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Description
In Peacemaking, students explore the hard work of making peace. Each week includes a case study that students use to examine the week's conceptual focus. During this first unit, students consider the moral dilemmas faced by victims of violence, such as Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal and civilians on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the concepts of reconciliation and restorative justice that arise in the aftermath of violence. Discussions of those case studies also emphasize terminology: how and why does "peace" mean different things in different contexts? Why is there often tension between justice and peace? What is the difference between peacekeeping and peacemaking? Once the class establishes a shared language, students move on to the second unit, focused on the philosophies and actions of individuals and organizations who have made progress in promoting peace in their communities and the world. These case studies highlight the work of Nobel Peace Prize recipients, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malala Yousafzai, diplomatic organizations, such as the United Nations and the U.S. Department of State, and non-government organizations, such as Doctors Without Borders. In the third unit, students will select a current issue of interest to them, such as gun violence, child enslavement, or poverty, and apply the peacemaking concepts, philosophies, and techniques they have studied to develop a specific strategy that would advance their cause and promote peace.
Prerequisites
Please Note: This course contains an end-of-course proctored exam. Instructions for students to identify an appropriate adult proctor are included in the course lessons.
Course Objectives
The student will:
- Understand her/his responsibility to be a peacemaker.
- Appreciate that non-violence is an acceptable option in all aspects of life.
- Read and evaluate the writings of peacemakers in history.
- Work cooperatively with classmates in creating and presenting multimedia projects.
- Examine peace and peacemaking in four interrelated ways: personal, interpersonal, communal, and global.
- Increase her/his technological skills through using presentation software, communications programs, and the internet to complete assignments.
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Details
Discipline:
Social Studies
Level:
High School Standard
Program:
High School
Grade:
10, 11, 12, 13
When Offered:
Duration:
weeks
Lab Kit Purchase Required:
No
Accredited:
Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges
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