Student Jobs for the day:

Attendance Taker – Records attendance. -

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Tech Guru – Hooks up Mrs. R’s computer and opens today’s PPT. -

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Material’s Distributer- Hands out the Do Now’s. -

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Time Keeper- Sets the timer and gives the signal for everyone to start their

Do Now. 2 minutes –

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Class Monitor - Reminds the class of expectations throughout the lesson. -

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Class Captain – Assists with other jobs as needed. -

TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS

HUMAN NATURE VS. NATURAL RESOURCES

Today’s Objective:

Students will work cooperatively to investigate the importance of using common natural resources in a sustainable way.

Background:

In 1968, environmentalists coined a term or concept called the Tragedy of the Commons. The tragedy being the notion that any resource open to everyone – such as the air, parts of the ocean, forests – will eventually be destroyed because everyone can use the resource but no one is responsible for preserving it. When people are not compelled to preserve resources for the welfare for future generations, Your great, great, great grand children, the Tragedy of the Commons occurs.

Play the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSuETYEgY68

Two minutes to get into your groups and sit down tracking the teacher.

Directions for Simulation #1

(Class Monitor to read)

1. Assign one team member to be the recorder for the group. Put student names at the top of the sheet. Please do this now. ( 1 minute)

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• Each student represents the head of a family that is very poor and doesn’t have enough food to feed their family. In order for your family to survive, you must catch enough fish for them to eat. The only food source is a small local lake which can hold up to 32 fish.

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• Once a year you will get a chance to fish, with chop sticks, for Pepperidge Farm gold fish, and each time you fish you may take 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 fish from the lake. It is your choice how many fish you take, however, if you catch zero (0) or one (1) fish, your family will starve and you will be out of the game. If you catch 2 fish, your family will survive but you have no money for new clothing, medicine or books (education). If you catch more than 2 fish, you can sell them for a profit and purchase clothing, books and medicine for your family. Each of these items costs 2 fish. The fish in your lake will reproduce once a year. Keep the fish that you “catch” in front of you. (You will be able to eat them later)

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Directions continued….

(Class Captain to read)

4. You will all be fishing at the same time – but you MUST remember the most fish you

can catch in a year is 4!

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5. The teacher will tell you when to begin and end your fishing session. You will

only have 10 seconds to fish!

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6. At the end of each year, the teacher will go around to each village and double the

number of the fish remaining in each lake (reproduction). So if there are 4 fish

remaining in the lake at the end of the year, four more fish will be added so you

will begin the next year with 8 fish. If any family has starved then they obviously

cannot fish the next year. If any family wishes to sell their extra fish to Mrs.

Riorda for clothing, medicine or books, this can happen at the end of the year.

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Directions Continued…

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7. Students are not allowed to talk or communicate while fishing during round

#1. Voices level 0!

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8. Students will fish for 5 years, or until the lake runs out of fish, or all the

families have starved. If you made a purchase from the teacher, you cannot

sell it back for more fish.

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9. The recorder must make sure the Data Table is filled in during

each round. The teacher will control each round telling them when to start

and stop.

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10. After the first simulation students will answer either question 1 or 2 in

the discussion questions. The group chooses!

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1. The students now must work together to help their entire community survive and thrive. The same rules about fishing are in effect: Catch 0-1, your family starves; catch 2, everyone in your family survives; catch 3 or 4 and you can buy the supplies your family and others in your community may need.

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• Students are encouraged to have a discussion and make a plan before fishing will begin.** Villagers will be given 2 minutes to make a plan.

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• When all villages have recorded data for 5 years, they should complete the rest of the discussion questions.

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• Answer the discussion questions after you have finished the simulation (while you eat your goldfish).

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• Begin the second simulation

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The new Scenario:

Revisit today’s objective:

• Students will work cooperatively to investigate the importance of using common natural resources in a sustainable way.

• If you really think we met this objective today show me 4 bars.
• If you think we need to investigate this topic more show me 2 or 3 bars.
• If you don’t understand this topic at all show me 1 bar.

Clean and re-set the classroom

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• Class Captain to hand out wipes and direct groups to dispose of their supplies

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• Class Monitor to encourage and help out as needed.

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• Materials Distributor to collect student packets.

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• Tech Guru – to disconnect Mrs. R’s computer.

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• If any coins were handed out for exceptional performance – students should see teacher for either a special merit or a prize.