NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST: WHO SHOULD SURVIVE?

Scenario:

World War 3 has just occurred and you and 9 other people find yourselves to be the only people left on the earth. You manage to all make it to a bunker, however, you all realise that if 3 of you wish to survive for many years, 7 of you will have to leave soon because there are not enough resources for all of you to survive.

If all of you stay, then you will all live only for a maximum of 2 years.

In your bunker, you have the following facilities:

·  sewage system

·  water

·  seeds

·  some clothes

·  a few books

·  some medical facilities but no operating material

·  a greenhouse

In your group of ten, each of you have a chance to speak. You must present your case. Explain why you think you should live. Argue for your life unless you really want to sacrifice for others. Listen to others arguments as well.

In the bunker, the following roles will be played out. Each person in the group of ten will play one of the following roles.

  1. scientist
  2. priest
  3. married couple who are hippies and drug addicts
  4. a single pregnant woman with a 5 year old girl
  5. an army officer who has mental instability of some sort but is useful nonetheless
  6. an elderly woman
  7. a disabled person
  8. lawyer
  9. dole bludger
  10. doctor

You have ten to fifteen minutes a s a group, to:

·  allow each person to speak

·  decide whether some will leave and the others stay

·  decide who will leave and who will stay

When that is complete, you are to answer the following question in your journal.

Debrief: Explain why you feel the choice was made. What influenced your decision? Did anyone emerge as a leader? Why? How did this influence the choices?

REASONS FOR YOUR GROUP'S DECISION

CHARACTER / REASONS TO KEEP ALIVE / REASONS TO SACRIFICE THEM
DOCTOR
SCIENTIST
PRIEST
HIPPY MARRIED COUPLE ADDICTED TO DRUGS
SINGLE WOMAN, PREGNANT, WITH A CHILD
ARMY GENERAL WITH PSYCHIATRIC PROBLEMS
ELDERLY WOMAN
DISABLED PERSON
LAWYER
DOLE BLUDGER

More information: Nuclear Holocaust: Who Should Survive?

·  Possible Debrief Questions

o  How were decisions made?

o  Who influenced the decisions and how?

o  How could better decisions have been made?

o  Did people listen to each other? if not why not?

o  What roles did group members adopt?

o  How was conflict managed?

o  What kinds of behavior helped or hindered the group?

o  How did people feel about the decisions?

o  How satisfied was each person with the decision (ask each participant to rate his / her satisfaction out of 10, then obtain a group average and compare / discuss with other groups' satisfaction levels)

o  What have you learnt about the functioning of this group?

o  How would you do the activity differently if you were asked to do it again?

o  What situations at work/home/school do you think are like this exercise?