Project About Conflict

In this project you are going to examine a conflict, learn more about it and then express
your opinion about that conflict in a letter to the editor of a newspaper.

Before you start working, open a new document in WORD and save
it on your diskette under your name [eg. Yossi_Conflict.doc].
Make sure to write the title of the lesson you're working on,
eg. Stage 1 - Defining a Conflict, Stage 2 - Using Conflict Vocabulary, etc.

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Now follow these steps:

1. Write your name at the top of your Word document.
   
   
2. Write the title of today's lesson: Stage 1 - "Defining Conflict".
   
   
3. Find all the definitions of the noun "conflict" at Factmonster.com or in Webster's Dictionary and copy them onto your page.
   
   (Your project planning page may be either a Word document on a diskette or else a page in your notebook.)
   
   
4. Click here to look at a survey about "Conflict and Me".
   
   
5. Now you are going to write questions for a survey. Write the title "Conflict Survey" on your planning page (in your notebook or in your Word document) and then write ten questions for a "Conflict" survey. You may use the idea given on the site you saw: http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-2921.html
   
   
6. Conduct your survey in your class
   
   
7. Write a short report about the results of your survey.
   
   
8. Discuss your understanding and definition of "conflict" with the rest of the class.

Evaluation

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Benchmarks

1. Find a quotation or quotations that you identify with about conflict, prejudice, intolerance or hatred.
   • Quotations About Conflict

   • Quotations About Hatred

   • Quotations About Anger

   • Quotations About Argument and Conflict

   • You can find more quotations here
     
     
   • Copy the quotation you chose onto your project page.
     
     
2. Read these words and explanations connected with Conflict Resolution:
   
   Use the Morfix Online Dictionary to translate the words into Hebrew if necessary:

   COMMUNICATE
   

   Some conflicts start because people misunderstand each other. Talking things out and explaining might take care of it.

   NEGOTIATE
   

   When two or more people decide to work out a conflict themselves, they might follow a set of steps. The steps help them work out the conflict or negotiate.

   MEDIATE
   

   Sometimes people want to work out a problem but have trouble negotiating. They might ask someone to help them. That person is called a mediator. He or she mediates the conflict by helping the people work it out. The mediator does not tell the people what to do; he or she helps them decide for themselves.

   ARBITRATE
   

   Sometimes a mediator does solve people's problems. Then he or she isn't called a mediator. He or she is called an arbitrator. When people ask an arbitrator to help them, they must agree to do whatever the arbitrator suggests.

   LITIGATE
   

   When people can't work out their conflict themselves, they may go to a court and have a trial. They hire lawyers and go before a judge. A judge is like an arbitrator. The lawyers try to convince the judge that their client is right. The judge decides who is right according to the law and decides what solution there should be.

   LEGISLATE
   

   To legislate is to make something the law or a rule. Some kinds of conflicts cause people to try to change laws or rules so the problem won't happen again.
   
   

3. Now, in your Word document or notebook, write something about the quotation you chose about conflict, prejudice, intolerance or hatred.
   
   • Use at least one of the words above (negotiate, mediate, arbitrate, etc) in your writing.
   • You may write your opinion about this quotation.
   • Do you agree/disagree with the quotation? Explain why.
   • You may write a little anecdote (story) illustrating the quotation.
   • You may give some examples to explain the quotation.

Evaluation

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Benchmarks

• Examine an example of conflict, prejudice intolerance or hatred anywhere in your society, school, city, country or in the world.
  
  See examples of conflicts
  
  
  
• Choose a conflict you would like to study.
  Use the Summary Guidelines Page to help you summarize the material you found.
  
  
  
• Answer these questions about the conflict you've chosen to study:
  1. Who are the two sides of this conflict?
     
  2. How do they express the conflict?
     
  3. What are the causes of the conflict?
     
  4. Who are the leaders in this conflict?
     
  5. What is the history of this conflict (in short)?
     
  6. What is a possible solution or solutions for this conflict?
     
  7. Where did you find your information? (bibliography)
  8. What is your conclusion about the conflict you studied?

• Use the Summary Guidelines Page to help you summarize the material you found.
• Write neatly and clearly.
• Check your grammar and spelling.
  
  
  

  Evaluation

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  Benchmarks

  
  
  
  
  
  
  Stage 4 - Expressing Your Opinion
  
  Readers can express their own opinions about subjects in the "Letters to the Editor" section of every newspaper.
  
  
  1. Write a letter to the editor of a real newspaper stating your opinion about the conflict your project is about.
  2. First look at examples of letters to the editor of the New York Times
  3. Now look at examples of letters to the editor of Haaretz - (Click "Letters" on the left hand side)
  4. Now follow these steps:
     
     [Write your name here.
     Address and telephone number.
     Email address here.
     Write the date here.]
     
     
     The Editor, [Write the name of the newspaper here.
     Write the newspaper's address.]
     
