Fernando M. Reimers et al.

goals; (3) interruption (visible evidence or other signals that there
is a conflict); (4) management/resolution methods; and (5) results.
The students then analyze the event to identify the five elements.

2. The students apply the framework to the other examples of conflicts
discussed in the previous day’s class.

3. Students are then asked to apply this framework to a conflict they’ve
experienced personally and to discuss it. (SPICE’s example involves
a student who is trying to study for an exam as a younger sibling
plays the TV loudly.) The teacher could continually complicate the
situation. Using SPICE’s example, the teacher could introduce the
fact that there is a history of conflict between the siblings involving
the volume of the TV, that one of them had a bad day prior to the
interaction, that the TV watching is actually for a school assign—
ment, and so on.

4. Throughout the unit, students are encouraged to raise unanswered
and unanswerable questions about the conflict (such as questions
about unpredicted events, whether goals are always clear, whether
participants will even recognize that there is a conflict, the history
behind the conflict, etc.) and are encouraged to avoid simplifying

complex situations.

Activity GCRI .3
Conflict Resolution, Management, and Results

1. Students begin to learn the difference between the broad catego-
ries of conflict management and resolution by brainstorming a
list of resolution methods that they already know. (The list from
SPICE curriculum includes negotiation; voting; force/ violence;
compromise; manipulation; litigation; pressure such as boycotting,
protesting, and striking; denying power; threats and intimidation,
competition, and withdrawal.) The lists should also include who
might use those methods (e.g., governments, individuals, or other

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