Help young students practice resolving group disagreements with this conflict resolution lesson plan and interactive Conflict Coach Charades activity for kindergarten and first grade. Students discuss what conflicts are, consider how disagreements affect a group, and suggest ways to solve a problem.

What’s included

• A one-page lesson plan with an objective, materials, discussion prompts, activity directions, assessment, and listed standards.
• A six-page printable activity PDF with charades directions, conflict scenario cards, and “The Goggles Problem” scenario with three possible solutions.
• Terms of use and a feedback-instructions PDF are also included in the files.

How the activity works

Begin by discussing conflict and group conflict, then talk about how disagreements can affect a class, friendship group, or team. Introduce the steps for working toward a resolution: identify the problem, listen to each side, brainstorm solutions that meet the needs of the people involved, and agree on a solution.

For Conflict Coach Charades, students work in pairs to act out a scenario from a card. Classmates guess the conflict, then suggest a way to resolve it. The lesson plan suggests allowing 15–20 minutes for the game. Students can also consider the goggles scenario and select the best solution.

Who it’s for

Designed for kindergarten and first-grade students, this resource is suited to classroom lessons or school counseling groups focused on interpersonal skills and conflict resolution. Teachers or counselors can lead the discussion with the class, then use the paired game to encourage participation and problem-solving.

Preparation and use

The lesson plan lists a board, marker, and pencils as materials. The conflict cards are intended to be cut out. Print the activity pages for in-person use; the files do not specify a digital version. The included terms document describes a one-user license for use in a single setting.