Download The State of the World

The State of the World
What is the distribution of population, resources, land and food on this planet? Half
the world, over three billion people live on less than two dollars a day, why? Attend
this session and be re-born, share resources, fight for land, food, and living space, be a
part of this active simulation on the state of the world.
This simulation will be done in phases. Each phase is a chance for the participants to
visualize the current situation on this planet. Every step will be a learning experience.
Participants are encouraged to ask questions, make connections and have fun.
Materials Required:
- tables or desks to divide the room
- enough stacking chairs for each participant
- enough candy or food items for each participant
- 5 bags for food distribution
- enough birthing cards for all participants
Room Set-Up:
Divide the room up using the tables according to the following diagram. This is the
current land area that each of these regions occupy on the earth. Feel free to use the
walls as outside borders.
AF – Africa
EU – Europe
AS – Asia (including Australia and Oceania)
NA – North America
SA – South America
Phase 1: Population Distribution
Prepare enough birthing cards for the number of participants in the simulation. Make
them according to the following percentages.
Land Area
North America
South America
Africa
Asia
Europe
Percentage Population
7%
6%
16%
60%
10%
Example 30 participants
2
2
5
18
3
a) No one should be inside the world.
b) Explain how the land areas have been divided up and that everything in this
simulation is in proportion to the real world statistics.
c) The tables are water. Only the person who created this world can walk on water
(you). Once they are re-born they cannot touch, sit or lean on the water, including
walls. They may only stand in their land area.
d) Congratulations! You are re-born! Hand out the birthing cards randomly.
*some will complain about where they are born, this is a great opportunity to discuss
that people do not choose where they are born. *
e) Ask them to look around and observe the distribution. Who seems crowded? Are
you surprised to find that Europe is most crowded? No Leaning, No sitting.
Phase 2: Arable Land
Arable land covers a small percentage of the world's surface. Despite the fact that this
land is continually being lost to urbanization, the total area under cultivation is rising
because of deforestation. Demand for agricultural land continues to increase in line
with population growth, resulting in the clearing of marginal land, such as hillsides.
The exploitation of marginal land is partly responsible for the erosion of the fertile
soil layer, increased drought, the loss of essential soil nutrients, and salt
contamination -- all reasons for abandoning the land.
a) Explain that you will be asking the population to move into usable land for
growing. Explain and discuss the meaning of arable if need be.
b) Ask them one land area at a time to move into the fraction of land you give them.
Land Area
North America
South America
Africa
Asia
Europe
Fraction of Land that is Arable
1/8
1 / 12
1 / 20
1 / 16
1/8
c) Some groups just cannot fit into that space. This is a good time to discuss where
you find the worlds populations. Probably let them spread out again before
discussing. But no sitting or leaning.
* Ask them if they have ever been to a large city. If humans run out of space to live
on the land, what do they do? You can even have one of your stronger participants put
a smaller participant on their shoulders. You build up!
Phase 3: Natural Resources
Be sure to have enough stacking chairs to have one per participant.
a) Discuss what resources can do for a country. Explain that these chairs will
represent resources and once again have been divided to mirror the current
distribution of the world.
b) Tell them that when they receive these resources they may use them if they wish by
sitting down. Distribute as per the following.
Land Area
North America
South America
Africa
Asia
Europe
Percentage of Worlds Resources
36%
7%
10%
21%
26%
Example 30 participants
11 chairs
2 chairs
3 chairs
6 chairs
8 chairs
c) Discuss the distribution of resources. Discuss how the people reacted when the
chairs were passed to them. Who got to sit down? Who sat first? Did people fight over
the resources? Are the people who are still standing angry that they have not been
able to sit down? Compare to wars that have happened in the past and current day
conflicts. Are some groups sharing the chairs?
* This is a good point to discuss why some of the most major conflicts of the past
have been in Europe* No space….
Phase 4: Distribution of Food
The percentages have been calculated from the protein intake for each region. Have
the bags prepared with the appropriate number of candies and labeled with the name
of the land region.
a) Hand the bags of candy out and explain what it represents. Instruct them to not take
any candies out, simply take a look in the bag and report how many they have.
Land Area
North America
South America
Africa
Asia
Europe
Percentage Protein Intake
43%
7%
3%
17%
30%
Example 30 participants
13 candies
2 candies
1 candy
5 candies
9 candies
b) Discuss how they will feed their population with what they have in the bag.
* A good place to add in facts about poverty, food consumption, unequal distribution,
wasted food, export of food etc.*
- some countries export their food when they do not have enough to feed their own
population. Why?
- The food waste from the US alone could feed millions of people each day
- does the earth provide enough food for our current population?
Phase 5: Negotiate
a) Instruct the participants that they will have a certain period of time to negotiate the
trade of land area (they cannot touch the outside tables), resources and food.
b) Step back and observe what happens, make note.
Possible observations for discussion
- people pushing tables back and forth – War over land
- people trying to go to another land area – immigration
- people giving candies to their friends who do not have – foreign aid
- Europe increasing their land area – colonization
- North America having no need to trade anything but trying to limit immigration
- tempers flaring
- people trying to steal space, candies, chairs
- who runs the negotiations?
Phase 6: Discussion
The discussion phase can take any shape or form you wish. There are a multitude of
ways to extend this simulation into further discussion, research, and projects.
Be sure to point out that there are enough chairs, candies and space for everyone in
the room. The world has more than enough for everyone it’s just a matter of unequal
distribution.
Be sure everyone gets a candy…….