Why Do We Even Need Government?

The Island Simulation

Why do we even need government?

The initial lesson in the Constitution series is focused on establishing in the students a strong recognition of the need and usefulness of a government. The Island Simulation is an exercise where the students will need to define and operate some form of governance structure to survive in a difficult situation. This exercise sets the framework of basic governance, its challenges in gaining agreement on what to do and on what decisions need to be made to enable a government to function.

A second focus of the Island Simulation is to emphasize the essential and important role of making decisions, especially good decisions that have strong possibilities of generating good outcomes. The principles of decision-making are defined in the material and will enable the students to use these principles in defining how to govern their activities while on the Island.

1. Desired Results

a. Goals

Students will learn the six elements of decision-making.

And, students will apply these elements to forming a government on the island.

Students will learn the need and purpose of a government.

b. Understandings

• Decision Skills – Students will understand that…

o Decisions about individual issues in any group can become political issues;

o Political issues test one’s values and provide the basis to determine which values survive and dominate;

o Values that dominate will influence and determine what form of political organization will emerge; and

o To influence others with one’s decisions requires a desire to act on that decision, courage to act and courage to listen to other and different views.

History Skills – Students will understand that…

o Government is a necessary component of any society;

o Political groupings or parties are formed to represent different interests in a political setting;

o Individual opinions on societal issues become political issues; and

o Political decisions represent certain groups of people over others.

c. Essential Questions

How do we make good decisions?

Do we need to form a government on the island?

What functions and activities does the island government need?

What role should I play in the government?

How do individual decisions impact bigger decisions in our island society?

How do we make a good decision about bigger decisions when they become political?

Context of the Lesson

Helping high school students understand political issues is one of the most challenging topics we face in teaching U.S. History. Very few students possess even a basic understanding of political issues and the role the government plays in society. To comprehend difficult concepts such as the role of government in a democratic society, we need to consider how to help the students relate to the topic by actively involving them in the lesson. In its most basic form, government represents a series of individual decisions people make about how to organize a society. The following lesson serves to introduce the general idea of why government even exists in a society and how individual decisions about surviving in a society translate into defining a government. In addition to reinforcing good decision-making concepts on the island, this lesson is an excellent way to lead a discussion about human nature, how political power has been formed throughout history, and how some form of government is essential in a society. How people make decisions about the government and how the government makes decisions about how to deal with people is vitally important to understand how a society functions. Once we have established that government is necessary, we begin to discuss why government even exists in societies.

Island Simulation

You awake one morning to the sound of a panicked and distressed news caster on your radio alarm clock. Your heart begins to pound as you come to understand the imminent danger that faces you. Astronomers have discovered an asteroid that is heading straight for the earth. It threatens to destroy the majority of the planet.

You quickly pack your things and head to the nearest port to board a ship and head away from the continent. You arrive just in time. The ship is full, but luckily you are able to sneak on just before the doors close and the ship sets off..

The captain announces that you will be heading towards a small inhabited island in the South Pacific ocean that, according the astronomers data, will be unaffected by the collision.

By the time the ship arrives at the island, the asteroid has struck the earth. The ship’s navigation and communication equipment seems to indicate that you may be the only survivors left on earth. The captain of the ship drops all the passengers off on the island and leaves in hopes of rescuing others. Unfortunately, the captain and the ship are never seen again.

Considerations:

There are 3000 survivors on the island
25% of the population is under the age of twelve
25% of the population is between twelve and seventeen years of age
Everyone else on the island is eighteen or older.
While there is no means of escaping the island, the natural resources are sufficient that everyone will have enough to eat as long as “on average” they all work six hours a day
Each person who does not work six hours a day has their share of the food-gathering and growing duties handled by the remaining islanders.

Think: Before you make up your laws, consider the following things – teachers, doctors, police, children, elderly people, and leaders… Will these people be able to contribute to the food gathering and growing duties as well as perform their own jobs? Others may have to make up the difference.

