CECsst.235


TITLE:  Island Simulation

AUTHOR:  Judith Stowell, Blackfoot High School;
         Blackfoot, Idaho

GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT:  11-12   Economics/Scarcity

OVERVIEW:  Scarcity is one of the topics that is considered
as a major item for students to understand in order to deal
effectively in the economy in their lives.

No one in this world can truly say that they have enough of
everything.  There are always wants and needs left
unsatisfied.  This lesson deals with that topic, and leads
to the overall problem of how to maximize satisfaction when
making choices.

Students are required to prepare a concept map to check
their understanding of the topic - how it will relate to
their lives - significance of the activity.

OBJECTIVE(s):
To let students get better acquainted with each other.
To have students address issues of scarcity and needs versus
     wants.
To let students develop leadership within small group
     settings.
To demonstrate the need for rules and guidelines in life.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS:
     Copies of Island Simulation narration
     Teacher Observation Questions
     Copies of Things to Consider questions.
     Lesson Plan

I.   SCARCITY CONCEPT REVIEW
     A.   Not enough to satisfy needs and wants.
          1.   What are needs and wants?  How do you
               decided the difference between a need and
               a want?
     B.   Other ideas?

II.  ISLAND SIMULATION ACTIVITY
     A.   Class is divided into groups of 3 to 5 to 7
          students.
          Try to sit in a circle so all can see each
          other.
     B.   Pass out the Island Simulation information to
          each group.
          Read this information and decide what you are
          going to do.
     C.   Do not appoint group leaders -- allow them to
          emerge.  Do not appoint the group recorder.
          Tell the group that the decisions that they
          make need to be recorded, and that one person
          needs to accept that responsibility, but let
          the group make their own decisions on who this
          will be.
     D.   Allow 5-10 minutes - the pass out the copies of
          "Things to Consider When Playing the Island
          Simulation."
     E.   Continue the play for about 20 more minutes and
          then ask for the leader of the group to tell
          what the group decided to do.
     F.   Teacher will then discuss with the class the
          observations made during the work.

III. TEACHER OBSERVATIONS
     A.   Teacher needs to observe and keep notes about
          the developments in the group.
          1.   Who began to assume dominance over the
               group in terms of leading the discussion
               or making the most suggestions.
          2.   Who made the most reasonable suggestions?
               What was the group reaction to these?
          3.   What was the first decision made by the
               entire group?  How was it made (domination
               by one or a few; apathy by the majority;
               vote by the group; etc.)?
          4.   Who became the group recorder?  How did
               the person get the responsibility?
          5.   What was the first rule the group
               established?
          6.   How did the group deal with the concept of
               Scarcity?

IV.  ASSESSMENT
     A.   Prepare a concept map (spider graph) with the
          idea of Scarcity as the center.  These to be
          turned in for evaluation, and then included in
          the Scarcity portion of the notebook.


                     ISLAND SIMULATION


     You are all on an island that is three miles long and
one mile wide.  The island is located in a large ocean.
This island is not on any map.  No plane or ship passes it.
A warm water current flows past the island.  The highest
elevation is a three hundred foot hill at the north end of
the island.  A cave is in the hill.  In the cave is a box.
The box is in a puddle of water.  Inside the box is 500
pounds of what.  The what is not wet.  The box is
waterproof.  There is a fresh water spring on the island.
One- third of the island is covered with plants.  The rest
of the island supports no vegetation.
     The transportation which brought you to the island is
wrecked and sunk in deep water.  If you were on a ship, the
ship is sunk three miles away.  Nobody knows where you are.
The last time you touched land was 1,000 miles away.  Nobody
there knew where you were going.  If you traveled by air,
all contact with others was lost.  Your radio went out when
you were 1,000 miles away from your departure point.  You
have not been on anyone's radar for 800 miles.  In either
case, no message for help was sent.
     Through a miracle, no one was hurt.  You are as well as
you are right now.

                     THINGS TO CONSIDER

1.   Do we know that there is no one else there?
2.   Do we know if we need protection here?
3.   What do we have?
4.   What do we need?
5.   Who will be our leaders?
6.   What should we do to get started?
7.   What should we do in the first 24 hours?