What's So Bad or Good About Conflict?

Procedures

1. Write "conflict" on the board and ask the class for a definition. (If they need help with a definition, explain that a conflict is a disagreement between two or more people, and give a few examples.)
2. Ask the class: What do you think of when you hear the word "conflict"?
3. Have the class brainstorm all the associations they have with the word "conflict".
4. List their ideas on the board or create a web chart.
5. Conduct a class discussion using the following questions:
   1. Which words are negative? Which are positive? Which are neutral?
   2. Why do you think there are more negative words about conflict than positive or neutral ones?
   3. Describe a conflict you've had. Would you say it was positive or negative?
   4. Can anyone describe a conflict that ended in a positive way (where everyone involved felt good at the end or things changed for the better as a result)?
6. After the discussion, ask students to write a sentence about conflict and illustrate it for a What's So Bad or Good About Conflict? bulletin board.