Hey! Where's the beef? or Can we all get along?

An Integrated, Interdisciplinary, Thematic Unit on conflict resolution. I. CONTENT: (Why is this unit important? What are the essential concepts in this unit?) In and of itself, conflict is a necessary part of life. It is not intrinsically "good" or "bad"àit simply "is". Many of the most important changes in human history have had their roots in the clash of ideas, the conflict of view points. However, when coupled with a lack of respect for the basic rights of others and fueled by a self-serving singleness of purpose, conflict can become ugly, violent, and destructive. For some the inability to cope with conflict has driven them to act out with violence, sometimes towards themselves. Others deal with conflict in a variety of ways depending on the lessons they have been taught. The news depicts tormented high school teens turning to violence toward parents, teachers and each other as a last resort. These events have caused alarm and mixed reactions in education. Some schools in