CCE · Primary 2

Active learning ideas

Restorative Justice: Repairing Harm

Active learning works for restorative justice because young students grasp abstract concepts like empathy and accountability best through concrete, hands-on experiences. Role-plays and group discussions let children see immediate results of their actions, making the abstract idea of repairing harm feel tangible and meaningful to them.

• MOE Syllabus Outcomes
• MOE CCE 2021 Primary: Big Idea Relationships, Learn to manage disagreements and conflicts constructively.
• MOE CCE 2021 Primary: Core Value Responsibility, Taking ownership of one's actions and making amends.
• MOE CCE 2021 Primary: Social and Emotional Competencies, Relationship Management, Resolving conflicts effectively.

• 15–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Mystery Object
• 30 min · Whole Class

Circle Discussion: Classroom Conflict Role-Play

Gather students in a circle. Present a scenario like taking a friend's pencil without asking. Have students take turns sharing how it feels to be harmed, then brainstorm repair ideas such as returning it and drawing a new picture together. End with class agreement on the plan.

Explain the core principles of restorative justice.

Facilitation Tip

During Circle Discussion: Role-Play, position yourself as a neutral guide to ensure every voice is heard and no single student dominates the conversation.

What to look for

Present a scenario: 'Maya accidentally spilled paint on Ben's drawing. What harm was caused? Who was affected? What are two ways Maya could repair the harm?' Facilitate a class discussion, noting student responses that identify harm and suggest repair actions.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Mystery Object
• 20 min · Pairs

Pairs Repair Plan

Pair students and give scenario cards describing harm, like spilling paint on a drawing. Partners discuss feelings involved, then draw or write a repair plan including an apology and helpful action. Pairs share one idea with the class.

Compare restorative justice approaches with traditional punitive measures.

Facilitation Tip

For Pairs Repair Plan, model how to break down the repair into small, achievable steps so students understand the process.

What to look for

After a role-play of a restorative circle, ask students to write or draw one thing they learned about listening to others or one way they can help repair harm in the classroom. Collect these to gauge understanding of key concepts.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Mystery Object
• 35 min · Small Groups

Group Story Sharing

In small groups, students share real or imagined stories of harm and repair. Groups create a poster showing steps: listen, sorry, fix. Display posters and discuss as a class what worked best.

Analyze how restorative practices can help individuals and communities heal after conflict.

Facilitation Tip

In Group Story Sharing, ask students to share not just what happened but how characters felt and what they did to make things better.

What to look for

Provide students with two scenarios: one describing a punitive consequence (e.g., timeout) and one describing a restorative action (e.g., helping clean up). Ask them to circle the scenario that focuses more on repairing harm and explain why in one sentence.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Mystery Object
• 15 min · Individual

Individual Reflection Journal

Students draw or write about a time they repaired harm. Prompt them to note what they learned about feelings and actions. Share volunteers' entries in a closing circle.

Explain the core principles of restorative justice.

Facilitation Tip

During Individual Reflection Journal, provide sentence stems like 'I felt... when... because...' to support young writers in expressing emotions clearly.

What to look for

Present a scenario: 'Maya accidentally spilled paint on Ben's drawing. What harm was caused? Who was affected? What are two ways Maya could repair the harm?' Facilitate a class discussion, noting student responses that identify harm and suggest repair actions.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teaching restorative justice to Primary 2 students requires patience and repetition. Avoid rushing to solutions; instead, create space for students to sit with discomfort and explore multiple repair options. Research shows that children this age respond best to visuals and stories, so pair abstract principles with familiar scenarios from their daily lives. Keep language simple and concrete, using words like 'help' and 'make it better' instead of abstract terms like 'accountability' or 'justice.'

Successful learning looks like students identifying the emotions of others, suggesting specific repair actions, and participating respectfully in dialogues about fairness. Observe whether students shift from asking 'What is the punishment?' to asking 'What can we do to fix this?' during discussions and activities.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Circle Discussion: Role-Play, watch for students who believe justice means only punishing the wrongdoer. Redirect by asking, 'How did the person who caused the harm feel after saying sorry? How did the person who was harmed feel after the other student helped clean up?' to highlight the difference in outcomes.

  During Pairs Repair Plan, if students say 'saying sorry fixes everything,' point to the repair plan and ask, 'What else could you do besides say sorry to show you really mean it?' to emphasize actions over words.

• During Group Story Sharing, watch for students who think saying sorry fixes everything right away. Redirect by asking, 'What did the character do after they said sorry to show they were really sorry?' to help students recognize follow-through as part of repair.

  During Circle Discussion: Role-Play, if students say 'some harms cannot be repaired,' ask them to describe a time they fixed something small in the classroom and how it felt. Use their examples to show that repair is often possible with effort.

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Methods used in this brief

• Mystery Object