This activity is designed to engage you in a global science activity, and then to consider some applications of the global perspective to science courses of study.

Materials

One set of "global problem" cards for each team

Sheet of newsprint

Marking pens

Procedure

1. You should join with several class members to do this activity to create several "global" teams, each of which should represent a different country. Form your groups, and then as a large group decide upon which country each team will represent.

2. Take a few minutes and make a list of information about the country you represent. You may need reference books to provide the teams with background infomation about the countries for each team.

3. Each team should have a set of global problem cards. These problems represent some of the most important environmental problems facing the Earth today. Your team should investigate these problems from the point of view of citizens from the country you represent.

4. To prepare for a "cross-cultural discussion, " your team should engage in the following activities:

a. Rank order the cards from most important or significant problem to least important or signifcant. Make a record of your team's decision.

b. Select the most pressing problem, and then arrange the other problems in a "web" or "map," and indicate how the global problems interrelate with each other. Make a record of your team's work on a sheet of newsprint.

5. Bring all the teams together to simulate an international conference on global environmental problems. Choose a moderator from the group, and then have each team prepare a short (no more than 5 minutes) report.

6. The moderator should use the questions in the conclusions section to facilitate a group discussion. 

Minds On Strategies

1. In what school science context would you use this activity? What would the goals and purpose be of using this activity? Suggest appropriate follow-up activities that this activity would stimulate for students.

2. To what extent did you feel competent understanding global problems from the point of view of a citizen from another country? Does this influence decision making, and deciding upon the significance of a problem? In what way?

3. Try this activity with a group of secondary students. Evaluate their performance in light of your own.

4. How does an activity like this help develop a global perspective for students? For teachers?