Instructions: Organize into groups of 3-4. Each group must create an ideal government in response to the scenario. You will rotate rolls every day.

ROLES FOR TEAM MEMBERS:

Person 1 Notes, Organization and Discussion Leader

Person 2 &3 Rough and Final Drafts (typed)

Person 4 Visual diagrams and pictures

DAY / Person 1 / Person 2 / Person 3 / Person 4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover Page: Name of Country, Flag, Names of each member, Period
Table of Contents
Preamble and Constitution typed
Colors, Flower, Animal
National Anthem
Story of your Island (From the moment you are stranded to the last day)

a. Final Story typed

b. Fish Bowl Notes (in order)

Chart of Government Purposes and Example (Visual diagram to illustrate your government). Your government system must include the following things:
A process of leadership selection
The number leaders and their duties
Length of terms for elected officials
Opportunities for citizen participation and input
Type of government – autocratic, democratic or collaborative/consensus
Diagram explaining a process for developing laws and policies
Picture of type of law enforcement
List of 5 rules and punishment. (Create a Chart to explain)

a. List 5 rules for your society to live by

b. Explain what happens if someone breaks the law

Courts and court system: Elect or permanent, small cts/large cts, trial/civil/ (Create a diagram to explain)
Economy: Chart, diagram, or etc to explain the following

a. Currency (picture: must be portable, divisible and enduring)

b. Free Market, Socialism, Communism, etc,

c. What role will the government play: Taxes, government spending, currency value, etc.

d. Explain the dispersion of the workload – roles, number of work hours

Final Questions (From each team member)
Handouts

a. Island Simulation Instructions

b. Daily Tasks

Rubric

a. Daily rubric

b. portfolio rubric

FISHBOWL NOTES Example

(DATE)

Student Name / Action/Quote
Story: In 3-4 sentences tell the story of what happened during this island activity using at least 3 details listed above.

FINAL QUESTIONS

Directions: Based on your experience as a participant during the island activity, answer the following questions thoughtfully and in complete sentences. Your answer to each question should be a minimum of 4 sentences long.

How did you feel during this activity? Did you feel important, unimportant, frustrated, angry, or anything else? Explain why.

Was any decision made by a majority of people? What is one advantage and one disadvantage of making decisions this way?

Was any decision made by one person or just a few people? What is one advantage and one disadvantage of making decisions this way?

Was your island successful? Why or why not? What would have made it more successful?

What would have been, in your opinion, the best way to make decisions/ Why would this have been the best way?

What were the major issues you had to resolve in order to establish a government? List them below. Next to each, explain how it was similar to a problem faced by the Founders of the US Government.

Identify the three most important things you learned from participating in this simulation.

Do human beings need government to ensure our survival, or could we survive without some type of authority that limits the decisions we make?

Portfolio Rubric

Cover Page: name of country, flag, names of each member , period / 5pts _____
Table of contents / 5pts _____
Preamble and Constitution typed / 20pts _____
Colors, flower, animal / 5pts _____
National Anthem / 5pts _____
Story of your Island
a. Final Story typed
b. Fish Bowl Notes (in order) / 25pts _____
25pts _____
50pts _____
Chart of govt purpose and example / 20pts _____
Diagram explaining process / 10pts _____
Picture of law enforcement / 10pts _____
List of 5 rules and punishment
a. List of 5
b. explained / 10pts _____
10pts _____
20pts _____
Courts and court system / 10pts _____
Economy
a. Currency
b. Free market, Socialism, communism, etc.
c. What role govt
d. explain workload / 5pts _____
5pts _____
5pts _____
5 pts _____
20pts _____
Final Questions / 10pts _____
Island Simulation Instructions / 5pts _____
Rubric
a. Daily
b. Portfolio Rubric / 5pts _____
Total / 200pts _____

Daily Rubric

Day 1