International Day of Peace

• newEditor
• PSHE
• Lower Secondary (Key Stage 3)
• Upper Secondary (Key Stage 4)
• Further Education (Key Stage 5)
• BTEC, GCSE

Introductie

Peace is far more than the simple absence of war; it requires active non-violent resolution, structural justice, and individual accountability. This resource challenges students to move beyond passive symbolism, examining real-world geopolitical tension points alongside actionable strategies for resolving everyday disputes. Interactive Highlights: Word cloud activity activating prior associations and establishing a shared vocabulary around peace and justice. Informative slides contextualising the UN International Day of Peace and the drivers behind global conflict hotspots. Interactive poll measuring class consensus on everyday interpersonal conflict triggers. Scenario-based multiple choice question testing practical de-escalation strategies in digital and peer environments. Reflection exit ticket requiring independent synthesis of practical conflict resolution takeaways. Best Suited For: Secondary and FE classes in PSHE, Citizenship, or General Studies. It is ideal for live, teacher-led delivery to stimulate constructive classroom debate, while structured clearly enough for independent civic reflection.

Instructies

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Teaching the International Day of Peace can easily descend into superficial platitudes if students treat 'peace' as merely the absence of war rather than an active, structural pursuit. This deck moves learners beyond passive symbolism, providing a clear framework to interrogate conflict resolution, human rights, and the tangible civic actions required to sustain non-violent solutions globally.

What words or images come to mind when you hear the word peace?

This word cloud activity activates students' prior knowledge and visual associations, building a collaborative vocabulary bank around the core concepts and symbols of peace before delving into more complex geopolitical definitions.

Stretch: Challenge students to select the most prominent word in the cloud and justify whether it represents a passive state (e.g., silence) or an active process (e.g., justice), linking it to a real-world scenario.

Device-Free: Give students 60 seconds to sketch a symbol or write three key terms on mini-whiteboards, holding them up simultaneously to identify common class themes and associations with peace.

• Celebrated on 21st September every year

• Created by the United Nations to promote peace around the world

• Encourages a 24-hour ceasefire in conflict zones

What is the International 

Day of Peace?

This informative slide contextualises the core historical background and global purpose of the International Day of Peace, establishing a clear conceptual baseline for students to explore non-violent conflict resolution.

Stretch: Challenge students to evaluate whether international observances genuinely influence geopolitical policy, justifying their position with a modern global example.

Device-Free: Display the slide text and have student pairs draft a 10-word summary on mini-whiteboards capturing the primary objective of the UN peace initiative.

Types of Conflict

Person vs Person

Arguments, gossip

Inner conflict

Making tough choices

Group vs Group

Rivalries, misunderstandings

Global conflicts

Wars, political tensions

The hotspots open up different illustrations - you could use these to get students to explain each one before you clcik on the deifnition.

What causes conflict in your everyday life?

1

Miscommunication

2

Jealousy

3

Peer pressure

4

Differences in opinion

5

All of these

This poll gathers immediate peer perspectives on personal friction points, checking class consensus on everyday disputes to act as a relatable bridge into understanding macro-level geopolitical conflict.

Stretch: Challenge students to identify the most common conflict trigger from the poll results and evaluate whether similar underlying drivers—such as a lack of resources or feeling unheard—catalyse larger international disputes.

Device-Free: Read the poll categories aloud and have students vote for their primary everyday conflict trigger by moving to designated corners of the classroom, asking one person from each group to verbally justify their stance.

Conflict Resolution Strategies

Listen Actively

Pay full attention to what the other person is saying. Show you're listening by nodding, maintaining eye contact, and not interrupting. This helps them feel heard and can calm tensions.

Stay Calm

Take deep breaths, count to ten, or step away if needed. Keeping your cool helps prevent the conflict from getting worse.

Use 'I' Statements

Say how you feel instead of blaming others (e.g. "I felt hurt when..." rather than "You made me feel..."). This encourages open, non-defensive communication.

Find Common Ground

Look for shared goals or things you agree on. It helps build a sense of teamwork and makes it easier to work towards a solution.

Ask for Help

If you can’t resolve the conflict on your own, it’s okay to ask a teacher, mentor, or another trusted adult for support.

This advice is really useful for all ages and in all contexts! The hotspots reveal images and again could be used as prompts before clicking on them.

Scenario: "Two friends fall out because one shared something private on social media."

Question: What should the friend do first?

A

Shout publicly

B

Ignore them

C

Talk privately about how they feel

D

Embarrass them online

This multiple-choice scenario flushes out common impulsive reactions to digital breaches of trust, verifying whether students can prioritise direct de-escalation over public retaliation when resolving personal disputes.

Stretch: Challenge students to draft a brief, boundary-setting conversation opener that addresses the privacy breach firmly without escalating the conflict further.

Device-Free: Read the scenario and response options aloud, having students display their chosen letter on mini-whiteboards alongside a single keyword explaining why early de-escalation works.

Conflict Role-Play

Each group will be given a different school-based conflict scenario to act out in front of the class.

While watching, the other groups use the checklist to spot the five key conflict resolution strategies in action.

CHECKLIST

Did someone stay calm?Was active listening used?Were "I" statements spoken?Did they try to find common ground?Did anyone suggest asking for help?

Group 2

A student feels excluded from a friendship group after a misunderstanding.

Group 1

Two classmates are arguing over who contributed more to a group project.

Group 3

A disagreement from break time escalates during P.E.

Group 4

Someone overhears gossip about themselves and confronts the person they think started it.

Group 5

A group chat gets out of hand when someone makes a joke that others find offensive.

Group work here - the hotspots are moveable if you need to display them strategically for different groups!

What’s one thing you learned today that you’ll use if a conflict comes up?

This definitive wrap-up slide prompts independent reflection on the core learning goal, requiring students to synthesise practical strategies for resolving interpersonal or global conflicts before leaving the classroom.

Stretch: Challenge students to justify why their chosen strategy is more effective than an emotional or immediate reaction when de-escalating a tense situation.

Device-Free: Have students write their single actionable takeaway on a post-it note or mini-whiteboard and display it as an exit pass on their way out of the room.

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Thank you for using this lesson! Wishing you a peaceful day!