Can anybody thing of a simulation game or teaching aid that I can use to teach

[David W]

global stratification ? I have to present a 90 min oral presentantion on global stratification and while my reseach is solid and my outline in complete, I just cannot think of a game or teaching aide to use to boost my grade and give the class a better understanding of the topic......please help!

[mtnglo]

A game called "The Power of Suns"

Essentials:

The game was run by a facilitator and, optimally, three assistants. Non-participating observers were discouraged or forbidden.

The game was described on the mimeo sheet as a three tiered political
system where participants experienced some of the differing
characteristics within each of the three levels (groups/ classes).
It was found that it worked best with thirty participants, plus or minus a
half dozen. It worked best when spread over a two or three hour period.

The first part was composed of trading sessions of five or six minutes
each, interspersed by solidarity sessions of four to five minutes each.
After about four or five of each of these, the group must be debriefed
by the facilitator, which may take an hour or more.

The debriefing session is essential because the trading and solidarity
sessions produce a large amount of energy, mostly based upon frustration
and outrage, and that energy needs to be channelled into educational
benefits and interpretation of the experience.

There were three prizes, on public display, which were to be awarded to
the three individuals with the highest scores.

Players were each given a package of chips, which were made out of school
construction paper or cardboard, each colour representing a different
value. (Typically, they were worth 5, 10, 15, 25 and 80 points). The chips
represented currency for the game. Each package of chips was handed out
randomly to players. Some packages, approximately a third, were worth a
high amount, others medium and others a small amount of currency.
Players were told to chose any chip, hide it, and approach someone else
who might appear to be willing to trade.

No talking was allowed, unless the two players hold hands, as in a
handshake, during which they could negotiate a trade. They were allowed
to talk until a trade is negotiated, and then were not permitted to talk
after they broke off holding hands. Players could not trade the same
colour chip for the same colour chip.

At the end of the trading session, the players were grouped into plenary,
and all their names were listed on the board, next to their score,
consisting of the sum of the currency chips they each hold. The top third
of scores became squares, the bottom third became triangles, and the
middle group became circles. The blue squares, yellow circles and red
triangles (about 8-10 cm wide), were also made out of school construction
paper or cardboard, and worn around the neck by means of a string looped
through a hole in each.

(The colours and shapes of the symbols had meanings to activists in the
sixties). A ceremony was held to place the square, circle or triangle
(class identification necklace) on each participant.

Early on, it became too obvious that a "mistake" had been made that
unequal currency chips must be traded. Participants became suspicious.
After discussions with participants, and among the loose association of
activists, it was agreed that there would be an advantage in accepting a
chip of lower value than the one offered. If there were two or more of
the same value, there would be a 10 point bonus in value (thus 30 for
three, 60 for four of a kind). That made it a more acceptable rule that
traded chips had to be of different values.

The solidarity session followed each trading session. The players were
grouped into their shape-colour groups and given four minutes to
choose unanimously only one of their number to receive a bonus currency
chip. The size of the bonus chip was large enough to push the recipient
up into the colour-shape group/class above (triangle to circle; circle to
square).

At the end of the session, all the names and scores on the board were
reviewed. Any individuals who had increased their scores enough to move up
to a higher shape-colour group/class, were ceremoniously presented with
their new identification necklace. A player that became too low in his
class was quietly moved downward and given the necklace of the class lower.

Copied from:
http://www.scn.org/cmp/star.txt

Try to adapt this to suit your needs. Good luck!