Annotated Bibliography of Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution

Beaty, Janice J. Converting Conflicts in Preschool. Harcourt College Publishers, 1996.
     Focusing on children ages 3 through 5, this book presents a new paradigm about conflict and misbehavior and incorporates theory and research into each chapter. Provides easy-to-apply techniques for converting interpersonal conflicts to positive feelings and regard for other children. Case studies illustrate "other esteem" - or empathy towards one another.

Cecil, Nancy Lee and Patricia L. Roberts. Raising Peaceful Children in a Violent World. Innisfree Press, 1997.
     For parents and teachers, here is practical advice on ending violence and creating a safe, peaceful environment for children. Covers issues ranging from peace-compatible discipline strategies to fostering positive racial and gender attitudes and is full of creative suggestions and down-to-earth examples for teaching children to become peacemakers. Includes family activities that promote peace, key responses to potentially violent situations, and information on positive racial, cultural, and gender attitudes. The lessons are adaptable to classrooms. Includes recommendations for nonviolent books, toys, games and kid-tested family activities.

Cowan, David, Dianne Schilling, and Susanna Palmares. Teaching the Skills of Conflict Resolution: Activities and Strategies for Counselors and Teachers. Innerchoice Publishing, 1992.
     Students from grades kindergarten to eight will learn to see every conflict as having within it the seeds of a positive outcome as a result of the Sharing Circles, role playing, discussions, experiments, simulations, and reproducible activity sheets found in this publication.

Durell, Ann and Marilyn Sacks. Big Book for Peace. E.P. Dutton, 1990.
     Peace--the issue of our times--affects everyone, but especially children, who deserve and wish for a peaceful future. Contributions by thirty-four well-known authors and illustrators of children's books examine the issues of peace, conflict, war, and resolution from a variety of points of view. Young readers will uncover new perspectives and ways of thinking about peace in their own lives as well as in a global sense. Contributing authors include Jean Fritz, Milton Meltzer, and Nancy Willard.

Harris, Violet. From the Margin to the Center of Curricula: Multicultural Children's Literature. In Bernard Spodek and Olivia N. Saracho (Eds.), Language and Literacy in Early Childhood Education. (Yearbook in Early Childhood Education, Vol 4). Teacher's College Press, 1993.
     Violet Harris, Associate Professor of education at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, is one of the authors included in this collection edited by well-known literacy educators. In this article she writes about the state of children's literature and why it must reflect the multicultural society we live in.

Hirschfelder, Arlene B., Yvonne Beamer, and Yvonne Wakim. American Indian Stereotypes in the World of Children: A Reader and Bibliography, 2d ed., Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1999.
     The second edition of this valuable 1982 book is meant to "shock adults into realizing that the world of contemporary American infants and young children is saturated with inappropriate images of Indians." This publication goes beyond books, discussing such traditions as the YMCA/YWCA Indian Guides programs, toys, sports team logos and mascots with Indian imagery. This new edition adds writings on recent developments, including an essay on Disney's Pocahontas film, one on Thanksgiving, and current information on state legislation. The original annotated bibliography of recommended materials has been expanded.

Katz, Lilian G. and Sylvia C. Chard. Engaging Children's Minds: The Project Approach. Ablex, 1989.
     Excerpt from review in Campus Child Care News, November 1996, Vol. 11, No. 3: If your curriculum is getting stale and you need some " freshening," this is the book for you. It is not a recipe book, but rather one that encourages you to stretch your mind to engage the minds of the children. Katz and Chard suggest that children should have activities that "engage their minds fully in the quest for knowledge, understanding and skill." They submit that the project approach accomplishes that. The book describes the project approach and gives the research and principles that explain the value and appropriateness of the method and will help you explain it to parents and colleagues. A project is an in-depth study of a topic by a group of children (or an Individual child. The authors describe a number of projects undertaken in various classrooms in the United States and in Great Britain. A great deal of material related to the book's topic can be found at the author's website at: http://www.ualberta.ca/%7Eschard/projects.htm

Kreidler, William J. and Lisa Furlong. Adventures in Peacemaking: A Conflict Resolution Activity Guide for School-Age Programs, 2d ed., Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1996.
     This book is a unique activity guide aimed at helping early childhood caregivers teach young children effective, nonviolent ways to resolve conflicts. It provides games, music, art, drama, and storytelling activities that aid children master key skills such as communication, cooperation, the expression of feelings, anger management, and the appreciation of diversity.

