My unit,
Conflict Resolution through Classic Storytelling
, utilizes age-appropriate literature that is related to conflicts children may encounter throughout social development at that age. The goal of my unit is to develop literacy skills and problem-solving skills through retelling selected story elements. The unit focuses on specific characteristics of social development such as (1) understanding consequences of good versus poor behavior, (2) dealing with aggression and other emotional behavior, (3) developing responsibility, (4) self-directed learning and problem solving, and (5) developing self-worth.
My unit promotes child development through literature, which can play a significant role in a child's life, if one selects the appropriate text. The unit introduces literature that students can relate to and allows them to make connections to the environment in which they live. The literature chosen reflects the stages of language, cognitive, personality and social development of our students and allows them to understand conflicts or situations that the characters in the story are subjected to and how they resolve their problems in a specific manner. These selections address the needs of a child throughout the maturing process and influence their understanding and response to literature.
Integrating social development with literacy will help to increase self-concept, and identity. Keeping with the state standards of reading, this unit encourages students to become storytellers by retelling the stories they hear to their peers or families and identifying with the stories they create.
(Developed for Elementary Language Arts Literacy, grade 1; recommended for Elementary Language Arts Literacy, grade 1)
