Peace Literacy Curriculum for
Pre-K to 3rd Grade
At the Peace Literacy institute we create curricula for all ages based on the premise that peace is a literacy—a set of skills and competencies that can be taught and learned. If peace is a literacy, then as with literacy in reading and writing, basic instruction in peace is best begun in the early years.
The Garden of Strong Community
Our early childhood unit, The Garden of Strong Community, was designed to share with children as young as 3 and up to third grade. We have reports from classroom educators that depending on reading and development levels, some students in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade can benefit from using this curriculum as well.
The unit includes 8 lessons, 30-50 minutes each, that include an activity to support key ideas and/or an art activity that builds a collective mural, completed over the 8 lessons. (Pictured: the mural completed this summer in our ECE teacher training workshop in Cleveland). The lessons are guided by teacher notes and colorful slides that you can download for free (the slide files are very large).
The unit is based on the key Peace Literacy insight that our understanding of peace requires an understanding of shared human needs such as belonging, nurturing, challenge, expression, and explanations.
The unit starts with the idea that all living things have needs that must be met for healthy growth. Students explore the physical needs of plants as a metaphor for the non-physical needs of humans that are essential for our flourishing.
As with all our lessons, The Garden of Strong Community can be used to meet a number of national and regional standards. We offer examples for using it to meet key US Common Core Standards in English Language Arts (ELA) for Grades 1-4 and Math for Grades 1-2.
NEW! Check out our
curricular resources for implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
consistent with a Peace Literacy approach,
and our resources page to find other support materials for teaching Peace Literacy from pre-K to 5th-grade settings.
We upload new curricular materials regularly!
Check back or fill out the form below if you want to be updated.
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We design and distribute Peace Literacy Curriculum. Free.
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