record and express what you are most thankful for in your life. There are many small things

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Group Conflict Challenge

Research and examine the different contemporary and indigenous systems for resolving conflicts. Form teams of problem-solvers representing the various systems. Each team is given a

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Grow a Garden

Consider the benefits of establishing and maintaining a garden….. time with nature, cultivation of living plants, growing of edible foods, time to reflect, and many

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Gut Check

Project a slide or make a poster listing or showing in pictures a wide range of emotions and feelings (brave, uncomfortable, confident, jealous, peaceful, disappointed,

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History Jigsaw Puzzle

Each participant explores the same time or event in history from the perspective of a different person or group. Individuals then come together and share

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Hopes & Dreams

A reflection activity that can be done as part of a family meeting, intervention, restorative justice session, or other time in which a “big picture”

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How does it feel?

After analyzing the information surrounding a problem or challenge, what is your reaction? Were the systems fair? Why or why not? Identify one or two

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Ho‘oponopono

Learn about Ho‘oponopono, the Hawaiian system for ‘setting it right,’ and restoring individual and community harmony and balance. It promotes acts of healing interpersonal conflicts

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Huaka‘i

Design a huaka‘i or fieldtrip for youth to help them better understand the history, culture, and land systems (ahupua‘a) of Hawai‘i. Your huaka‘i might focus

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Hugs

When appropriate, hugs help us feel better. When a child is having a tantrum, try asking for a hug or saying, “When you are ready,

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Human Bingo

An interactive game to learn names and qualities about people in a group, that teaches skills of investigation, appreciating diversity, identifying similarities and differences. Photocopy

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I Am Here For You

When a young person is in the throes of anger, panic, or emotional outburst, often their minds and bodies are experiencing a stress response whereby

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I Statements

Used to confront a behavior without  placing blame on another. . Also used to recognize one’s  emotions. Another use is to state a point of

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Identity Activities

Provide opportunities through art, music or writing for youth to express their own identities, history, affiliations, values, intentions, and needs, etc. Explore different facets of

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If/Then Game

A basic tool to think through consequences, “If this happens, then what do you think will happen next?” or “If we decided to do this,

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In Their Shoes

To help youth better understand those who are disabled, it could be helpful to have them explore what it’s like to be “in their shoes”.

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Intellectual Safety

In order to develop respectful relationships between all members of a group or community (classroom, team, family unit, etc.), there must be a clear and

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Just Because

These are positive interactions that we can make with each other “just because”, meaning they are not in response to what someone else does. “Just

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Kind and Firm

It is the AND that brings kind AND firm together to avoid extremes. Begin by validating feelings and/or choices when possible. Examples, “I know you

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Kindness Catcher

With paper, scissors and pencils, allow children to make folding “catchers” (also called “origami fortune tellers”), with their kind acts written inside the various flaps.

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Kindness Tree

Role-play one act of kindness each week with words or actions. When acts of kindness are noticed or a classmate shares an act of kindness

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Kupuna Sharing

Bring in a knowledgeable kupuna (elder) to share their life story. Discuss how roles, rights, and responsibilities look similar or different in Hawai‘i (or elsewhere)

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Labels

It is important to talk with youth about labels and the stereotypes that go along with them. Do peers call your child a “jock” or

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Land Management Systems

Mauka (mountain) to makai (ocean) management. In teams, draw an ahupua‘a (Hawaiian term for a large traditional socio-economic/geologic/climatic subdivision of land that was cooperatively managed).

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Lenses

Have youth find at least two photographs from a movement—past or present—against what are perceived as unjust laws. The goal is to find photographs that

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Let It Settle

A great visual tool to show the imbalance of a brain that is experiencing anger or rage, and how it is possible for the anger

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Literature Circle

Use a literature circle to discuss major elements of a story that is developmentally appropriate to the audience. Include its characters and events. Are the

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Logical Consequences

Use discipline to develop character and not to punish. Discipline means “to teach” and should not be punitive but should help a child to grow

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Media Comparisons

Take on a particular current or historical event. Find disparate sources of reporting and media on the event to compare. Who wrote the articles? Ask

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Mediation/Facilitation

Provide spaces for youth to practice the skills of mediation between them as well as facilitation of group discussions and problem solving. Hone their skills

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Mirroring

Repeating the meaning of a person’s words in a warm and caring tone assures the speaker that you seek to understand instead of judging or

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Mistakes & Learning

Establish a culture in your classroom or home where mistakes are welcomed and used as learning opportunities. Normalize mistakes by discussing them at mealtime or

