Note: This lesson provides a simulation of real world politics. It requires a certain level of attention, cooperation, and discipline. While we encourage each class to do this session, please use your discretion as to whether or not your class will be able to handle it.
Goals:
· To work together to solve community problems
· To simulate a real-world conflict where constituents express different needs
Materials Needed:
q Five information packs with constituent summaries and questions
Methods:
I. Introduction to Riverside, CT
II. Constituent Meetings
III. Community Meeting
IV. Group Discussion
Today's lesson is a simulation of a community problem, meeting, and solution. Set a believable tone for the simulation by explaining to the students that for the next forty-five minutes they will pretend that they are citizens of a small city in Connecticut called Riverside.
Read the following description of Riverside to the class:
Welcome to Riverside, Connecticut. We are a city of 50,000 people located on a small but powerful river. Our town has always been a fairly peaceful place. Last year, however, a local factory closed down and many citizens of Riverside were left without a job. The city council was eager to create jobs and invited Hubba Bubba Chewing Gum Company to build a factory in Riverside. Hubba Bubba wants to build its factory on an empty lot on the riverbank so it can use the river for energy and power. Riverside Middle School, with 500 students is located right next to the empty lot.
Everyone is the town is talking about Hubba Bubba's intention to build a factory in Riverside. But no one can agree. A lot of people want Hubba Bubba to move in but just as many don't want them to come. The city council has decided to have a meeting about the issue. The council has invited four groups to come and represent their point of view.
The groups are:
The Hubba Bubba Chewing Gum Company
Riverside Association for the Environment
The Worker's Union of Riverside
Riverside Middle School Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)
Divide the class into five even groups of the four constituents and the city council members. Each group will meet, read their information packs and prepare for the Town Meeting based on the questions in their information packs. During the constituent meetings, one person from every group should serve as the recording secretary and the group should decide who will speak as the representative. Council people should also meet and decide on a set of rules for their meetings, how they are going to run the meeting and strategies for getting the groups to compromise. They should come up with a list of potential compromises. Allow between 5-10 minutes for the constituent meetings.
Questions for each group are listed below. The questions are also in the information pack to be given to each group.
1. Summarize who you are and what values are important to your group
2. What is your group's position on the Hubba Bubba Factory?
3. What are the three most important values or interests to your group?
4. What interests are you willing to compromise or give up? What interests are you unwilling to negotiate or give up?
5. What suggested compromises can your group come up with?
(Helpful Hint: Depending on the abilities of your class, you should amend these questions. Some classes will only be able to answer questions 1,2, and 5 whereas other classes will be able to handle questions 3 and 4. Use your judgement!)
Set up the desks in a square shape. Have each group sit next to each other. Explain that we will now have a town meeting to try to work out a solution to the question of the Hubba Bubba Factory. Have the town council people run the meeting as best they can by introducing their rules and calling on one representative from each interest group.
Each of the four groups should present their answers to the questions. One person should speak from each group. Have all groups answer question 1 before going on to question 2. Try to have the groups come up with a compromise. This is the goal of the activity.
Allow the town meeting to continue as long as it is being productive. When you feel that the groups have exhausted discussion and compromise, stop the meeting and break the simulation. Try to foster discussion with the following questions:
1. What was it like defending your group's point of view? Was it difficult? Why?
2. What was the biggest obstacle to settling on a compromise for Riverside? What obstacles to communities in general face when they are trying to get things done?
3. Can you think of similar situations where there are different groups with
Competing interests? What problems in New Haven are similar? What are the different groups involved? What compromises or solutions have been created?
BEFORE YOU GO:
Þ Tell the class when you will be visiting next.
Þ Discuss with the teacher how your groups handled the students and ask for his or her critique.