I teach fourth graders at a Berkeley public school. Since October, they've been writing daily in their K-TAP or peace booklets. It's the first thing they do at school in the morning, and, I'm happy to say, it's peaceful for them, and for me. They are still very involved, even in the fifth month, which is amazing.
On the first of each month, the children start new booklets, simply stapled together, half size construction paper sandwiching lined pages. But, the count continues on. Each of their 3 or 2 or whatever entries each day adds to their goal toward 1000. Each month's booklet is labeled, not by the month, but as Volume 1 or 11 or as it is now, Volume V. We started out by talking about the good things each of us has done in the past and how even simple acts make a difference in the lives of others. We also share the kind, thoughtful, or helpful things others have done for us. These all are Acts of Peace and are its building blocks.
On other days, we've discussed empathy, understanding, tolerance, and respect. I asked the children if they would like to try to reach One Thousand Acts of Peace each and they were very, very enthusiastic, so we began. After the first day's entries, we went round robin around the room with each student reading one entry. After about two weeks, I got the children on this peace site writing some of their acts, children teaching children how to do it. We just did that at the beginning, but now that the site has become more interesting, I'm hoping to get them back on again.
The children "Kid TAP" each other, also. At first, I was fearful that "KTAPs" would turn into excuses to hit each other. But I introduced the idea any way, and KTAPs are just fine, no problems, and are fun. Children write in their peace books about their Acts of Peace from the day before. Most of their acts occur at home. Occasionally, I have them write "today's date," and ask the children to consciously try to do one or more KTAPs at school. It's delightful to watch.
At our school's Winter Faire last December, a parent came over to me and spoke about this "peace thing" her child was doing. She said that he had started doing these wonderful things at home, that his attitude had changed for the better, and asked if I knew that he had even been suspended from school last year for some act of meanness. Our peace project meant a lot to her. We've done more, quick one week group studies of people of peace, and, yesterday, performed a "play" on peace. It's all been worthwhile. Our official social studies curriculum in fourth grade is California, but I hope to take our peace studies to informal studies of children in other cultures. That feels about right!