Puzzle Game Instructions for Wilson Ch. 2

Set up:

1. Choose 5 clip art pictures that represent the book, e.g., animals, plants, the Earth, etc.

2. Print them about the size of one sheet of 81/2 x 11 paper. 3. Then cut each one into 8 puzzle pieces.4. Develop 8 questions that push students to look into the chapter to answer.5. Make five copies and cut them so that one question appears on a separate piece of

paper.

Preparing to play:

1. Have students sit in their groups and choose one of the puzzles from a word document where you have inserted them in advance.

2. In the front of the room, place each set of questions in front of the stacked pieces for each puzzle.

3. One student is selected from each group to be the rep. who obtains each question from you and presents the answer for the group.

4. Buy prizes to award at the end.

The play:

1. The runner from each group comes to the front and gets the first question to take back to the group.

2. Each group discusses the answer, which the runner then comes to the front and repeats to you.

3. If the answer is correct, the runner receives a piece of the puzzle and the next question. If the answer is incorrect, the runner returns to the group for further discussion.

4. Tell the class that there are prizes for the group that finishes first.5. Play continues until one group has completed its puzzle.6. Prizes are awarded to the winning group and to the others (I just don’t tell them until

the end to motivate competition). I usually give the winning group fun size $100,000 bars and the other groups Gummi Lifesavers or something smaller but still good, such as bite size wrapped candies, as runner up prizes.

Tips:

1. Sometimes a group will struggle with a question, failing to answer correctly three or more times. In recognition that time is limited, I will provide clues or prompt the runner to help that group catch up with the others.

2. Although the goal for them is to be the first to complete the puzzle, my goal is for them to learn by completing all of the questions. Hence I “play with” hints to individual runners, so that all of the groups are working on the last question close to the same time with differences only in how long each has had the final question to work with. That way every group has dealt with the all of the questions for a consistent learning experience.

3. Playing with hints also is useful if you are running short of time.

I have used this game six times and the students really enjoy it. And we have been able to finish every time although with only a few minutes to spare.

1

How does the bottleneck metaphor help us to understand better the concerns of the environmentalists?

5

Name three fundamental and powerful concepts that are significant to our understanding.

2

What is a main assumption underlying the economic POV?

6

Based on the bottleneck metaphor, what are the implications and consequences if we do nothing?

3

What is the main assumption underlying the environmental POV?

7

What alternative solution does Wilson suggest?

4

How does Wilson “change” the context regarding both the economic and environmental POVs?

8

Wilson asserts that three specific forces have caused a decline in global population. How does he use this argument? What is his purpose?