Contemporary Social Studies

Game Playing LP

Darfur Is Dying Lesson Plan

Darfur is Dying is game that provides a window into the experience of the refugees in the Darfur region of Sudan. Players must keep their refugee camp functioning in the face of possible attack by militias. The game is simulation where the user, from the perspective of a displaced refugee, negotiates forces threatening the survival of a refugee camp.

LESSON PLAN

NCSCOS Goal 6: The learner will investigate social and economic organization in various societies throughout time in order to understand the shifts in power and status that have occurred.

Objectives:

Trace the development of internal conflicts due to differences in religion, race, culture, and group loyalties in various areas of the world.

Materials:

BBC article on Darfur Crisis

Current event form

Computer with internet access (optional)

Reflection sheet (optional)

Review/Focus: Review the general geography of Africa, including where the Darfur region of Sudan is. Briefly explain the ongoing issues in Africa?unstable governments, poverty, illiteracy and disease.

Procedure:

Distribute the article on Darfur to each student.

Have each student read the article and then complete the current event assignment:

Summarize the article (1-2 paragraphs)

Answer the following questions:

1. How does this story relate to social studies? (Be specific)

2. Is this story important for people to know about? Explain your answer in detail.

3. Explain what information in this article you feel is the most important. Why is it important?

4. Explain what information in this article you feel is the least important. Why isn?t it important?

5. What reaction do you have to this story? Explain in detail.

6. What is genocide?

7. Does what is happening in Darfur fit your definition of genocide? Explain.

8. What other examples of genocide can you think of (past or present)?

9. What responsibility does the world have to respond to the crisis in Darfur? Explain in detail.

Assessment: Students will submit the current event assignment as a classwork grade. An optional extra credit homework grade is available.

Game Play: The game Darfur is Dying is unreliably accessed due to the WCPSS internet filter system. Due to this, students will have the opportunity to play the game at home to earn extra credit points. The students will complete a reflection sheet that answers the following questions:

Describe the avatar (character) you played as. (Male, female, age, etc.)

Explain why you chose to play as this avatar.

What were the benefits of playing as this avatar?

What were the drawbacks of this avatar?

Describe the types of decisions you had to make during the course of the game.

Which of these decisions seemed to you to be the most difficult? Why?

What obstacles did you face in the game that you do not have to face in your own life?

What do you think would be the most challenging thing for you to deal with if you were living in an actual refugee camp?

How have your views of the crisis in Darfur changed since you read the article? Explain in detail.

How have your views of the crisis changed since you played the game? Explain in detail.

21^st Century Skills

1. Critical thinking

2. Systems thinking

3. Problem identification

4. Social responsibility

Posted by emartin2 ( Nov 11 2007, 05:29:30 PM EST ) Permalink Comments [0]