Quakers believe strongly in peaceful living and in respecting every person. This belief is called the Peace Testimony. These Conscientious Objection Lesson Plans help First Day School teachers and meeting communities support high school students as they learn about militarism, Selective Service registration, and what it means to be a conscientious objector. Through simple activities and discussions based on Quaker values, these lessons teach youth about the history of conscientious objection and help them think about how the Peace Testimony shapes their own choices and beliefs.

Find Families Who Value Peace

If your local Quaker community does not have enough high school students to make a First Day School class, consider teaming up with other peace churches in the area for interfaith, peace-oriented lessons. Contact Church of the Brethren and Mennonite Churches for like-minded faith organizations.

Introduction

Many of the group activities below encourage high school Friends to think about the Quaker peace testimony and how it applies to Selective Service registration. Teachers may wish to encourage the wider meeting’s consideration of how (and whether) they can support all young Friends, regardless of the decisions they arrive at about registration.

Working collaboratively with parents is crucial. This curriculum is for young Friends under 18, who, as minors, are still under the guidance of their parents. Meetings should send a letter, email, or text to families with High School students to introduce the course before it starts.

Once families are contacted, including parents can take several forms:

  • offering an orientation session
  • attending a lesson
  • reviewing drafts of their son or daughter’s statements
  • co-teaching
  • arranging individual sessions with a specific family

For Teachers

We suggest that First Day School teachers keep in mind some cautions and disclaimers.

  1. Being a conscientious objector comes from a deep, inner leading. It is not a way to get out of the draft or to avoid life-threatening situations. Simply put, a conscientious objector refuses to participate in war or to kill another human being through the act of war. For many 18-year-olds, this conviction usually may be just blossoming and and may requires accompaniment from a community.
  2. While Quakers shun violence, we hold in the Light the people who serve in the military. Some young Friends are not led to be conscientious objectors and may feel more strongly about this conviction after considering these lessons. Both the meeting in general and the course facilitator specifically should respect, honor and support those individual leadings, even if they stand contrary to one’s personal views.
  3. The information in these lesson plans is based upon prior experience and case law from when the draft was in effect. It is based on provisions in the Selective Service System code as of 2003. Further research and updates to this information are necessary. It is important to note that attaining a conscientious objector status will be neither easy nor guaranteed.

Lesson 1: A Panel of Veterans

If you’re able, find people in your community who were conscientious objectors or war tax resistors. That could be people who opposed participation in the military, or people who served in the military and later turned against it. Ask Friends if they would be willing to share their experiences with the high school class. This lesson introduces the concept of a conscientious objector and raises issues about COs in a very real and personal way. Alternatively, you may check with Veterans for Peace for resources and discuss those instead.

  1. Introduction (5 minutes)
    Begin with a brief period of worship. Welcome and introduce everyone. Give an overview of what to expect for today.
  2. Opening Exercise: A Simulation of a Draft Lottery (5 minutes)
    Explain that for this class, everyone will consider themself as someone eligible for the draft who is about to turn 18 years old. Pass out a number of index cards, each with a random number between 1 and 366. Have class members write their first names (nice and big so everyone can read them) on their cards.

    Tell people that the number on the card corresponds to the number they might receive if a draft lottery were held today. Explain that probably the first third (numbers 1–120) would be sent an induction notice. An induction notice is an order to report to military for duty.

    Ask: What number did you draw? Was it high or low? Discuss.
  3. Overview of Conscientious Objection (10 minutes)
    Show people the Overview of Terms. Review some Supreme Court rulings about Pacifism. FGC has provided some, but this page may need to be updated

    Set aside time for people to set up an organization system to retain these resources. They might make a folder on Dropbox or in Google Drive. If you have printed the resources, then hand each person a folder for staying organized. Give people time to scan them or take screenshots if that is helpful.
  4. Panel Presentations (15 minutes total)
    Have two or three guests who were conscientious objectors talk about their experiences. This may also include people who were in the military and eventually realized their inner conviction against participation in war.