     Dear Sir/Madam,
     
     Re: [ write the issue you're writing about, e.g. "Conflict in Ireland" or the name and date of the article you're referring to]
     
     

     Paragraph I
     Paragraph II
     Paragraph III
     
     

     Sincerely yours,
     [Your Name]
     
     
  5. NOW FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES:
     
     
     • Write in short, get to the point quickly.
       
     • Use humor and irony, but don't cross the line of good taste.
       
     • Don't use cliches.
       
     • Try to add something personal in your letter.
       
     • Divide your work into clear paragraphs, check your spelling and use connectors where possible.
       
     • Wait for about two weeks before you give up hope of having your letter published!
  
  
  

  Evaluation

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  Benchmarks

  
  
  
  
  
  
  Stage 5 - Presenting Your Work:
  
  You should present your work both as a written presentation and as a Powerpoint presentation.
  
  
  • Written Presentation:

    The written presentation is in fact a presentation of the final draft of ALL the written stages of this project. Your project should be submitted in an organized and neat fashion in a folder. You may illustrate it. Make sure to include the following components:

    1. Cover page. Title of project, your name, class, date.
    2. Table of contents.
    3. Introduction.
    4. Sections of the Project (Include here all the stages of the project that you did)
    5. Conclusion.
    6. Bibliography. (Don't forget to cite all the internet sites you used in your project
    7. Reflection. Write a page in which you express what you learned/gained through doing this project.
    8. Appendices.
    9. Illustrations.
       
       

    Multimedia (Powerpoint) Presentation:
    Create a Powerpoint Presentation to present to the rest of the class.
    Sample  presentations:

sample 1

sample 2

Evaluation

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Benchmarks

Evaluation

Each stage of this project has its own evaluation worth a maximum of 100 points. The final grade will be calculated by averaging the marks on the various stages.

• Evaluation of Stage 1 - "Defining Conflict":
• Evaluation of Stage 2 - Using Conflict Vocabulary
• Evaluation of Stage 3 - The Two Sides of a Conflict
• Evaluation of Stage 4 - Expressing Your Opinion
• Evaluation of Stage 5 - Written Presentation
• Evaluation of Stage 5 - Multimedia (Powerpoint) Presentation
• General Reflection Sheet

Evaluation

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Benchmarks

Evaluation of Stage 1 - "Defining Conflict":to Evaluation

Evaluation of Stage 2 - "Using Conflict Vocabulary": to Evaluation

Criteria	Excellent (12-14 points)	Good (9-11)	Needs Improvement (7-8)
Copying a quotation about conflict, hatred, prejudice, intolerance	I copied more than one quotation	I copied one quotation	I didn't copy a quotation
Understanding the words and explanations connected with Conflict Resolution:	I understood all the words	I understood some of the words	I didn't understand the words
Writing about the quotation	I wrote a page about the quotation I chose	I wrote less than a page	I didn't write anything
Using paragraphs in writing	I divided my work into more than two clear paragraphs	I divided my work only into two paragraphs	I wrote only one paragraph
Using correct spelling	I wrote without any spelling mistakes	I wrote with a few spelling mistakes	I wrote with many spelling mistakes
Using correct grammar	I wrote without any grammar mistakes	I wrote with a few grammar mistakes	I wrote with many grammar mistakes
Connection between the quotation and the writing	My writing explains the quotation I chose	My writing is somewhat connected to my quotation	My writing is not at all connected to my quotation
Sub-total	........points	........points	........points
Total	.	.	........points

Evaluation of Stage 3 - "The Two Sides of a Conflict":

Criteria	Excellent (9-10 points)	Good (7-8)	Needs Improvement (5-6)
The two sides of the conflict	I explained clearly who the two sides of this conflict are	I partially explained the two sides of the conflict	I didn't explain the two sides of the conflict
The nature of this conflict	I explained clearly how the sides express the conflict	I partially explained how the sides express the conflict	I didn't explain how the sides express the conflict
The causes of the conflict	I summarized the causes of the conflict	I wrote about the causes of the conflict but not only in my own words	I didn't explain the causes of the conflict
The leaders in this conflict	I clearly explained who the leaders in this conflict are	I partially explained who the leaders in this conflict are	I didn't explain who the leaders in this conflict are
The history of this conflict	I summarized information about the history of this conflict	I wrote about the history of this conflict but not only in my own words	I didn't write about the history of this conflict
A possible solution/s for this conflict	I clearly explained my suggested solution for this conflict	I partially explained my suggested solution for this conflict	I didn't suggest a possible solution for this conflict
Cover page, table of contents, bibliography	I included all three with no mistakes	I included two out of the three	I didn't include any of them
Neatness	My work is very neat	My work is mostly neat	My work is not neat at all
Grammar and Spelling	I have no grammar or spelling mistakes	I have a few grammar and/or spelling mistakes	I have many grammar and/or spelling mistakes
Conclusion	I wrote a clear conclusion	My conclusion is quite clear	I didn't write a conclusion
Sub-total	........points	........points	........points
Total	.	.	........points

