Academic Infusion
“When am I supposed to fit THAT in?” — Any teacher, Anywhere USA
Teachers feel enormous pressure to teach within prescribed curriculum frameworks and to ensure their students perform well on standardized tests. It is helpful to provide teachers with options for teaching conflict resolution that don’t involve adding a new program onto an already full curriculum. Infusion of CRE concepts into core curricula is one of these options. Teachers can seek out opportunities to teach about conflict resolution while proceeding with their normal lesson plans.
Definition: What Is Infusion?
Infusion can be implemented by identifying where conflict and social/emotional skills and concepts are related to core curriculum content. Alternatively, infusion can be organized by themes, for example, using a theme of heroes and courage and connecting that to multiple content areas while observing and practicing the skills that would support heroism and courage. Teachers have used themes to frame the positive and negative behaviors that promote effective conflict resolution and social/emotional development - friendship versus bullying, community versus isolation, tolerance versus prejudice, for example. Other themes that teachers have organized include justice, peace and security, honesty, responsibility and other character traits.
The PBS Teachers site uses the phrase “Thematic Teaching.” They provide a useful collection of sample conflict resolution activities that cut across the various areas of the curriculum.
For more information and examples on Academic Infusion, see either our planning support module on Integrating CRE Skills and Techniques into Classroom Operations or Day 2 of our curriculum materials on Managing and Resolving Conflicts Effectively in Schools and Classrooms
Related Videos of Possible Interest
- CNN Segment on Emotional Intelligence
- How to Teach Math as a Social Activity
- In a Responsive Classroom
- NewsHour segment on the 4Rs Program at Brooklyn’s P.S. 24.
- Peace Helpers: PS 24
- Peace Studies at Greenfield Community College (promotional video example)
- PeaceJam Juniors
- Team Teaching: How to Work with a Partner
Related Catalog Resources
Below you'll find a randomized listing of up to 20 related items (we may have more...) drawn from our Resource Catalog.
| Resource Title | Description | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated lessons: Collection from the National Curriculum Integration Project | Pdf document presenting a series of lessons for both language arts and social studies classes which examine conflict, explore positive solutions and examine how issues of culture and bias, social and emotional learning and law related education impact conflict and its resolution. Written above title on document: NCIP (National Curriculum...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| GIRC Annotated Bibliography of Conflict Resolution Resources | An annotated bibliography from the Global Issues Resource Center on conflict resolution resources covering the topics of bullying prevention, classroom management, and trauma & violence prevention. Includes books, curricula, videotapes, simulations and games. | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Inside Contexts - Encountering Conflict | This guide for educators explores the concept of conflict as a way to teach English in an interesting way. It was developed by the Victoria Association for the Teaching of English. It uses four texts that explore different types and levels of conflict against a variety of settings, modern and historical. The texts are The Secret River by Kate...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Promise of integrating conflict resolution into the curriculum | Pdf document which discusses the integration and infusion of conflict resolution education into the curriculum. Written above title on document: NCIP (National Curriculum Integration Project). | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Teaching all students constructive conflict resolution through academic coursework | Pdf document proposing the teaching of conflict resolution through academic coursework, with bibliography. Written above title on document: NCIP (National Curriculum Integration Project). | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| NCIP resource guide: "Developing caring citizens and skilled problem solvers" | Pdf document presented as a guide for integrating the principles and practices of conflict resolution into the middle school classroom culture and curriculum. Topics addressed include: Educational Theories; Core Components of an Integrated Program; Integrating Four Related Fields; Comprehensive Conflict Resolution Curriculum Outline; Creating a...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Comprehensive peer mediation evaluation project: Insights and directions for curriculum integration | Pdf document which discusses the Comprehensive Peer Mediation Evaluation Project, conducted over a three year period. Written above title on document: NCIP (National Curriculum Integration Project). | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Making the case for infusing conflict resolution into the high school classroom and curriculum | Pdf document which argues the need for conflict resolution education in high schools, discusses subject areas where CRE fits well, the skills students acquire and the benefits of such education. Written above title on document: NCIP (National Curriculum Integration Project). | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Conflict Resolution Education: A Guide to Implementing Programs in Schools, Youth-Serving Orgs | A manual in pdf format providing an overview of various models for conflict resolution education program implementation. The first chapter defines conflict as a natural condition and examines the origins of conflict, responses to conflict, and the outcomes of those responses. It introduces four approaches to implementing conflict resolution...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Teaching about peace through children's literature | 16-page PDF article in which author, Stan Steiner discusses teaching about peace and conflict resolution using children's literature. He believes that the instructor should: have more books than readers, have a wide variety of books in terms of level of difficulty, length and points of view and make sure that readers consume a number of books. ...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Managing and resolving conflicts effectively in schools and classrooms | A multipart learning module developed by the National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Drug Prevention and School Safety Coordinators which contains a five-day curriculum which providing educators and administrators with the skills and techniques to manage and eventually reduce conflict in schools. Day 1 addresses conflict and conflict...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Reflecting on Conflict and Its Resolution in Our School Community | An 18-page pdf providing an outline and set of handouts for a 3-hour inservice workshop for school staff on conflict resolution in education. Topics addressed include: The Place of Conflict Resolution in Schools Perceptions and Definitions of Conflict Personal Style Assessment Overview of the Conflict Resolution Process Conflict...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Inter-agency P.E.P.: Skills for constructive living: Analytical review of selected peace education | 271-page pdf document which "is one of the components of the Inter-Agency Peace Education Programme, the programme is designed for education managers of ministries dealing with both formal and non-formal education and for agencies which implement education activities on behalf of the government ... this document presents a compilation of resource...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Conflict resolution across the curriculum | Pdf article reprinted from the Aug/Sept 1997 Issue (Vol 79) of The Fourth R, The Newsletter of the National Association for Mediation in Education which creates an argument for the teaching of conflict resolution in colleges and universities in every academic discipline as a necessary skill for graduation much like basic writing skills classes. ...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Conflict Resolution Education Connection teacher's calendar 2009-2010 | 24-page pdf calendar created by the Conflict Resolution Education for Teacher Education (CRETE) Connection Project and the Association for Conflict Resolution Education Section. "The calendar, designed to be hung by a teacher’s desk, provides short takes on CRE tools each month along with corresponding Special Days related to conflict...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
