Violence is a learned behavior.  It can be unlearned.

Taking Action

A project of [Minnesota] Rush Creek Elementary School's 6th Grade in 2000-2001

Rush Creek Elementary

Violence Prevention Lesson Plan 2002-2003

Written by teacher Doug Greener and the 6th Grade Students of Rush Creek Elementary School, Minnesota

Click here to view Rush Creek's 2000-2001 project too!

Underneath Doug Greener’s calm demeanor lies a fiery passion for inspiring and challenging his students to engage in the world around them in ways that really do have potential to make their world a better place.  And, far from being discouraged by Mr. Greener’s demands, his students rise to his challenges and achieve beyond the capabilities most of us expect from 11- and 12-year olds.

In the 2000-2001 school year and again this year, Mr. Greener has undertaken ambitious lesson plans to teach his students about violence and what they can do about it. Incorporating all of the core skills of reading, writing, verbal communications and math, he and his students have worked together over several months to develop this lesson plan, which they’ve shared with us in the hopes that others can draw from it in their own classrooms.

We thank them for planting the seeds to turn off the violence!  Here are their lesson plans and their findings.

(This picture shows the students in front of their "Great Wall of Peace" which is filled with student, teacher, and parent pledges to take some action to promote peace.)

  1. On the first day of school, Mr. Greener stormed into the room as if he was having a bad day and acted out, making the students feel like victims.

  2. Student groups created a chart to show how it feels to be victims of violence, and what the world could be like without violence.

  3. Mr. Greener shared selected passages from Earl Hipp's book, Understanding the Human Volcano.

  4. Using a talking circle, the class decided on a definition of violence:  "Any mean word, act, or gesture that hurts a person's feelings, body, or things."

  5. The class looked at a list of behaviors on a continuum of possible violent behaviors and drew a line of where we would tolerate violent behavior.  The class consensus was, No Violence of any kind is tolerable.

  6. Students wrote and displayed an essay on where they each drew their personal line of tolerating violent behavior.

  7. The class watched an episode of the TV show, "Friends," and tallied evidence of violent behaviors, then averaged the results.

  8. The class made a decision to attempt to do something about all the violence around them.

  9. They established the following goals for what they want to accomplish.

    a)     Change behaviors and attitudes of ourselves towards violence.

    b)     Make others aware of level of violence in our world.

    c)     Attempt to bring changes in behaviors and attitudes of others about violence.

  10. They named the project,  "Preteens Make World Peace"  (PMWP)

  11. They created a logo for the project.  (Both of these decisions were made through a creative problem solving process using criteria that students generated.)

  12. Then they began data collection activities... 

    1. Counted Halloween costumes at school parade and categorized them according to violent of not violent - 33% were violent

    2. Contacted Target Stores and found that of the 15 top selling Halloween costumes, 33% of them were violent characters.

    3. Analyzed costumes of Trick or Treaters at selected homes and found around 33% of costumes were violent as well.

    4. Surveyed kids to see what their favorite television show was. Simpsons came out high.

    5. Watched season premier episode of "Simpsons" and tallied violent behaviors.

Mr. Greener's Class Results:

Physical violence

mean = 87

median = 91

mode = 41/58

range = 176

Verbal violence

mean = 43  

median = 38

mode = 50

range = 75

Swearing

mean = 4

median = 3

mode =  2

range = 5

  1. Passed the episode to another classroom at RC that has not had violence education and asked them to do the same tallying activity.

Rush Creek Class #2 Results:

Physical violence

mean = 12

median = 10   

mode = 8  

range = 24

Verbal violence

mean = 5

median = 4   

mode =  1

range =  12

Swearing

mean =  2  

median = 1

mode =  1

range =   8  

  1. Invited Shane and Sherrie Goodman from "Step Into World Peace" organization to meet with the class.  The class shared what we have done so far; and then listened to their vision for creating a world of peace.

  2. Our class is now making plans to create a presentation format for other classes/ civic groups/ businesses etc. about our vision for peace.

  3. We have invited Earl Hipp, author of Understanding the Human Volcano, to visit our class and share his insights about violence and what we can do about it.

  4. Mr. Greener video taped parents comments during conferences as evidence that their sons/daughters were making changes in their attitudes and behaviors regarding violence.

  5. Started presentations to 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classes  (See outline below.)

  6. Learned advertising techniques and then created “billboards” promoting non-violence and peace, which were hung up around school.  We also put together our own webpage about our project.

  7. We invited Speaker of the House of Representatives of Minnesota, The Honorable Steve Sviggum, to come to our school and asked him for assistance in introducing legislation addressing violence education.  We anxiously await the next session which begins in January.

  8. We are creating a “Peace Wall” at Rush Creek of student pledges to change attitudes and behaviors about violence in their lives.   (See photo above.)

  9. Sent peace cards and peace bracelets to Ireland with Shane Goodman to deliver to students there and are awaiting return bracelets from them.

  10. Invited teachers and parents to take part in our “Peace Wall” and are adding an additional wall for them.

  11. Participated with students from Edgewood Elementary School in a Climb Theater presentation on bullying and harassment and then had discussion groups.

  12. Osseo Maple Grove Press reporter Cathy Hara came to do an article about our project.  The article appeared in February 26th issue.

  13. Learned how to be “Peace Negotiators” and practiced role playing in negotiating potentially violent situations.  Students are using those skills outside of the classroom.

  14. Local access cable television channel 12 did a feature story on class project on March 4th, focusing on changes students have made in their lives and on the “Great Wall of Peace.”

  15. Group of students wrote a survey, handed it out to youngest and only students at RC,  and then tabulated the results.  These are the results of those surveys returned:

     

  16. Question #1.  Have you heard about the presentations from your child?             Yes - 64%        No - 36%

    Question #2.   Have you noticed changes in your children’s behavior since the presentations?       Yes – 30%        No – 70%

    Question #3.   For those parents who responded that they had noticed changes in their children, did they see a lot, some, or just a little change?

    A lot of change– 1%      
    Some change – 20%
    Very little change – 9%

    Question #4.   Since the presentations, have you observed your child watching less violent television or playing less violent video games?

    Yes – 38%       
    No – 43%       
    Parents who make those decisions for their children – 19%

     

Students Outline of Presentations to Other Classes

Classroom Presentations of PMWP

  1. Introduction

    1. Who you are

    2. Why you are there - to give a presentation on violence and peace

    3. What you want to accomplish

      • Raise awareness of what violence is

      • Start to make changes in our attitudes and behaviors to become less violent

  2. Introduce poster and begin list of feelings of being victims of violence and list of what the world could be like without violence

  3. Introduce definition of violence and the quote about violence being a learned behavior.  These should be repeated at least 8-10 times during the presentation!

  4. Hang up violence continuum and select students to suggest where their line should be for them.

  5. Draw our line on the continuum and explain why - (We want to live in a world free from violence where there are no victims of those feelings listed earlier.)

  6. Have audience list violent influences in their lives and write them down. When list is complete; throw them away dramatically.

  7. Explain that it is possible to change; change is needed if we are going to live in a world of peace  "We are in the process of changing ourselves, and if we can do it then so can you.”

  8. Here's proof - Show video of parents comments

  9. Hand out peace cards inviting students to make their own commitments to peace.
 

Turn Off the Violence.
Copyright 2000 - 2007. All rights reserved.
Revised: September 06, 2007