Survival Game
Resources: Paper, scissors, compass, already made fish, igloo and poncho
to show the students, the three items drawn on the board including
dimensions.
The idea of the game is Scarce Resources and how they can be utilised
most fully.
Using the other sheet with the dimensions each group should end up with
a fish, igloo and poncho to survive (don’t worry about the stapled bit). The
idea is that you give them too few resources (paper, compass and
scissors) and too little time so they all do not survive the first time. In
the second attempt they need to work together as a group to get all
three items each (some groups start trading their fish for ponchos if
they get the gist of it straight away). (you may choose not to do a second
attempt but just discuss it). The fish, igloo and poncho should be of the
correct dimensions in order for there to be a standard.
The game should lead on to a discussion regarding production and the
move from hunter/gatherer economies to specialisation and surplus. You
could also bring aspects of supply and demand if you wanted. (You may
also want to include some cross curricular stuff about the third world and
how many poor rural areas still are hunter/gatherers).
Eventually you need to turn the discussion round to how this fits in with
their course – the idea that specialisation of production occurred,
therefore surplus and this was exchanged for other people’s surplus
goods, e.g. swapping wheat for a chicken etc until it was hard to decide
would 1kg equal a fat or skinny chicken? On to the introduction of money,
the idea of profit and most effective way to organise self therefore
types of business organization. (Got there in the end!)
Questions (you may or may not want to use them)
Before the 1st attempt:
1. You are lost on an Arctic island without any hope of being rescued
in the near future. Describe the conditions faced by the group.
2. With regard to the above conditions what would you need to
survive?
3. Describe what the basic economic problem was on the Arctic
Island.
4. What fundamental economic questions had to be answered on the
Arctic Island? Are these questions different for any other
economy?
After the 2nd Attempt:
1. What problems did your group face during the first attempt at
producing the fish, igloo and poncho?
2. How did your group organise itself at the second attempt at
production?
3. What is the economic term used to describe the items required to
make what was need for survival (scarce resources)
4. Explain what is meant by specialisation and how did it help
production for the group?