Kreidler, William J. and James Graham Hale. Teaching Conflict Resolution Through Children's Literature. Scholastic Professional Books, 1995.
     Children's literature is an ideal vehicle for teaching conflict resolution and other social skills and this comprehensive guide demonstrates this. Directed at K-2 classrooms, each chapter of this book features an introduction to the conflict resolution concept; introductory activities and extension activities; books to reinforce and extend the concept, discussion questions and follow-up activities. Over 25 children's titles are suggested, along with discussion questions and activities to help children explore the theme of conflict resolution. Easily implemented activities introduce conflict the resolution skills, including identifying problems, expressing feelings, understanding other points of view, and appreciating diversity.

Levin, Diane E. Teaching Young Children in Violent Times: Building a Peaceable Classroom. Redleaf Press, 1994.
     In Teaching Young Children..., Levin, a teacher and a therapist, calls for the establishment of a "peaceable classroom" to counteract the overpowering effect of violence in the media and community. Using dialogue, anecdotes, and theory, this guide for early childhood educators shares insights into the roots of children's thinking and provides practical activities to help children meet safety needs, become appreciative of diversity, and resolve conflicts.

Schmidt, Fran and Alice Friedman. Peacemaking Skills for Little Kids. Peace Education Foundation, 1993.
     Incorporating a cassette tape, a puppet and a poster, this curriculum makes planting the seeds of peace a fun activity. Filled with games, songs, and puzzles, this delightful kit teaches your students the I-Care Rules and important life skills like listening, cooperating, and sharing.

Slapin, Beverly and Doris Seale. Through Indian Eyes: The Native Experience in Books for Children. New Society Publishers, 1992.
     Through Indian Eyes presents a resource for parents and teachers who wish to locate books for children and young adults which present the story of tribal peoples from a perspective free of White or Western biases. The book contains Native-authored essays, poetry, and reviews of more than 100 children's books by and about Indians, a guide to evaluating children's books for anti-Indian bias, a recommended bibliography, and a resource section of Native publishers and organizations. The collection of reviews and essays includes a checklist to help evaluate books before they are shared as true.

Smith, Charles. The Peaceful Classroom: 162 Easy Activities to Teach
Preschoolers Compassion and Cooperation. Gryphon House,1993.
     This book is filled with appealing group learning activities that help learn to find friends, cooperate with others, and respect each other's feelings and differences. Each activity uses easily accessible materials and incorporates the joy of music, movement, puppet-making, playdough fun, gardening and more. The book also suggests ways teachers can work with parents to extend these learning experiences at home.

Stutzman, Esther. American Indian Stereotypes: The Truth Behind the Hype. An Indian Education Curriculum Unit. Coos County (Oregon) Indian Education Coordination Program,1993. Available as ERIC document ED364396 RC019418 or from Coos County Indian Education Coordination Program, 9140 Cape Arago Highway, Coos Bay, OR 97420-9645 ($5).
     This curriculum guide was developed for the sixth grade and can be easily adapted for use in other grades. Its purpose is to dispel stereotypes of American Indians that humiliate and degrade real Indian culture and add fuel to the fire of racism and prejudice. It begins with a timeline of American Indian history from 15,000 B.C. to the present, and compares it to a historical timeline of Europe-Asia. The guide explores how textbooks, movies, advertisements, coloring books, and toys tend to reinforce negative stereotypes. Pointing out that history books devote little space to American Indians and overlook American Indians' culture, knowledge, and contributions to today's society, the guide reviews strengths and weaknesses in the portrayal of American Indians in several social studies texts for grades 3-12. Sponsorship for this project came from the Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Indian Education Programs

Thomas, Rebecca L. Connecting Cultures: A Guide to Multicultural Literature for Children. R. R. Bowker, 1996.
     This guide to children's multicultural literature for teachers and librarians is a good starting point for finding information on 1,637 recent fiction, folktale, poetry, and song books appropriate for use with preschoolers through children in sixth grade. The arrangement is in six sections: annotated bibliography; subject access; title index; illustrator index; culture index; and use level index.

Wichert, Susanne. Keeping the Peace: Practicing Cooperation and Conflict Resolution with Preschoolers. New Society Publishers, 1989.
     A valuable tool for helping to raise a caring and compassionate next generation,
Keeping the Peace is a handbook for parents, daycare providers, kindergarten teachers and playgroup leaders striving to create harmonious groups, bolster children's self-esteem, and foster cooperative and creative interactions between kids aged from two and a half to six. It includes carefully designed and clearly presented activities, anecdotes from the author's own extensive journals, the theories behind the design, and a bibliography.

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