This practical resource gives educators in grades K through 6/8 a flexible, ready-to-use curriculum focusing on a wide range of contemporary topics such as stimulant use, family relationships, dealing with anger, managing threatening situations, and crime related activities. Developed by a team of experience educators, the lessons are based on real situations I students' own lives that involve dealing with feelings, self-esteem, peer pressure, and respect for others. They help students build character, prepare them to recognize situations that could become violent, and teach them the skills they need to handle conflicts in a non-violent and peaceful manner.

For easy use, the lessons follow a uniform format, including a descriptive title, a specific behavioral objective, and a simple eight-step lesson plan that provides everything needed for an effective, well-balances learning experience. Each lessons covers:

• Purpose: Need for teaching/learning the social skill, e.g."Choosing Friends Selectively."
• Introduction: Stories and questions to make the skill concrete.
• Skill Components: Skill steps for teaching the appropriate behavior.
• Modeling the Skill: Teacher and/or student demonstration of the skill.
• Behavioral Rehearsal: Student performance of the skill with teacher correction if necessary.
• Practice: Worksheets and other activities summarizing the skill.
• Independent Use: Activities to promote use of the skills outside of school.
• Continuation: Suggestions for reinforcing the skill through the school year.

Two self-contained volumes, for the elementary and secondary levels, featuring a ready-to-use curriculum of lessons and reproducible activity sheet to help students build character, recognize threatening situations, and handle conflicts safely. Lessons are based on real situations in students' own lives, with topics such as stimulant use, dealing with anger, family relationships, choosing friends wisely, and gang-related activities. Includes detailed lesson plans and an extensive bibliography of useful resources.