Negotiations

Inspiring with Integrity

Teacher Lesson Guide

(swipe to advance)

Objectives

  • Active Listening

  • Dialogue

  • Compromise

Lesson Design

45-60 Minutes

5 Min: Review Learning Objectives
20 Min: Literary Discussion: The Hidden One
5 Min: Supporting Activity: Repair the Past
10 Min: Reinforcing Activity: Bird (Monster) Box
3 Min: Closing Activity

Objectives

  • Recognize different pathways of problem solving by

    • identifying variables of position of trust

    • connecting action to desired outcome

  • Discuss the role of gratitude in relationship building

  • Assess the difference between conviction and stubbornness in order to deepen an understanding of principle-driven decision making compared to outcome-driven.

Lingo List

Language of Confidence

trust

depend

assist

benefit of the doubt

rely

believe in

compassion

empathy*

understanding

sympathy

collaboration

Skeptical Language

pretend

undermine

sabotage

exclude

dishonest

compromise

hoodwink

trick

mislead

swindle

gullible

coerce

Language of Negotiation

integrity

strategize

agreement

commitment

follow through

honor

cooperate

mediate

Seeing ourselves as active players in community development is an unending process of being responsible to a greater whole. Within our different roles as community members, we are always in a position to act on the best intentions even in times of great strife and struggle.

The objectives of this lesson are to recognize that even small decisions and actions can have large effects for others in the community, indeed the community as a whole. Our community is more than just the people that live near to us but also the plants, animals and landscape that we occupy. When our actions impact some aspect of the community, all are eventually affected. Students in this lesson will demonstrate awareness of the needs and wants of others, human and non-human, within and around their community and participate in discussion, intention and action to impact the community in a good way.

Guiding Questions for Class:

What is an intrapersonal, interpersonal and external relationship? What are the boundaries of a community? Who lives within our community? Who, outside of the community, impacts individuals inside of the community? What is the impact a small community has on a larger community?

Reading:

The Hidden One

A long time ago, in a village by a lake, there lived a great hunter who was invisible. He was called the Hidden One. It was known that any young woman who could see him would become his bride.

Many were the hopeful young women who visited his wigwam at the far end of the village. Each was tested by the hunter’s sister, who was called the Patient One. But years passed, and none succeeded.

In the same village lived two sisters who had lost their mother. The younger sister had a good heart, but the older one was jealous and cruel. While their father was out hunting, the older sister would torment the younger one, holding her down and burning her arms and face with sticks from the fire.

“Don’t you dare tell our father,” she would say, “or next time will be worse!”

When the father came home, he would ask in dismay, “Why is she burnt again?”

The older sister would answer, “The stupid, clumsy thing! She was playing with the fire, just like you told her not to!”

The father would turn to the younger. “Is this true?” But she only bit her lip and said nothing.

After a while she had so many scars, she was called Little Scarface. She lost her long braids too, when her sister cinged them off.

And she had to go barefoot and wear rags, for her sister would not allow her any skins to make moccasins or new clothes. Of course, the sister made up all different reasons to tell their father. And he would shake his head in sorrow and disappointment.

One day, the older sister put on her finest clothes and many shiny strings of shell beads.

“Do you know what I’m doing?” she asked Little Scarface. “I’m going to marry the Hidden One. Of course, that’s something you could never dream of.” Little Scarface bowed her head.

When the older sister reached the wigwam at the edge of the village, she was greeted by the sister of the hunter.

Open-Ended Questions:

After the reading, debrief the story using the open-ended questions below. 

Awareness

Describe 3 people in your community

What characteristics do you consider positive traits?

What characteristics of your community may be seen as negative?

Empathy Practice

What are some decisions that you have made that affect your community in a positive way?

Who do you help in your community?

How do you treat people, plants and animals?

Action

What ways can you learn more about the physical environment in which you live?

What ways does your family make the community a positive place to live for others who live near you?

Reflection Activity: Repair the Past

Purpose: As we grow and learn, it is inevitable that we think back on actions and consider how the present may be different if certain realities about the past had gone differently. The ability to reflect is an important skill in making beneficial decisions in the present.

In this activity, students will be challenged to tell about some action they were responsible for in the past that they would change to have a different now. Explain that regret actually means to re-weep. Memory is a powerful tool of learning and success. To re-member is to recreate the past in a virtual way by which we can make better decisions about moving into the future.

Instructions:

  1. Summarize the purpose of the activity

  2. Then ask for a volunteer to begin with something they did that they would change. If needed, facilitator should began, modeling for the students or start with something someone else did that they would change.

  3. Guide students to discuss actions that they were actually responsible for rather than just stating situations that they did not enjoy, or that others did.

  4. When students are finished sharing, debrief.

Debriefing Questions:

  • Sometimes even though bad things happen, after a time, some good can actually come out of terrible moments. Can you think of any good that may have come out of your situation?

  • Have you ever experienced someone warning you to avoid a particular action but you did it anyway and had to “learn the hard way”?

  • When have you warned someone about something you knew would not end well?

Reinforcing Activity: Bird (Monster) Box

Purpose: Students will use their own labor and ingenuity to build a bird feeder or bird house in order to consciously provide habitat and sustenance to relations beyond the anthropocentric.

Instructions:

  1. Introduce a model of the project for the students to investigate and relay the timeline and expectations for the project’s completion

  2. (Optional) Context building: Watch the short animation Monsterbox by Bellecour Ecole with the students.

  3. Either inside class or outside of class, build the project.

  4. Ask the students to provide a picture of the completed project in action.

Closing Activity

Let’s end with a closing circle activity that will remind us of what we learned as a

team working and learning as a team.

Today, we looked at how inequity amongst community members can cause strife. We explored strategies on how to improve disparity throughout our community, ecology and the world.

FULL CIRCLE- Open-Ended Questions

Write the word community on the board and ask students to contribute three aspects of community discussed in this lesson.

Ask students to share their thoughts and ideas about what contributes to a healthy community

  • How does it feel to be able to help others?

  • How are you motivated to make your community the best it can be?

  • What are some ways your community is an example of how the world can exist more peacefully?

  • In what ways can we change something in ourselves to make our community better?

  • How could today’s lesson help you practice the Four Awesome Questions?

Feedback? We’d love to hear it! Email us at info@epicethics.org

© Epic Ethics. All Rights Reserved.