π Week 5: Trade-offs Role-Play
Unit 10: Kai, Culture and Climate β Surviving Scarcity
Experience scarcity and trade-offs through role-play scenarios. Choose between investing in water, food, or shelter after a disaster.
π Activity Overview: In small groups, you'll role-play a community facing scarcity after a disaster. You must make difficult choices about how to use limited resources.
π Scenario: After the Disaster
Setting: Your community has just experienced a major flood. Many homes are damaged, the water supply is contaminated, and food stores are limited.
Your Group: You are the community leaders. You have $10,000 to spend on recovery. You must choose how to allocate this money.
Time Limit: You have 3 months before the next harvest/income.
π° Your Resources
Available Funds: $10,000
You must allocate this money across three categories:
- Water: Clean water supply, filters, storage tanks
- Food: Emergency food supplies, seeds for next season
- Shelter: Repairs to damaged homes, temporary housing
π Cost Options
| Category | Option | Cost | Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Basic filters | $2,000 | Clean water for 50 people |
| Water storage tanks | $3,500 | Clean water for 100 people | |
| Full water system | $5,000 | Clean water for 200 people | |
| Food | Emergency rations | $2,500 | Food for 1 month |
| Seeds + tools | $3,000 | Food for 3 months | |
| Full food security | $6,000 | Food for 6 months | |
| Shelter | Basic repairs | $1,500 | Shelter for 20 families |
| Major repairs | $4,000 | Shelter for 50 families | |
| Complete rebuild | $7,000 | Shelter for 100 families |
π Your Group's Decision
Group Members: _________________________________
Our Allocation:
| Category | Option Chosen | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Water | _____ | $_____ |
| Food | _____ | $_____ |
| Shelter | _____ | $_____ |
| TOTAL | $_____ (Must equal $10,000) | |
π€ Reflection Questions
- What trade-offs did you make? (What did you give up to get what you needed?)
- How did scarcity affect your decisions? (What would you have done differently if you had more money?)
- What was the hardest choice? Why?
- How does this connect to real-world scarcity? (Think about communities facing disasters, food shortages, etc.)
π‘ Extension: Try the scenario again with different constraints (e.g., only $7,000 available, or you must prioritize one category). How do your choices change?