    Possible discussion questions:
    How did you come to your leading as a CO?
    What was your experience with others (friends, local draft board, government authorities, religious leaders, military personnel, etc.)?
    What advice do you have for young people now?

    Then, open up discussion to entire group.
  5. Closing (10 minutes, time permitting)
    Thank panel members for their time and willingness to participate. End with a period of worship.

Lesson 2: A Mock Draft Board

This simulation is designed to go quickly, illustrate several dynamics and be relatively fun. ”

Introduction (5 minutes)
Begin with a brief period of worship. Welcome and introduce everyone.

Exercise: Filling Out and Defending a Claim for CO Exemption (15 minutes)
Print out or display the sample questions that a Draft Board Might Ask. Split class into groups, of 2–4 members each. Assign students two questions to consider in each group. Ask students to report back to the bigger group.

Exercise : Defending Your Claim Before a Draft Board (15 minutes)
Before the class, recruit a few adults who can join you in the simulation by answering difficult questions about peace. When the class is gathered, explain the activity and put one adult volunteer in “the hot seat.” Explain that while the applicant is responding the board’s questions, students should take note of the dynamics that emerge, including both content and emotional reactions.

The Mock Draft Board, made up of facilitators and other adults, asks the person sample questions to defend his/her position. The questions may be deliberately aggressive, reflecting biases and prejudices against COs. Only adults are put in the hot seat on this round. At the end of each simulation, thank the applicant for volunteering. Offer an affirmation specific to what you saw in them (courage, thinking carefully, expressing emotions, etc.)

Discussion (8 minutes)
After each simulation, ask the applicant:
What did it feel like to be put on the hot seat?
What was easy / difficult?
Was there anything you wanted to say, but didn’t?

After debriefing the applicant, ask the full group what the applicant did well.

Summary and Closing (2 minutes)
Emphasize the importance of keeping these resources for future review. Encourage those interested in more information to talk with you at the end of the session. You may find specific Resources from the top of this page that are of interest to the Friend.

Thank applicants again for their willingness to participate. End with a brief period of worship.

Lesson 3: Responding to Conscientious Objector Questions

Reviewing Procedures for Registering a Conscientious Objector Claim

Answering the sample questions and responding to the Mock Draft Board questions can be both intimidating and soul-searching. The prior lesson introduced many issues. This lesson gives more time, especially in a group, to consider these questions in greater depth.

  1. Introduction (2.5 minutes)
    Begin with a brief period of worship.Welcome and introduce everyone.
    Offer an overview of what’s coming up today.
  2. Exercise: Filling Out a Claim for CO Exemption (20 minutes)
    Share or display the Sample Letter to Your Meeting.
    Review the three main bulleted points in the sample letter. These are the three basic criteria for a conscientious objector claim.

    Take 10 minutes to list responses to the following questions. Brainstorm as many responses as possible:

    What forms your convictions against war?
    What ethics or beliefs cause you to oppose war?

    Explain that we will next be writing responses to these questions in a way that’s more personal. You can write one individually or be inside of a group. Ask people to move to different parts of the room depending on what they prefer. Assist in creating groups if necessary.
  3. Discussion (10 minutes)
    Have each group / individual share back their letter. They might choose a favorite line, a paragraph, or the entire letter.
    Then, as a full group, try to write a collective response. What are the common themes? What stands out as important?
  4. Procedures for Claiming a CO When Registering with Selective Service (10 min.)
    Look at Building Documentation as a Conscientious Objector. Ask people which steps look the most difficult / most accessible for them.

    If you have time, share the Letter to High School Friends and discuss. Verify with your meeting if they have a readiness to support a young person in registering as a CO. If so, then describe what the meeting is ready to offer.

Lesson 4: Visit a Military Base or Military Museum

(Dependent upon Locality and Availability)

If possible, arrange a trip to a military base or military museum. See if you can create an opportunity to talk with some military personnel who can speak either to the advantages or disadvantages of military service. A list of military museums in the United States is here. Military bases near your area can be searched using Google Maps.

