Peace in the Classroom: Practical Lessons in Living for Elementary Children

Renée B. Meloche is an instructional consultant with the Halton Board
of Education.

The six thematic units of activities presented in this book are designed
to help students to believe in themselves, to believe that they are
important and that they can be a powerful influence for bringing about
change in our society and in the world. The author’s goal is to equip
students with the tools necessary to live in harmony with one another,
in a school environment that stresses acceptance, co-operation, positive
expression, and conflict resolution.

The activities themselves are open-ended, and consist of an objective,
a materials list, directions, and discussion questions. For the most
part, they lend themselves very well to younger students (Grades 1
through 4), although suggestions for extensions are provided for the
higher grades.

For teachers wanting to create “peace in the classroom,” the ideas
in this book are practical and easy to follow. Many of the activities
nurture creativity and require reflection on the lesson. The skills and
attitudes it aims at developing are those most related to positive
self-concept and successful group interaction, traits all students need
help with as they socially develop.