Lesson Plans for Teachers LESSON ONE Oil Crisis: Get Into the Game A global oil crisis has begun. Oil usage worldwide has increased to where the oil supply can only meet 95 percent of the demand. Begin the inquiry into the effects of less oil in our lives. LESSON TWO: How Bad Can It Get? Fuel prices rise in anticipation of when actual supplies start to run short. It's clear that there is no quick fix to the shortage. Tensions start to rise. LESSON THREE: Life Is Starting to Change Widespread changes are starting. Goods and services that depended on cheap oil are failing. LESSON FOUR: Elasticity and Collapse This lesson investigates the factors that define elasticity in relation to oil—factors such as lifestyle, geography, setting and community. LESSON FIVE: Oil Dependency Among Nations The oil crisis has caused some nations to reconsider their foreign policy objectives—and to aggressively seek to acquire oil. LESSON SIX: Food Without Oil The impact of oil on our food supply is one of the most serious aspects of the oil crisis. Shortages are forcing many people to look for locally grown food. LESSON SEVEN: Breakdown Governments have been hit as hard as anyone by the crisis, leading to the existence of red and green zones in cities and refugee camps in rural areas. LESSON EIGHT: Preparation and Community With problems piling up and the government unable to help, many communities across the nation are turning inward for solutions. LESSON NINE: Lessons Learned Now that the crisis has stabilized, how do we go forward? How do we balance our desire for energy's benefits with the risks and costs of procuring it? LESSON TEN: Your World Without Oil Help out the World Without Oil team. Script and deliver your own citizen report that communicates what is happening to you in the crisis.

TEACHERS: LESSON SEVEN Breakdown

Introduction

The oil shortage has caused episodes of disorder and violence throughout the United States and local, state and federal government are reacting in controversial ways. At the local level, some police and fire departments have been unable to respond to all calls, resulting in the creation of unofficial Red (dangerous) and Green (safe) Zones in most cities. Outside the cities, the federal government has established refugee camps for those forced to leave their homes because of violence or lack of food. It has been reported that some of these camps have been converted to agriculture work camps to help offset the food shortages. Few official reports address the true nature of these camps.

Lesson Objectives

Students will:

• Continue to immerse themselves in the realistic WWO scenario.
• Evaluate the government's role in a crisis.
• Compare the governmental handling of the fictional oil crisis with Hurricane Katrina (2005) and the San Diego wild fires (2007).
• Develop a basic government emergency plan that will maintain order and protect the American people in an emergency situation.
• Continue to develop personal strategies predicated upon anticipated events.
• Continue to reflect on the life changes that would occur during a prolonged oil shortage.

Before the Lesson

• Read these WWO news reports:
• Week 17
• Week 18
• Week 23
• Preview the resource materials (links below).
• Prepare your own "in-game" reaction to the events unfolding in World Without Oil. Do you live in a Green Zone or a Red Zone? Blog your in-game citizen report and share your blog with your students.

Part 1: Set the Stage

Student Page for this lesson >>
This page summarizes ideas and instructions for students.

• Re-immerse the students: briefly remind them of what's happened previously in a World Without Oil.
• Show PeakProphet's "Petroterrorism in Nashville" video.

Part 2: Take Action

1. Discuss with the students the basic nature of the role of government especially in the United States. You can use the WWO crisis to focus students on the basic protections a government should afford. Remind them of what's stated in the Declaration of Independence: all people have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

2. Have the student groups review the following posts and create a list of what the U.S. government should be doing for citizens during times of crisis.

• Revolution in Slow Motion
• Riot gear
• The threat becomes real
• Update from the Southeast
• Enjoying life in the red zone
• The spark

3. Create a class list of the items and try to determine what level of government (local, state and federal) holds the responsibility. Ask students: "at what point do state and federal governments involve themselves with local problems? At what point should they?"

Part 3: Lesson Activity

1. Ask student groups to outline measures the different levels of government could take to limit the problems currently happening in a World Without Oil.

2. Next, have students review the following articles about Hurricane Katrina (2005) and the San Diego wild fires (2007). In groups, have students make a general comparison of the government reactions. How did the local, state and federal governments fail in New Orleans and succeed in San Diego? What factors contributed to these outcomes? Could socioeconomics be involved?

• Hurricane Katrina disaster relief
• Unrelenting fires char Southern California

3. Bring the class back together and discuss the importance of having a government plan to deal with emergency situations. On the board or projector, create three columns. Label the columns preparation, reaction and recovery. As a class, determine specific actions the government should take in each of those categories. Also determine which level of government (local, state or federal) holds responsibility and what should be done if the accountable party fails its duty.

Part 4: Reflect

Students should now consider the large-scale problems that could erupt in the community and environment around them. Preexisting tensions, severe economic disparities and available local resources could all factor into the situation that students are facing in their local communities. Use the following questions to help guide their reflections:

• How are the citizen groups in your area reacting to the crisis? Have they remained calm? Why or why not?
• What measures are being taken by your local government to maintain order? How is the oil shortage affecting the government's ability to act?
• Where are the Red and Green Zones in your area? Do you live in a Green or Red zone?

Part 5: Take It Further

Distribute this to your students:

As the situation gets tense, we have to find ways to cope—not only physically, but emotionally as well. One way to lessen fear, especially of the unknown, is to play with it, because play creates a non-threatening space where we can think about problems and even try out solutions.

To take it further today, come up with some games to play that help the participants think about and adapt to the oil crisis. The games can be for children as well, because they are looking for ways to fight fear as much as anyone.

For inspiration, read Avantgame's defense of play even during crisis.

And look at Defend the Farm or Steal the Crops.

Don't forget to document your game ideas in your blog!

Additional Resources

• Criticism of government response to Hurricane Katrina
• San Diego Wildfires: This went better this time around

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View lesson eight >>

World Without Oil Classroom Home >>

McREL Standards