Mock Environmental Summit
This material is replicated on a number of sites
as part of the
SERC Pedagogic Service Project
Summary
At the end of a six-week class or unit on global warming, students role-play representatives from various countries and organizations at an international summit on the Santa Barbara protocol, dealing with global warming. The students prepare by studying the IPCC report on Global Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, and other information on human impacts on the environment. The course involves several writing assignments, presentations, and lab activities that help the students research their arguments.
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Learning Goals
During this course, students will:
Increase their understanding of human impact on Earth's systems, especially on the climate.
Develop their persuasive and critical skills as writers and presenters
Become more familiar with political decision-making processes.
Context for Use
The role-play in this module takes one period, but it is the culmination of a six-week course.
Teaching Materials
The University of California, Santa Barbara's Mock International Summit Course site (Geography 135) contains extensive resources that detail:
- Information about character types (this information is now password protected and no longer public)
- Lecture material (as .pdf's) and schedule
- Lab book (as .pdf's)
- An annotated list of writing assignments
- Recommended links and required-reading links
- The Santa Barbara Protocol (a proposed amendment to the Kyoto Protocol) that the representatives are discussing
- A great student feedback form
Teaching Notes and Tips
This site contains a diverse array of useful material that could be incorporated into an environmental or climate studies course.
Share your modifications and improvements to this activity through the Community Contribution Tool »
Assessment
The course has 9 writing assignments, each of which is explained in detail. There are also lab activities and presentations.
References and Resources
Interactive role-playing exercises dealing with the complicated issue of humanity's dependence on fossil fuels and its consequences include:
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- Mock Environmental Summit
At the end of a six-week class or unit on global warming, students role-play representatives from various countries and organizations at an international summit on global warming.
- The Great Energy Debate
This lesson plan explores the energy debate in the U.S. Students will hold a mock congressional committee meeting and make decisions about public lands and energy resources.
- What Should We Do About Global Warming?
This module contains an 8-lesson curriculum to study greenhouse gases and global warming using data and visualizations. The students will summarize the issue in a mock debate or a presentation.
