A. Next Generation Science Standards Herein

A. NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS HEREIN

DCI’s: LS2.A Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

LS2.C Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience

LS4.D Biodiversity and Humans

Cross Cutting Concepts: Cause and Effect, Systems and System Models, Stability and Change

Scientific and Engineering Practices:

Asking Questions and Defining Problems

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Developing and Using Models

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Engaging in Argument from Evidence

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

B. SUGGESTED USES

Prior Knowledge: Students do not necessarily require much prior knowledge. However, for students to understand, and communicate, some of the important ecological, conservationist arguments, they benefit from a conceptual understanding of food webs, ecological interactions, and natural selection.

They should be able differentiate between credible and non-credible sources, and will benefit from information about effective communication/persuasion skills. Students adept in PowerPoint or Google Slides may benefit as well.

Implementing the Lesson: In a class of 24 or so, I usually make 5 or 7 students judges (an odd number ensures one side wins), and the remaining students are divided up (somewhat) evenly into the pro and against positions. If there are more students than positions, I allow some positions (economist, ecologist, conservationist, and land owner) to be represented by more than one student.

Because the project incorporates so many of the concepts within ecology, I spend a significant amount of time on it. I usually give students two or three classes to do research and work on their presentation (judges are working on their tasks as well). I encourage students to be pithy with their presenetion to avoid having the process last too many classes.

Then, depending on the length of the presentations, and the number of questions that the judges ask during each presentation, the UN simulation can take a full class or two.

I allow the presenters to begin their reflection paper in class, while the judges deliberate. Finally, the judges announce their decision, with an explanation. I allow the judges to make any decision, with any stipulations, that they deem fitting. In my experience, the students really enjoy this activity, and learn a lot about an important issue.

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Name: ______Date: ______

Simulating a United Nations Panel on Trophy Hunting

Introduction: The United Nations is a global organization comprised of most of the world’s nations. It comprises 193 of the world’s nations, with the goal of working out problems in the world cooperatively. The U.N. works to maintain peace/avoid military conflicts, improve human rights, help countries in need of economic development, and provide humanitarian aid in times of crisis.

Objective: In this activity, the class will simulate some of the activities carried out by the United Nations. In this case, the class will be deliberating on the issue of trophy hunting; mainly the trophy hunting of large animals in Africa. This will occur in a General Assembly Meeting of the United Nations, during which students will make arguments for, or against, the trophy hunting of African animals, while other students will serve as judges.

In this deliberation, students will be assigned specific roles. These roles might represent a person in a specific situation (African Land owner), or even a specific person (Corey Knowlton). It will be your job to represent the views and opinions of that role, once you have been assigned to it. Other students might be assigned a more general role (ecologist), or may be a member on the UN panel to decide what to do once you are presented with both sides. Some students will be given roles that they would not necessarily choose in real life.

Embrace the role for the purpose of the exercise. You will have the chance to voice your personal convictions after the fact. In addition to researching their individual roles, you will investigate actual recent examples of trophy hunting and the impacts they have had.

Be creative! This should be a fun exercise that challenges your way of thinking and problem solving skills!

Each player will be allowed (and encouraged) to speak. That time will be spent expressing specific concerns over trophy hunting, presenting facts and data, providing personal stories or experiences (that you make up based on research), or anything else the player would like to discuss. The goal of the panel hearing is to hear all parties concerned and have the UN panel members make a decision as to whether or not it is legal to continue. Rubric attached.

The Next Page gives you more detailed directions.

Roles Against Trophy Hunting in Africa / Roles For Trophy Hunting in Africa
1. Conservationist : Scientist working to prevent loss/extinction of organisms
2. Ecologist: Scientist examining the impacts on environment and ecosystem
3. Ricky Gervais: Outspoken British comedian and actor
4. Jeff Flocken: Director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare
5. Economist: studying the negative impacts of trophy hunting on local economy / 1. Conservationist : Scientist working to prevent loss/extinction of organisms
2. Ecologist: Scientist examining the impacts on environment and ecosystem
3. Private Land Owner in Africa: This land owner has large number of acres of natural habitat for wild animals, and government has given permission for tourist hunters to hunt African leopard, Springbok,
4. Corey Knowlton: Involved in a famous and controversial black rhino hunt
5. Representative from World Bank: research the position that the WB has taken on trophy hunting
6. Ben Carter: Executive Director of Dallas Safari Club
7. Economist: studying the positive impacts of trophy hunting on local economy
Presenters' Role
1. Using the links on following pages (and other credible sources), presenters must create a convincing presentation for their side. It should incorporate facts, figures, visuals, and can be made in PowerPoint, Slides, or an a poster. To give you an idea, the presentation can be 6-8 slides long.
Judges' Roles
BEFORE THE ACTUAL UN SIMULATION
1. First, judges must understand how to use the Environmental Decision Making Model
2. Second, judges must learn how to think objectively, and without preconceived notions by accessing the links for judges on the next page.
3. After that, judges should make their way around the classroom, and begin to hear some of the main arguments from various presenters, ask questions, and give feedback
DURING/AFTER THE ACTUAL UN SIMULATION
1. ASK QUESTIONS - hold the presenters accountable; ask them to clarify, ask them for sources if they don't provide them. Challenge their arguments with facts from other presenters. Take an active role during the presentations. You will get a presentation grade, just like the presenters, by asking lots of questions during the presentations.
2. JUDGES RULING - Judges deliberate and come up with verdict - present their decision to class with details of plan.

Some Links for you to use (there are lots of other resources). Cite all of your sources verbally during the presentation, as well as including written forms of all sources in your presentation. The easiest way to access these links is to download this assignment from my faculty page, and click on the links.

