Урока на тему How to solve conflicts in families

How to solve conflicts in families

Objectives: Students Will Be Able To (SWBAT):

develop reading skills;

develop free speaking skills;

analyse the problematic situation and wggest their

own ideas;

learn how to resolve conflicts in families peacefully

and control their anger.

Preparation:

Pre-write the topic of the lesson on the board.

Stick the illustrations on conflict situations on the

board.

Pre-write a quotation on the board.

Pre-write the beginning of the sentence "The reasons

for conflicts in families are..." on the board.

Pre~write new words from the text on the board.

Equipment: illustrations on conflicts in families, tape

recorder with a cassette, cards.

Time: 45 minutes

Procedure

I. WARMING-UP

JUST ONE GOOD THING" (5 MIN)

T: Good morning, students! How are you today? I hope

everyone is in a good mood. To begin our lesson I want

you to think and find one positive thing that has happened

to you or someone else today.

II. GROUP WORK (8 MIN)

T: Well done! Now I want to divide you into

2 groups.

The first group will discuss the quotation:

"You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls.

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,

Which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams."

T: While discussing it answer the following questions:

Who does the poet appeal to?

Who has one's own thoughts?

What can parents give to their children?

Can parents own their children's souls?

What do children's souls belong to?

Can parents visit the house of tomorrow? Why can't

they?

T: The second group will finish the sentence: "The

reasons for conflicts in families are..."

(Afier the groups are finished a representative of each group

gives their answers.)

T: As you see the reasons for arguing in families might

seem endless. Today we are going to talk about conflicts in

families and the ways to resolve them peacefully.

III. QUESTIONNAIRE (5 MIN)

T: But before starting the discussion let's decide whose

parents are the strictest and whose are the most liberal. Do

the following questionnaire. Fill it in and then I want you to

discuss the results. According to the results you'll be divided

into two groups. The first one is "The Strictest Parents".

The second is "The Most Liberal Parents". A representative

of each group will inform us what things their parents allow

them to do and what things they are prohibited to do.

QUESTIONNAIRE "PARENT POWER"

When you were a child

Yes

No

When you were a child to bad at a certain time?

Were you allowed to watch as much TV as you liked?

were you made to do your homework every night?

were you allowed to eat as many sweets as you liked?

were you bought a lot of toys?

were you ever smacked?

were you allowed to wear what you wanted?

were you given a certain time to be in at night?

were you allowed to go out as often as you wanted?

were you allowed to have parties at home?

were you given a large amount of pocket money?

were you made to help with the housework?

IV. Role-play(7 MIN)

T:Our next activity is to discuss up bringing in 4 kinds of

families: a strict family, a liberal family, a large family and

one-parent family. You will work in groups of two, three and

four. Here are the cards with the tasks for you. There you'll

find words and expressions that you can use while talking

about your life in these families.

FAMILY PROBLEMS CARDS

liberal Parents

Work in a group of 3 or 4 students.

Students A and B - you are very kind parents. Describe

the way you bring your child(ren) up. Give the reasons for

this method of upbringing.

Student(s) C (and D) - you are their child(ren). Describe

your relations with parents.

The following phrases can help you:

to love/adore/worship children;

to share the same interests;

to spoil children;

(dis)obedient, spoiled children;

to allow to do something/to let do something;

to hug children;

to foster in children love for work/studies/parents/art

etc.;

to bring children up to love their country/parents

etc.;

mutual understanding;

to teach children by your own example.

Strict Parents

Work in a group of 3 or 4 students.

Students A and B - you are extremely strict parents.

Describe the way you bring your child(ren) up. Give the

reasons for this method of upbringing.

Student(s) C (and D) - you are their child(ren). Describe

your relations with parents.

The following phrases can help you:

not to allow children to do something/not to let children

do something (stay up late, watch TV, play computer games,

talk on the phone etc.);

to make children do something (do homework, the

washing up, exercise, go to music/art school);

to teach children to do something (respect adults,

teachers, people's rights etc.);

to punish, to tell off;

to hit, to beat;

to foster in "children love for work/studies/parents/art

etc.;

to bring children up to love their country/parents etc.