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Mix Pair Share

Have the children/students mix, then teacher calls “pair” and the youth pair up. Teacher then asks a question and gives the pairs thinking time. Pairs

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Modeling

Rather than just telling children and youth how they should act, show them. Show them in your own daily actions and words with them. Intentionally

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Money

Give youth a small amount of money to manage. Teach them about investing, saving, the value of conservation, wise spending, and encourage them to give

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Movement Healing

Use movement as a way to increase blood flow for effective thinking and problem solving. Build in yoga, dance, stretching, and physical exercise on a

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Mo‘olelo

The Hawaiian word for story or tradition; use classical Hawaiian stories to teach literacy, science, and culture. In so doing, youth build their own stories

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My Community

Focusing on wants and needs, have youth each draw their own classroom, school and/or family. How would they meet their needs? They will most likely

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My Kuleana

When discussing a current or historical event, have youth draw, write about, paint or publicly express what their kuleana (responsibility) would have been or is

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Name it to Tame It

Help youth to get more specific and expand their emotional vocabulary, replacing basic feeling words with more sophisticated terms. They graduate from using words like

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Next Time Commitments

After going through a resolution process, have youth make commitments to one another and to their community about how they will do things differently next

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Once and Future Rulers

Examine what leadership skills made certain leaders effective (for example, Queen Lili`uokalani or President Lincoln). In addition to warfare and weaponry, did leaders use diplomatic

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Open-Ended Questions

Teach youth how to ask effective open-ended questions to learn more. These are typically: How, When, Who, What, and Why questions that cannot be answered

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Pau Hana for Peace

Ceeds of Peace held its first-ever virtual benefit event, titled Pau Hana For Peace. This virtual event invited talented local musicians like Makana, Tim Rose,

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Peace Flower

A strategy for youth to problem-solve themselves. Between two children, they pass a flower back and forth. The first child begins by saying, “I felt

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Peace Relevant Literature

Multiple peace education and character education books exist (go to www.ceedsofpeace.org for many book titles). Use throughout all lessons and have readily available in the

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Peace Table

Providing a space for problem solving is important. A peace table designates expectations for where and how youth will engage with each other. Peacebuilding literature,

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Peace Train

The Peace Train is Ceeds of Peace’s small effort to mobilize community members to offer help, so we can be better neighbors to one another

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Peeling the Onion

Pull apart the layers of a problem in your classroom, school or community. Look at the history of the problem, the needs and interests of

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Peer Mediation

Train youth to be peer mediators. Use video to demonstrate what mediation looks like (i.e.: community heroes who help others and provide basic mediation skills).

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Peer Messaging

Youth and adults tend to “take sides” when conflicts erupt. It is important that when resolution is achieved, those involved in the conflict ensure that

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Physical Activity

Reduces stress, lowers cortisol levels and enhances neuron growth and neuronal connections. Physical activity provides the brain with oxygen and glucose and releases endorphins and

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Play It Out

Create an end of the semester or end of the year skit or play on a particular historical event. Each child/student has a role. Play

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Pohaku Bowl

Have a public bowl where everyone has his or her own (identified) stone. There should also be a few unidentified stones. All stones are set

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Process Writing

Break up a writing task into the following components: Pre-Write; First Draft; Mini Lesson; Peer Share; Revise; Edit; Publish. To Pre-Write, youth research, brainstorm, and

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Public Webinars

In partnership with our friends at the Institute for Climate & Peace and the Matsunaga Institute for Peace & Conflict Resolution, we held a series

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Puzzles

Puzzles are a good way to encourage critical thinking with all ages of youth. In order to successfully complete a puzzle, they must work with

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Reflect and Reenter

When an incident occurs, youth can spend time in reflection by writing and identifying: a) what happened; b) what was my role in the problem?;

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Reframing

Use reframing to defuse anger and keep dialogue open and positive. To reframe, take a negative statement and remove the emotionally-charged, damaging, and accusatory words,

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Restorative Practices

Restorative Justice (RJ) is a form of restorative practice and a problem-solving approach that focuses on relationships and building community. It is an approach to

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Revision Toolbox

Teach youth that the writing process isn’t finished after the first draft. A good Revision Toolbox has tools that work with word choice, writing structures,

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Rewind It

Take a current event or an event within the classroom, school, family or community. If we were to rewind this event, how would we rebuild

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Role Play

A way of seeing situations play out and encouraging individuals to think critically about how to intervene, and in the process build compassion for alternate

