Grade Level: 6-12
Alaska State Content
Standards (2006):Art A-1; Geography E-4, E-5, E-6, F-3; Government G-3, Language Arts D-1a, D-2, D-4, E-2
Subject: Language Arts, Geography, Government
Skills: Analysis, Comparison, Generalization,
Problem-Solving
Duration: 2-3 class periods
Group Size: individual
Setting: indoors
Vocabulary: management policy,
interest groups |
OBJECTIVE
Students describe the different opinions usually associated with forest
management.
TEACHING STRATEGY
Students role play different interest groups associated with forest
management decisions.
MATERIALS
Writing materials
Fire Policy Cards:
Boreal Forest (pdf)
Tundra (pdf)
Fire Role Cards (pdf)
3 blank sheets of paper for each student
Markers
TEACHER BACKGROUND
Local interest groups, industry, and government
agencies have concerns about how forest resources are managed. Hunters,
fishermen, bird watchers, firewood cutters, gold miners, trappers, and
others are sensitive to any changes in forest management
policies that may affect the future of their activities.
Different public agencies manage lands according to their federal or
state guidelines. Their challenge is to manage their land according
to their guidelines, with consideration given to all the interest groups
involved. It is important to learn how to negotiate and compromise in
a group situation.
ADVANCED PREPARATION
- Copy, laminate, and cut out Fire Role Cards so that every student
has a card. You may need to make more than one copy of some of the
cards to have enough.
- Copy, laminate, and cut out one set of Fire Policy Cards.
PROCEDURE
- Distribute one Fire Role Cards to each student. The students receiving
the Expert cards will be required to answer questions as that expert.
- Ask each student to read his/her card carefully and to imagine that
they are the person described in the card. They are to forget their
own opinions and think only like the person they are portraying. Make
sure that the students understand that they are only portraying one
person's opinion in that role and that other people in that role may
have different opinions.
- Each student should have a marker and three pieces of paper. On
each paper students should write (in large letters) one of the following
response phrases:
Agree
Disagree
Need more information
- Explain that students are attending a public meeting at which they
will be invited to give input on the development of policies and regulations
for use of a public forest. You will represent a land manager conducting
the meeting and students will represent people who are experts or are
interested in forest management for business or personal reasons.
- Explain the procedure to students. You will read a Fire Policy Card
give the students a minute to think about it, and then ask them to hold
up the response card that represents their reaction to the policy read.
Ask those who agree with the policy who they represent and why they
agreed. Repeat this format with those that disagreed. Students that
need more information may ask questions of the "experts."
If the "experts" do not know the answer, discuss where a person
might be able to get more information.
- Finally, after hearing all the input, read the policy again. Then
ask students whether any would like to change their opinions. What caused
them to change? Repeat the above steps for each Fire Policy Card.
EVALUATION
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