Sociology & You

Chapter 6: Groups and Formal Organizations

Web Activity Lesson Plans

"Peer Mediation"

Introduction
In this chapter, students learned about the different types of groups that form in society, as well as the varying degrees of conflict that sometimes occur as these groups interact. Although conflict is a natural part of life, it should not be allowed to escalate into excessive verbal and physical violence. One solution that increasingly has been adopted by schools to deal with conflict among students is peer mediation. In this activity students will read articles about conflict resolution and peer mediation to discover its purpose, process, and potential for success.

Lesson Description
Students will visit Web sites about conflict resolution and peer mediation. They will learn about the purpose, process, and reasons for success of peer mediation programs. Students will create a proposal for a peer mediation program at their school, or plans to revise an existing peer mediation program.

Instructional Objectives

1. Students will be able to explain the purpose of peer mediation programs.
2. Students will be able to summarize the formal steps involved in the peer mediation process.
3. Students will be able to identify aspects of peer mediation programs that contribute to their success.