Unit Plan 30 (Grade 5 Counselor): Conflict Resolution Practice Stations

Focus: Give students repeated practice applying conflict-resolution and decision-making skills. Students rotate through realistic Grade 5 stations focused on problem sizing, assertive communication, predicting consequences, repair conversations, peer-pressure refusal, and deciding when adult help is needed.

Grade Level: 5

Subject Area: School Counseling (Conflict Resolution • Problem-Solving • Responsible Decision-Making)

Total Unit Duration: 1–2 weeks, 30 minutes per session

I. Introduction

This Grade 5 counseling lesson gives students active practice using the conflict-resolution skills they have learned throughout the year. Instead of only discussing what students should do, students rotate through short practice stations where they analyze realistic peer, group, school, and digital situations. Each station asks students to pause, think, choose a safe response, and explain why that response fits the problem.

Students practice sizing problems, using assertive communication, predicting consequences, making repair statements, refusing peer pressure, and deciding when adult help is needed. The counselor emphasizes that mature conflict resolution means thinking beyond the moment and choosing responses that protect safety, respect, relationships, and trust. The goal is for students to become more confident using these skills independently as they prepare for middle school.

Essential Questions

• How can students choose the right response for different kinds of conflict?
• How do problem size, consequences, and safety affect what students should do next?
• What respectful words can students use during peer pressure, disagreement, or hurt feelings?
• When should students solve a problem themselves, and when should they ask for adult help?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Identify common school, friendship, group, and peer-pressure problems and determine their size and impact.
2. Use problem-solving steps to pause, calm down, name the problem, consider choices, predict consequences, choose a safe solution, and reflect.
3. Practice safe and respectful conflict-resolution strategies, including assertive communication, compromise, perspective-taking, walking away, repair, and adult help.
4. Rotate through conflict-resolution practice stations and choose mature responses to realistic Grade 5 scenarios.
5. Explain why a response is safe, respectful, responsible, and appropriate for the situation.
6. (Optional Session) Revisit stations with more complex scenarios and practice role-play responses for peer pressure, repair, and adult help.

Standards Alignment — Grade 5 (ASCA-based Custom)

• C:S4.5a — Identify Problems, Their Size, and Their Impact
  • Recognize common school, friendship, group, and peer-pressure problems and determine whether the situation needs self-management, problem-solving, or adult help.
  • Example: A student understands that a one-time disagreement may be handled with respectful words, while repeated targeting or threats require adult support.
• C:S4.5b — Use Problem-Solving Steps and Consider Consequences
  • Use steps such as pause, calm down, name the problem, consider choices, predict consequences, choose a safe solution, and reflect on the result.
  • Example: A student says, “If I respond angrily, the problem may get worse. I can take a break and talk when I am calmer.”
• C:S4.5c — Resolve Conflicts Safely and Respectfully
  • Use respectful words, compromise, perspective-taking, assertive communication, walking away, repair, or adult help to resolve conflict without unsafe or hurtful behavior.
  • Example: A student says, “Please stop spreading that rumor. It is hurtful,” and gets adult support if the behavior continues.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can identify the size and impact of a problem.
• I can use problem-solving steps before choosing what to do.
• I can predict possible consequences of different choices.
• I can use respectful words to solve conflict, refuse peer pressure, or repair harm.
• I can decide when a problem needs self-management, problem-solving, walking away, repair, or adult help.