Evaluation of Stage 4 - "Expressing Your Opinion": to Evaluation

Criteria	Excellent (15-17 points)	Good (12-14)	Needs Improvement (8-11)
Letter-writing format	I used the correct letter form: greeting, body, closure	I used a partially correct letter form	My letter form is incorrect
Grammar	I have no grammatical mistakes	I have a few grammatical mistakes	I have many grammatical mistakes
Spelling	I have no spelling mistakes	I have a few spelling mistakes	I have many spelling mistakes
Punctuation	My punctuation is correct	I have a few punctuation mistakes	I have many mistakes in punctuation
Using paragraphs	I organized my letter into paragraphs with clear topics	I organized my letter into paragraphs with clear topics for only one paragraph	I didn't organize my letter clearly
Expressing an opinion	My argument is easy to understand	My argument is partially easy to understand	My argument is unclear
Sub-total	........points	........points	........points
Total	.	.	........points

Evaluation of Stage 5 - Written Presentation:

Criteria	Excellent (9-10 points)	Good (7-8)	Needs Improvement (5-6)
Cover page	My cover page is attractive and includes all the information	My cover page is quite attractive but doesn't include all the information	I didn't do a cover page
Table of contents	My table of contents is clear and correct	My table of contents is quite clear and correct	I didn't include a table of contents
Introduction	My introduction is clear and relates to the topic.	My introduction is fairly clear and relates partially to the topic.	I didn't include an introduction
Sections of the Project	My presentation is organized and includes all the sections of the project	My presentation is partially organized and includes most of the sections	My presentation is not organized and includes few of the sections
Conclusion	My conclusion shows that I understood the conflict I studied	My conclusion is only partially related to the conflict I studied	I didn't write a conclusion
Bibliography and Appendices	I included a clear bibliography and appendices	My bibliography is not clearly written or I didn't include appendices	I didn't include a bibliography or appendices
Reflection* Please use the General Reflection Sheet below	I wrote a reflection page which shows that I learned something through doing this project	My reflection page is minimal	I didn't write a reflection page
Mechanics	I have no grammar or spelling mistakes	I have a few grammar and/or spelling mistakes	I have many grammar and spelling mistakes
Graphics, Illustrations	The graphics I used are relevant to the topic I chose	The graphics I used are not relevant to the topic I chose	I dind't use any graphics
Bonus	My work is creative and original	.	.
Sub-total	........points	........points	........points
Total	.	.	........points

Evaluation of Stage 5 - "Multimedia (Powerpoint) Presentation": to Evaluation

Criteria	Excellent (9-10 points)	Good (7-8)	Needs Improvement (5-6)
Introduction	The introduction is clear and relates to the topic	The introduction is fairly clear and partially relates to the topic	There is no introduction
Content	The content is written with a logical progression of ideas and supporting information	The content is written with a logical progression of ideas but has no supporting information	The content is minimal
Text Elements	The fonts are easy to read	The fonts are easy to read in most places	The fonts are not easy to read
Graphics, Sound, Animation	The graphics sound and animation are connected to the content of the presentation	The graphics sound and animation are partially connected to the content of the presentation	There are no graphics sound and animation.
Writing (Grammar and Spelling)	There are no grammar or spelling mistakes	There are a few grammar or spelling mistakes	There are many grammar or spelling mistakes
Layout	The layout uses white space	The layout uses white space in some places	The layout is confusing
Sub-total	........points	........points	........points
Total	.	.	........points

General Reflection Sheet to Evaluation

Please write your reflections about the whole "Conflicts Project" and include this page in your Written Presentation.
1. My name is:

2. The title of my project is:

3. I learned these things while doing this project:

4. I especially enjoyed this part of my project:

5. I especially disliked this part of my project:

6. I learned these new skills:

7. I learned these new words:

8. Finally, I'd like to say that...

Evaluation

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Benchmarks

Benchmarks

Project Stage	Product of the Activity	Domain	Benchmark
Stage 1 - Defining Conflict	learning definitions of conflict creating and doing a survey writing a report about a survey discussing conflict	Social Interaction	Pupils express ideas and opinions, providing in-depth explanations
Stage 2 - Using Conflict Vocabulary	responding to quotations about conflict, hatred, prejudice and intolerance learning "conflict" vocabulary"	Appreciation of Literature & Culture, and Language	Pupils recognize the use of literary techniques in a variety of genres
Stage 3 - The Two Sides of a Conflict	choosing a conflict to study summarizing material about this topic	Access to Information	Pupils integrate information from different sources for a specific purpose
Stage 4 - Expressing Your Opinion	expressing an opinion in a letter to the editor of a newspaper	Presentation	Pupils present an argument for or against a particular point of view
Stage 5 - Presenting Your Work	a written portfolio a multimedia presentation	Presentation	Pupils present conclusions based on the integration of the results of information obtained through different means

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© Ora Baumgarten 2002

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