• Introduction
• What is Peacefulness?

What is Peacefulness?

Grade One Curriculum

“As a society, we have not bothered to make sure every child is taught the essentials of handling anger or resolving conflict positively – nor have we bothered to teach empathy, impulse control, or any other fundamentals of emotional competence.”

– Daniel Goleman, author of Working with Emotional Intelligence

Peacefulness involves students possessing the skills to accept themselves and others. It means demonstrating respect for others, and having the ability to cooperate, taking responsibility for their own actions, and being able to find solutions to conflict. It is important that we begin by personally modeling what we expect of the students (teaching children to do what we do). This is equally as important as teaching students to do what we say. Peacefulness is about teaching students alternatives to conflict and practical strategies for getting along with others with the focus on positive social change.

YOU SHOW PEACEFULNESS WHEN YOU:

• Show respect for your classmates
• Cooperate with your friends in the classroom and out on the playground
• Calmly look for a solution to a problem
• Take responsibility for your actions and your words
• Stop and count to 10 before confronting someone when you are mad
• Use your words not your actions when you are frustrated with someone.

OTHER PEACEFULNESS RESOURCES:

• Andrew’s Angry Words by Dorothea Lachner
• Ape Ears and Beaky by Nancy J. Hopper
• Elbert’s Bad Word by Audrey Wood
• Francine, Believe it or Not by Stephen Krensky
• Mean Soup by Betsy Everitt
• Rip-Roaring Russell by Johanna Hurwitz

RELATED VIRTUES:

Caring, Respect, Cooperation, Citizenship, Helpful, Honesty