Building the Foundation: Peace and Conflict Education in
Early Childhood Development Programs
Project Implemented in Partnership between
Child Institute of Al-Quds University &
Meridian International Center
TRAINING ACTIVITIES
2008
MODULE ONE:
Super Me, Super You:
All about Me and Others
Learning Objectives:
• First Objective: To instill in the children an
appreciation of their own self-worth
• Second Objective: To instill in the children an
appreciation for the self-worth of others
Duration & Materials Required
Duration & Materials Required
20-40 minutes x 5 sessions
Note: Duration dependent on number of
children in class/participating in activity
Drawing paper, crayons, construction paper, and
other materials to decorate pictures.
Magazines, story books about families, story books
about children.
Family photos and class pictures.
Module One – Activity No. 1
First Objective
• Children draw pictures of themselves (non-directed) and tell a
story about the picture through teacher-facilitated discussion.
Children talk about what they like about their picture and how
they would describe their pictures: What do they like about
themselves? What qualities do they have? Over a week’s
period, children draw pictures and tell stories about
themselves within their family, with friends, with classmates,
and in their neighborhood.
• The pictures children draw can used to describe the children
can do (e.g., ride a bike, build a block tower, read some words,
help others).
The Teacher
• Teacher can compile the pictures all together, have child draw a cover
sheet (title page with picture and child’s name) and then sew it together
with yarn…child’s first book.
• The teacher hangs the drawings around the room and asks children to
look at the drawings and think about what was similar in all the drawings
and what was different. The teacher-facilitated engagement among the
children focuses on what the children can do – their strengths. After
hanging in classroom, send pictures home with children with a note that
parents should ask child about his drawing and encourage child to speak
about themselves and how they see themselves.
• Teacher should encourage children to bring in photos and their families
and selves and tell a story about them.
• Teacher can purchase a disposable camera and take pictures of children
and post them in the classroom.
Module One – Activity No. 1
1st & 2nd Objectives
Feeling is Part of Self …
Materials Required:
Age-appropriate children’s books, including
those that address self-esteem among
Palestinian children.
There are a series of storybooks produced by
ECRC and Tamer Institute that are about
Palestinian children.
Additional & Important Resources
• Swedish children’s books that have been translated and adapted for
Palestine (in Arabic) that are appropriate for use here.
• The Shara’a Simsim story “The Storm” is also a good book, since it
addresses how a storm comes through and destroys many of the children’s
loved belongings, but they work together to rebuild solidarity.
• “The Tower” that is about a bully in the preschool and how he learns to
play nicely with the other children.
• Putting up a poster board with the names of the children and their duties
and responsibilities (even using drawings or symbols) is a friendly
reminder for children. At the end of every week, the child who did all their
chores can get a sticker;
• pick which storybook he/she wants to the teacher to read.
The Activity
• Read an age-appropriate children’s book that talks about a Palestinian
child’s life and characteristics and discuss with children.
• Teacher tells stories of empowerment and about children who were
afraid, angry, confused, and how they dealt with these feelings. This helps
to demonstrate that children can overcome problems – that they are
resilient.
• Different kinds of story books should be included by teachers.
• Happy stories about children going on fun trips or children at school, but
also introducing stories where difficult things happen, loss of a sibling or a
storm wrecking their playground are also suitable.
Continue…
• Children can be exposed to a variety of stories that will allow them to
open up and discuss many situations that they may face in their own lives.
• Traditional children’s storybooks are also fine.
• This is a good opportunity to speak with mothers and invite them to come
to class and read or tell children stories.
• Teachers can meet with parents in advance and discuss the story the
parent wants to tell and determine if the story is appropriate for the
children. (Grandparents are frequently excellent story tellers, also.)
• Introducing children to stories about life in Palestine when grandparents
were young is very interesting to children.
Continue…
• They can learn about how farming, keeping goats, traveling to
Jerusalem to sell their products, how weddings were held.
These stories give children a sense of continuity, but also
show them how life continually changes and how people
adapt.
• Teachers can also encourage children to tell stories. This can
be done by the teacher starting a few lines of a story” Once
upon a time, there was a girl who lived in a little, tiny house
on top of a big, big hill. Everyday she would squeeze out of
the house and come tumbling”.
• The teacher can then ask children to add a new line to the
story. At the end, they have a new class story.
Module One – Activity No. 3
1st & 2nd Objectives
Cooperation & Social Interaction
Duration
• 20 minutes for “planning” with children
• 15 minutes x 5 sessions for scheduled helping
Objective No. 2
Cooperation & Group Work
Activities
• Using a list Activity of 10-20 different activities that kids can
do to help in the classroom or to help their classmates (e.g.
help pick up after lunch, help another child clean an activity
corner, put away toys, draw pictures, help a younger child).
• Children select what they want to do for a week, “helping
time” is allocated in the schedule and children are encouraged
to help outside of “scheduled” time; teacher keeps track of
what the children have done.
Continue…
• At the end of the week, teacher engages with
children to talk about what they were able to
do and to thank one another for helping. This
becomes an ongoing activity, adjusted to the
age and particular “culture” of the class.
Module One – Activity No. 4
1st & 2nd Objectives
- Citizenship Duration & Materials Required
• 20 minutes x 3 sessions
• Music and Storytelling
Appreciating similarities and Differences
• Appreciating similarities and differences in
one another (individual-focused)
• Appreciating differences in cultures
(population-focused).
• Considering the world (and their
environment/community) if we were all the
same.
Materials Required
• Music and stories to be selected, including Shara’a Simsim.
• Videos from Shara’a Simsim first season.
• Storybooks that have been translated from different cultures
are also appropriate.
• Bringing in music from different cultures…classical, African,
Indian, rap
• Using the radio in the classroom, change from station to
station and identify differences in music, language, content.
Continue…
• Music and stories (at the beginning).
• Music from different cultures (from Indian Movie, American Jazz, Turkish,
Chinese film, etc.).
• Listen to different music and then open discussion with children, listen to
them and then we can correct and discuss their concepts.
• Avoid naming and sarcastic comments while discussion with children.
• Photos from journals (National Geographic, etc.).
• It is important to show similarities and differences between children from
different cultures.
END OF MODULE ONE