Large Families

Work in a group of 4 students.

Students A and B - you are parents; you've got 4 chil-

dren. Describe your life; explain why you decided to have

many children.

Students C and D - you are the children from this fam-

ily. Tell about your life.

The following phrases can help you:

to cope with problems;

to be friendly;

to look after younger brothers/sisters;

to help about the house;

to support each other;

mutual understanding;

quarrels, conflicts;

common interests.

Problems of a One-Parent Family

Work in a pair.

Student A - you are the mother/father who brings

her/his daughter/son alone. Describe your experience.

Student B - you are the daughter/son. Tell how you

feel in such a situation.

The following phrases can help you:

to have no time to look after the child;

to work long hours;

to miss the child/mother;

to lack parents' attention;

to leave the child to himself/herself;

to control (the lack of control);

a weak connection between parents and children;

lack of mutual understanding.

V. READING (13 MIN)

Pre-reading

T: Our next activity will be based on reading and dis-

cussing the text about resolving conflicts in families.

Are you in conflict with your parents about, for ex-

ample, the time they expect you to get home at weekends?

Or something else? What happens if you argue with them?

What do you do or say? How do your parents respond?

While-reading

T: Read the article on resolving conflicts and match

the headings to the correct Sections.

Headings

Listen

Cool off

Accept your responsibility

Say what you feel

T: Find:

1) a way to improve the way you listen to other

people,

2) two questions that you can use to see if you are

responsible for a conflict,

3) two statements that you should not use when you

are angry;

4) a technique to help you to relax and feel in con-

trol.

HOW TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS

l.

We all have a different "boiling" point and if you are

ready to explode, you should take time out from the argu-

ment and cool off. Here are some simple techniques.

Walk around the block or even your own room for a

few minutes until you calm down.

Take deep breaths. Start by closing your eyes. Now

focus on your breath as it goes in and out. You will Soon

begin to feel more relaxed and in control.

2.

Most of us don't really listen to other people when they

talk, because we're too busy thinking about what we want

to hear. But unless people are listening, you can't resolve

a conflict. To really HEAR what someone is saying, you

have to clear your mind of all the other things going on

and tum your attention to the other person.

One way you can become a better listener is to practise

listening. Sit down with a friend and for 6O seconds really

listen while they talk. Don't interrupt. Don't say anything.

Just listen. How does it feel to really focus on what some-

one is saying? Now ask them to do the same for you for

one minute and see how it feels to have someone really

listening to you.

3.

Talking about our feelings really improves communica-

tion. Most of us don't do that. Instead, we focus on what

we don't like about something that someone did. Suppose

you and your sister are fighting over who gets to use the

phone. You scream at her: "You're always on the phone!

You never give me myi'messam'. 'Ihe dances are she'll

scream at you and nothing will be resolved.

There is another way. You should avoid statements

like "You always..." or "You never..." and say what you

feel. You might say: "I feel that you don't respect me or

my friends when you don't give me my messages or let

me use the phone".

Since you're talking about feelings (and you aren't

screaming at your sister) she probably won't scream back.

Afier you've said what you wanted to say, LISTEN to what

she says about the way she feels.

4.

You also need to think about what you did or said to

contribute to the conflict and accept that you may be re-

sponsible for at least part of the problem. In order to learn

from the experience you have to ask questions like:

What did I do or say that made the other person an-

gry?

What could I do differently next time?

This isn't about blaming yourself. It's about under-

standing your behaviour and finding more effective ways

to disagree with other people and resolve conflicts.

Post-reading

T: Now let us discuss the following questions:

What do you think of the advice given in the text?

Would it work for you?

Can you suggest any other ways of avoiding conflicts

with your parents? What are they?

VI. SUMMING-UP (2 MIN)

T: Our lesson is over. I am sure that now you know

how to cope with any conflicts that could occur in' your

families. Use these techniques and enjoy living together

with your nearest and dearest. As for your marks, you get...

Thank you for participating in all our activities. Your home

assignment is to write a short essay called "My methods to

resolve family conflicts" (about 15 sentences).