This method will work best for assemblies or when you have a large group where you want to encourage audience participation (i.e. through answering questions or volunteering to come to the front, etc.). This is not a stand-alone session. It should be used in tandem with a prepared plan in order to encourage participation and make a point about conserving resources.
Aims
- To stimulate pupil participation in the session by using chocolate;
- To demonstrate very simply the draining of the Earth’s resources and how this damage can be mitigated.
Method
At the beginning of the assembly/session, introduce a full box of celebrations/mini heroes (chocolate) etc. The box of celebrations compares to the Earth, the chocolate inside compares to the Earth’s resources. Explain that participation in the assembly (i.e. – answering questions, volunteering for demonstrations) will earn chocolate. When someone answers a question, give them some chocolate. If they answer the question correctly, give them more.
Siccum/Conclusion
By the end of the session, you should be running out of chocolate. Make the audience aware of this. The point is that since everybody is acting alone, out for their own chocolate, the supply runs out very quickly. In the same way, with countries all obtaining the Earth’s resources for their own needs, we will soon reach a crisis point where resources will be scarce.
Ask the pupils what the solution is to this –
In terms of chocolate – it needs everybody to either participate less (i.e. use less resources) and to share more.
If you have had one person who has repeatedly put their hand up and gained lots of chocolate, there is a comparison to be made between bigger and smaller countries, with bigger countries taking an unfair share of the Earth's resources.