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Roots of Empathy

An international evidence-based K-8 classroom program (started in Canada in 1996), which has shown significant effect in reducing levels of aggression among school children while

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Rose and Thorn

A very simple communication and exploration exercise that can take place with youth and adults just about anywhere. Ideally, it would be used in a

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Rotating Facilitators

A way to build commitment, buy-in and skills is to alternate between facilitators during family meetings or classroom group work. Teach youth the skills of

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Safe Spaces

Ensure there is always a safe space for conversation. This is a space to gather, a place that honors, respects and makes people feel they

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Saving Face

Teach youth the importance of face-saving in a conflict. Teach them how to calm themselves or another angry person through deep breathing and validation of

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Seeds of Empathy

An international evidence-based early childhood (age 3-5 years) program started in Canada in 2005 as the “younger sibling” of the Roots of Empathy K-8 program.

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Shared Story Media

Find current events that may be similar to situations occurring in school or the home. For example, if youth discrimination, violence or mistreatment is an

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Shuttle Diplomacy

A strategy for people to use when they see potential for solutions but don’t feel comfortable or safe bringing their ideas up publicly. A form

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Silent Signals

Adults often talk too much and our youth tune out. A silent signal speaks louder than words. Smile and point to the shoes that need

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Silk Road

The Silk Road carried trade from cultures embracing numerous religions and worldviews. Stretching from Italy to Japan, the Silk Road runs through Buddhist, Confucian, Christian,

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Six Thinking Hats

A simple, effective parallel thinking technique developed by E. de Bono that helps people be more productive, focused, and mindfully involved. It forces people to

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Snack Meditation

Opportunities to share healthy snacks together builds community. Everyone begins eating together, often marking the time with a simple shared message. Parents or teachers can

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Socratic Seminar

Titled after the Greek philosopher, Socratic dialogue transforms a student’s learning experience by allowing youth to generate and express their own ideas via the teacher

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Stoplight

To help young people deal with feelings of anger and frustration, try using the visual of a stoplight: green is calm, yellow is frustrated, and

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Story Board

Make a storyboard of a particular event in history that involves a social injustice (slavery, women’s rights, settlers coming to America, Hawaiian history). Have youth

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Talking Stick

Use a tangible object like a stick, a flower, a ball, or something important to the group to facilitate civil discussions and collaborative activities. Three

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Technology Blackouts

Set aside times during the day when no one in the family touches technology. Turn off all cell phones, televisions, computers, etc. Youth who are

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Thankenstein

Adult writes at the top of a blank paper, “I’m so grateful that if I were a monster created by a mad scientist, my name

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The World Peace Game

TWPG is an elaborative hands-on, youth-driven game/exercise. Founded in 2010, TWPG Foundation is dedicated to sharing the global mission of peace, developing self-awareness, and the

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Think Pair Listen Share

Have youth think individually and record their views about a particular issue. Then have them share their ideas with one another. Teachers/parents can foster careful

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Think Tac Toe

An alternative assessment method that can be used with all grades and subject areas. In the tic-tac-toe 9-square grid, list a variety of activities and

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Tic Tac Toe

Tic Tac Toe boards give youth the opportunity to participate in multiple tasks that allow them to practice skills they’ve learned or to demonstrate and

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Treasure Hunts

Take youth on team treasure hunts. Ask critical questions along the way to solve a problem. With each treasure is a clue to solving the

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Try It On

n exploring conflict, commit to trying on different perspectives in the conflict. Draw out of a bowl a particular role with an attached explanation. Play

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Upstander

A person who recognizes when something is wrong and then acts to make it right; doing one’s best to help support and protect someone who

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Wagonload of Compassion

Share individual stories of people in need. Identify what everyone can contribute. Where could we find the needed materials? Together as a group, deliver the

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Web of Life

Youth sit in a circle, often at a transition point in the day. Holding a ball of yarn, they share one thing (something they like

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What Should We Do?

Show pictures and/or video of certain situations at school and in the surrounding neighborhood. Examples include: seeing garbage on the floor, an elderly person dropping

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Where in the World?

Show youth a variety of pictures of celebrations involving young people from around the world. Place cut-outs of known children/students into the celebration picture (make

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Where Were Women and Girls?

Explore what role females played in various events in providing leadership for problem-solving, collaboration and working together. How is that different or similar from today?

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Whole Child

Design lessons that focus on the whole child, including: health, nutrition, home life, community life, culture, emotions, and safety. Reflect on all that a child

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