PRO-TROPHY HUNTING LINKS:

http://conservationmagazine.org/2014/01/can-trophy-hunting-reconciled-conservation/

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/21/opinions/rhino-hunt-is-conservation/

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-oe-allen-trophy-hunting-endangered-species-20150808-story.html

http://conservationmagazine.org/2015/10/what-if-we-banned-trophy-hunting-in-africa/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/03/070315-hunting-africa.html

http://africageographic.com/blog/trophy-hunting-in-the-context-of-community-conservation/

ANTI-TROPHY HUNTING LINKS:

http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/hunting/game-handling/hunting-trophies.htm

http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/IFAW_TrophyHuntingReport_UK_v2.pdf

http://www.humanesociety.org/news/magazines/2016/01-02/trophy-hunting-devastation.html?

https://portals.iucn.org/library/efiles/documents/2009-074-En.pdf economical (pg 16-19)

https://africacheck.org/factsheets/factsheet-how-much-does-hunting-contribute-to-african-economies/

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/ricky-gervais-blasts-trophy-hunters-trying-to-excuse-grim-sport-by-saying-they-provide-a-service-10195455.html - Ricky Gervaise

http://aella.org/2014/10/hunters-an-ecological-disaster/ - ecological

BOTH/EITHER:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/150708-trophy-hunting-poaching-elephants-lions-rhinos-africa/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8ADnyw5ou8 Correlation vs. Causation explained

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_YkdMwEO5U Confirmation Bias

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFiDdbquWJY Anchoring Bias

FOR THE UN PANEL JUDGE: Ask for classmate's sources before the presentation so you can critique them*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-Dw_2wKQs0 Environmental Decision Making Model Video

Link to Environmental Decision Making Chart You need to complete this if you are a panel judge

http://21cif.com/tutorials/micro/mm/bias/ how to identify biases in arguments/claims

http://www.laflemm.com/RfT/Practice/RfTPracticeBias2.html quiz yourself on identifying biases

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8ADnyw5ou8 Correlation vs. Causation explained

http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/quizshow.php?title=causation-and-correlation&q=7&next=y Correlation/Causation Quiz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_YkdMwEO5U Confirmation Bias

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFiDdbquWJY Anchoring Bias

https://rapidbi.com/primacy-and-recency-effects-in-learning/ Primacy and Recency Effect

Name: ______Date: ______

Environmental Decision Making Model For Panel Judges

Directions: If you are a U.N. Panel Judge, you must complete the chart below, and attach it to your final reflection paper.

Background: There are many different models that can help a person make a thoughtful decision. This one is called the Environmental Decision Making Model. In this model, the decision-maker looks at up to nine different aspects, or values, and attempts to come up with the positive and negative consequences of a particular decision using those values. Try the sample below.

First, look at the values in the chart below. Then, pick all the values that are relevant to the issue. For example, if I was a lawmaker, and I was attempting to make a decision about whether or not to ban plastic bags from being used in my State, then I might choose Aesthetic, Economical, Environmental, and Ethical/Moral values. Then, I'd attempt to come up with the short term and long term positive and negative consequences to the decision. By assessing the value of the issue/decision, I can make a thoughtful decision. I've set up a chart below, and filled in one example. Fill in the remaining boxes.

Value / Description
Aesthetic / What is beautiful
Economic / Gain or loss of money/jobs
Environmental / Protection or damage to natural resources
Educational / Use of knowledge
Ethical/Moral / What is right and wrong
Health / Prevention of sickness
Recreational / Providing for humans' enjoyment
Scientific / Knowledge gained by scientific research
Social/Cultural / Respecting of values/cultures

Complete the chart below: Should plastic bags be banned?

Aesthetic / Economic / Environmental / Ethical/Moral
Positive short-term consequences / Plastic bags are very cheap to make
Negative short-term consequences / Some companies will lose profit, some people might have to pay for other bag options (reusable grocery bags)
Positive long-term consequences / New companies (who make non-plastic options) may profit
Negative Long-term consequences / Stores who can no longer offer cheap plastic bags might increase cost of products to recoup the difference

Your grade for this project will be determined by the rubric attached.

FOR FULL CREDIT, THIS SHEET MUST BE HANDED IN WITH YOUR REFLECTIVE PAPER

Novice (C) - 14 / Apprentice (B) - 16 / Practitioner (A) – 18 / Expert (A+) – 20
Time
Management / Needed to be reminded to stay on task constantly / Needed to be reminded to stay on task occasionally / Never needed to be reminded to stay on task / Stayed on task from bell to bell-did outside research
Research / Minimal effort shown – barely covered the topic as related to your role in the UN simulation

Judges: Shows minimal understanding of Environmental Decision Making Model (EDMM) / Adequate effort shown – basics of topic covered as related to your role in the UN simulation
Judges: Two items from Expert column missing / Expected effort shown – somewhat detailed coverage of topic shown as related to your role in the UN simulation
Judges: One item from "Expert" column missing / Exemplary effort shown – topic covered in detail as related to your role in the UN simulation
TWO ADDITONAL CREDIBLE SOURCES (not in the list I gave you)
Judges: Practice EDMM chart complete, final EDMM chart completed, use of logical thinking/bias recognition during presentation
Reflection / Paper addressed in minimal detail the questions posed regarding this activity / Paper addressed in detail the questions posed regarding this activity / Paper addressed in great detail the questions posed regarding this activity / Paper addressed in great detail the questions posed regarding this activity and went beyond with additional insights.
Judges: Reflection incorporates what they learned about biases in addition to above