At the end of the visits, consider these questions:

  1. In what ways was violence glorified?
  2. Did the museum/base reflect or display casualty figures, destruction to individual soldiers and their families or the devastation to civilian homes or lives?
  3. What effect does the base have on the town in which it is located?
  4. In what ways did your own bias affect your perspective of this visit?

One place to visit is Quaker House in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the home of Fort Bragg and the 82nd Airborne and Special Operations Museum. There may be other military museums near you.

Lesson 5: A Mock Draft Board for Youth

This is a Combined 1-Hour Session with Adults and High School Aged Youth

This lesson is a Mock Draft Board that features the youth. Consider doing this lesson during an Adult Forum or First Day School rather than during the High School First Day class.

Introduction (10 minutes)
Begin with a brief period of worship. Welcome and introduce participants.

Explain the context of this lesson to the adult members. If needed, display the Overview of Terms. Say, for example, that previous lessons for the students centered around defining conscientious objection, providing panel discussions of past COs, reviewing various resources on interpretations and procedures, and (if done) sponsoring a trip to a local military base or military museum.

Start together, split into small groups, then gather again as a full group for the simulation and discussion.

Exercise: Mock Draft Board Simulation (35 minutes, along with discussion)

Choose the first person who will play the role of a Conscientious Objector applicant. Ask them to sit in a single, isolated seat before the Mock Draft Board.

While the applicant is responding to the board’s questions, members of the audience should take note of the dynamics that emerge. The young people then “drill” applicants regarding their beliefs. They may use questions from the Mock Draft Board. The intent of the board is to be offensive. They may cut off applicant responses, ask obnoxious questions, or interrupt.

After each simulation, ask the applicant: “What did it feel like to be put on the hot seat?” After hearing from the applicant, ask the full group what the applicant did well. You can model good feedback by giving specific examples of what you saw and observed.

End with a brief period of worship

Lesson 6: Host a Clearness Committee

This lesson is optional, depending on the needs and interest of the group.

If someone in your group wants to apply for conscientious objector status, ask them if there are certain kinds of support that would be useful to them. They could meet with peers for further discernment; have a clearness committee; or meet with a trusted adult.

If they are interested in a clearness committee, ask the student to consider inviting a peer to join in the discernment process. Consider holding a clearness committee over a dinner (pizza and soda) as one format. Before an intergenerational clearness committee meets, be sure to coach adults on youth empowerment strategies. Tell the adults to avoid ageist comments such as “You’re so smart for your age” and to support the clarity and vision that the young person brings.

Lesson 7: Mock Lottery for the Draft

Introduction (5 minutes)
Welcome Friends in. Explain purpose of this special session: to hear people’s thoughts and concerns; to help each male-born Friend with decision-making; and to accompany people through the registration process. Provide dinner as an optional format.

Opening Exercise: A Mock Lottery and Induction Notice (10 minutes)
Prior to the session, make up several cards each with a random number between 1 and 120. (The lottery goes through 366, but for this exercise, “safe” numbers were omitted.) Hand out lottery cards.

Point out that a draft could use a lottery assignment system where each birth date corresponded to a random number. About a third (numbers 1 through 120) would probably be called for induction.

Ask who received a number between 1 and 120 (That would be everyone.)
Print out the Induction Notice from FGC’s website, or refer to it on a screen.

Have each person read one of the following paragraphs from the notice. Choose paragraphs that stand out to you.
After that, ask for people’s reactions, impressions and comments.

Discussion (15 minutes)
Ask people for their individual thoughts, concerns, or things that they noticed.

Then, ask people: What is your position on Selective Service, the draft, and conscientious objection? Keep the discussion on-topic. Instead of accepting general comments about war or politics, ask people more about their personal participation in war. What reservations do you have? What do you want to get out of this session?

If it seems appropriate, talk about how drones and remote warfare make it harder to see the impact on the people one is killing.

Last updated on December 19, 2025.

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