Students as Policy-makers: Confronting Global Environmental

Problems

Brought to you by

The Choices Education Program

Watson Institute for International Studies

Brown University

Our Mission:

To empower young people with the skills, knowledge, and habits necessary to be engaged citizens who are capable of addressing international issues with thoughtful public discourse and informed decision making.

Current Programs

• Curriculum Development 33 published curriculum units

Online “Teaching with the News” lessons

• New Digital Materials Over 300 Scholars Online videos

Digital lessons currently under construction

E-text available for all units

• Professional Development 75-100 programs annually

Teacher Leadership Summer InstituteThis summer’s Institute:

The Challenge of Nuclear Weapons

1. Global Environmental Problems

2. Genocide: Never Again?

3. Shifting Sands: Balancing U.S.

Interests in the Middle East

1. America Enters the Age of

Imperialism

2. WWI and the League of Nations

Debate

3. Ending the War Against Japan

4. The U.S. and Vietnam

1. Caught Between Two Worlds:

Mexico at the Crossroads

2. Contesting Cuba’s Past and Present

1. Colonialism in the Congo: Conquest, Conflict and Commerce

2. Indian Independence and the Question of Pakistan

3. Freedom in Our Lifetime: South Africa’s Struggle

4. Iran Through the Looking Glass: History, Reform, Revolution

H.T.P.

C. I.

U.S. Perspective Foreign Perspective

Types of Curriculum Units

Why Use Role-plays?

• Using a variety of lesson formats addresses students’ different learning styles.

• Role-play simulations places students at the center of the learning process.

• They create a dynamic classroom environment that can be motivating for students.

Why use the Choices Options Role-play

• They help students to recognize that the making of history is a dynamic process and not predetermined.

• Role-plays help students see issues and history in a more nuanced light and force them to consider multiple viewpoints.

• They develop students analytical skills.

• Engaging in role-plays familiarizes students with key terms and people central to an event or issue.

Background Reading• Part I: Global Environmental Problems

– Climate Change and Ozone Depletion, Water Pollution, Deforestation, Biodiversity

• Part II: The Environment and Economic Development– Global Population Growth, Energy Resources, Resource

Consumption

• Part III: Environmental Issues on the International Agenda – The Environment and International Security, International

Environmental Agreements, Determining U.S. Policy

• Optional: Following the Path of the Carbon Cycle

Choices for Teachers

• 3 or 5 day lesson plan, interdisciplinary

• Rubric for oral presentations (TRB 46)

• Day one alternative plan, using Google Earth

• Alternative study guides (differentiate)– Organize information from the readings– Analysis and synthesis before class

Additional Student Resources

• Key Terms (TRB 42)

– Vocabulary by reading section

• Toolbox (TRB 43)

– Quick summaries of big concept

• Scholars on-line www.choices.edu/resources– Scholars explaining the issues, public policy– International experts, variety of perspectives

Variety of Student-Centered Lessons

• Global Environment Problems and Local Concerns

• Exploring the Amazon Using Google Earth

• Global Environmental Problems in the International Arena

• Understanding the Carbon Cycle

• Options Role-play: Responding to Global Environmental Issues

• Looking into the Future

Global Environmental Problemsand Local Concerns (TRB 4)

Objective: Students will understand the concept of stakeholders and competing interests.

• Class brainstorms what they know about the Amazon

• Students read information in small groups and complete handout (TRB 7-9)

7. Discuss policy decisions

9. Refer to the questions in Assessing Data and Creating Recommendation to create a student write-up.

Global Environmental Problems and Local Concerns

Activity: • Brainstorm- “Why is the Amazon rainforest

important?”• Read “Environment & Economy” (TRB 7)

• In your table groups, divide up the reading, “Stakeholders in the Region” (TRB 8)

• Complete handout “Stakeholders in the Region” (TRB 9) – complete the section you read

• Using the cards, categorize them in groups who share common priorities.

Exploring the Amazon using Google Earth

Exploring the Amazon Using Google Earth (TRB 10)

Objective: Students will deepen their understanding of the Amazon region

• Divide students into 4 groups; each group completes “Exploring the Rainforest” (TRB 12)

• Then each group focuses in on a specific area; answers handout (TRB 13-16)

• Jigsaw the groups;

groups complete

“Competing Concerns

in the Amazon” (TRB 17)

Global Environmental Problems in the International Arena (TRB 18)

Objective: Students will compare environmental concerns in four distinct regions of the world.

2. Divide students into 4 groups. Assign each group a region.

3. Using the readings (pgs. 14-16), scholars on-line & UN website, groups develop a presentation regarding the environmental problems and concerns of the region.

4. After presentations, students analyze the viewpoints of each region.

UN Commission On Sustainable Development

www.un.org/esa/sustdev

Examine Global Perspectives

• What are the major points of contention?

• How might actions in one region affect conditions in another?

• What is the likelihood of global consensus on environmental issues?

Hearing on Global Environmental Policy Role-Play (TRB 29 & 37)

Objectives: Students will analyze the issues that frame the debate on U.S. Policy on the global environment.

4. Organization is key to success!

6. Divide students into 4 Option groups Handouts (TRB 34-35)

• Remainder of class becomes the Presidential Advisory. Handouts (TRB 36 & 38)

Role-play: Environmental Policy Options

Various roles:Option1: Put the Economy First (p.31-32)Option 2: Take the Lead in the Green Economy

(pp.33-34)Option 3: Promote Sustainable Development

(pp.35-36)Option 4: Protect Mother Earth (pp. 37-38)

Presidential Advisory Panel: Review Options in Brief (p.30)

Role-Play PreparationPresenting Option Groups: You will make a persuasive presentation in order to convince the Presidential Advisory Panel that your environmental policy option in the best one for America to pursue. You will need to address the following in you presentation:

How important are environmental problems compared to other problems facing the United States?

How should international responsibility for environmental issues be determined?

What should be the role of the United States in the world? On what values is your option based, and how do these values

impact your policies? Why is your policy the best one to pursue?

Role-Play Preparation

Presidential Advisory Panel: Read over each of the options with a critical eye and develop challenging questions for each of the option groups.

The questions should:- demonstrate an understanding of each of the option’s

main arguments.- be designed to find the short-comings of each of the options.- help clarify the differences between each of the

options.

Wrap-up

• Choices materials engage students in their own learning.

• Through role-play, students deepen their understanding of important issues (historic or current)

• Choices materials incorporate various standards within History-Social Science as well as cross-curricular with Language Arts, Science

It’s fun and rewarding!

The first time utilizing the role-play in your classroom can be challenging; But it gets easier! It is definitely worth it.

The End