War and Conflict

Overview

In this 45-minute session, students will explore conflict within relationships, focusing on friendships. They will understand the emotional impact conflicts can have and develop effective communication strategies to resolve disagreements peacefully. This lesson is part of the unit "Building Resilient Relationships" and is designed for Year 7 students (age 11-12) following the National Curriculum for England's statutory guidance on personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, specifically the Relationships and Health Education sections.

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National Curriculum Links

• PSHE Education - Relationships Education
  • Recognise the qualities of healthy friendships (NC 2021: Relationships Education, Aim 1, 1.6)
  • Manage conflict and challenge within relationships respectfully (NC 2021: Relationships Education, Aim 2, 2.7)
  • Develop skills to communicate effectively and empathetically (NC 2021: Relationships Education, Aim 2, 2.4)
• Personal Development (PSHE Association Framework)
  • Develop skills to handle difficult conversations with empathy and respect (Themes: Communication & Relationships)

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Understand the causes and effects of conflict in friendships.
2. Recognise their own and others’ feelings during disagreements.
3. Apply communication strategies—such as active listening, ‘I’ statements, and calm speaking—to peacefully resolve conflicts.
4. Demonstrate empathy and respect when navigating difficult conversations.

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Resources Needed

• Whiteboard and markers
• Scenario cards depicting common friendship conflicts
• “Conflict Resolution” worksheet for paired exercises
• Emotion flashcards with feelings relevant to conflict (e.g., frustration, sadness, confusion)
• Timer
• Reflective journals or paper for quick write-up

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity – Emotions in Conflict (5 minutes)

• Show emotion flashcards one by one. Students quickly shout out how that emotion might feel in a friendship conflict.
• Teacher briefly links emotions to real-life situations, emphasising how conflict affects feelings.
• Purpose: Activate prior understanding and connect emotionally to the topic.

2. Introduction – Impact of Conflict (7 minutes)

• Whole-class discussion: “What happens when friends argue or disagree?”
• Use whiteboard to visually map consequences on friendships and feelings.
• Reference: National Curriculum (NC 2021) on recognising qualities of friendships and managing challenges.

3. Main Activity – Role-play and Communication Strategies (20 minutes)

• Split the class into pairs (4 pairs). Each pair receives a scenario card depicting a typical friendship conflict (e.g., misunderstanding, exclusion, teasing).
• Step 1: Students identify feelings involved using emotion flashcards.
• Step 2: Using a “Conflict Resolution” worksheet, they practice:
  • Listening without interrupting
  • Using ‘I’ statements (“I feel…” instead of “You always…”)
  • Finding a peaceful solution or compromise
• Step 3: Pairs role-play their conflict and peaceful resolution in front of the group.
• Teacher provides feedback focusing on use of empathy and communication skills.

4. Plenary – Reflective Discussion (8 minutes)

• Discuss: “What did we learn about handling conflict today?”
• Prompt: Why is respectful communication important? How does understanding feelings help?
• Students write a brief personal reflection in journals about how they plan to use these strategies in real life.

5. Assessment – Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

• Each student writes down:
  1. One communication strategy they will use next time they have a disagreement.
  2. One feeling they think is important to acknowledge during conflict.
• Collect exit tickets for formative assessment.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters for ‘I’ statements and clarify vocabulary for students needing additional help.
• Challenge: Encourage more confident pairs to develop a follow-up solution and discuss how to rebuild trust after conflict.

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Teacher Notes

• Ensure language used is age-appropriate and sensitive; avoid adult-centric or overly complex terminology.
• Foster a safe and respectful classroom environment; reinforce confidentiality during sharing.
• Encourage inclusivity by validating different perspectives in conflicts.
• Connect learning to students’ real-life experiences without pressuring them to disclose personal information.

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Extension Ideas

• Homework: Keep a “Conflict and Resolution” diary over the next week, noting any conflicts and how they responded.
• Future lesson teaser: Introduce bystander strategies for conflicts affecting the wider peer group.

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This highly interactive and reflective lesson supports Year 7 students to confidently navigate difficult conversations, promoting resilience and emotional intelligence in line with the National Curriculum's Relationships Education standards.