Remco

Game-example: Mission 1.5

Mission 1.5, will give learners a direct way to communicate to their governments the change they want to see.  

The campaign is based around a mobile game that educates people about climate policy and provides a platform for them to vote on the solutions they want to see happen. The votes will then be compiled and analysed by researchers at the University of Oxford before being delivered to government leaders and climate policymakers.

The game, developed by UNDP with partners, was beta-tested last September (2019) and 1.25 million players voted. It is launching in all six of the UN’s official languages, and more languages will be added as the campaign progresses throughout the year.

Mission 1.5 uses mobile gaming technology in an entirely new way. Instead of just a website, the game is delivered through ads in some of the most popular video games in the world.

Follow the thinking steps as described in De Hamer/Heres, 32 lessen voor de toekomst; les 23, De Vries, van People, Planet, Prosperity naar Burgerschap (Hilversum NL 2015).

The ’thinking steps’ are:

• Challenge: learners are challenged to think about possible improvements to a plant, shop, office, government in the neighbourhood of the school or even the school itself e.g. safer traffic situation, less plastic, better waste management, restaurant policy, heating systems, electricity supply, leisure space etc.
• Reflection: every group member has a right to have one idea chosen by the group. No more than three pictures are taken of the chosen item; the pictures explicitly show the need for improvement.
• Discussion: The pictures are discussed in the small groups. Improvements are discussed from the perspectives of People, Planet and Prosperity. The reasoning is based on ‘if…, than…, with result…., which has impact…. etc.’
• Solution: group proposes a solution based on consensus. That ‘consensus’ might be difficult to reach: some children have to give in.
• Presentation: The solutions are presented and discussed in a plenary session, ideally with stakeholders.
• Reflection: whole group discuss the process: what is the solution, what is the impact on PPP, how hard was it to get there? How did you encourage fellow students to participate? How respectful was your behaviour? Etc…

General ideas: approach to the topic requires cooperation with local law enforcement organizations.

Game-example: Go Goals!

The aim of the UN Regional Information Centre for Western Europe (UNRIC) is to help people understand their role in the future of the planet as individuals, team players and responsible global citizens. Especially younger generations need to be key players for a brighter future. For this purpose, the UNRIC has created the “Go-Goals!” game for children aged 8-10. Designed to be fun and engaging, this game informs children while motivating them to actively pursue the SDGs.

Divide the group into five subgroups. Taking a perspective each from social, political, economic, cultural and ecological, groups research their neighbourhood. Groups aim to interview experts in the field. Each group produce a report about developments during the last 20 (or more) years, supported by at least five pictures.

Compare the reports and describe relations between the developments.

Students make a plan for improvement, focussing on each of the five perspectives and discuss the plan with the experts they met before.

Game-example: Oxygen Not Included

In the space-colony simulation game Oxygen Not Included learners will find that scarcities of oxygen, warmth and sustenance are constant threats to their colony’s survival. Guide colonists through the perils of subterranean asteroid living and watch as their population grows until they’re not simply surviving but thriving.

Activities in the simulation

• Everything in their space colony is under their control, from excavation and resource allocation right down to plumbing and power systems. 
• They keep the psychological impact of survival at bay with fun leisure activities, great accommodations and even better food for their colony. 
• They keep tabs on ambient environmental temperatures and their colony’s heat production to maintain a nice, cozy atmosphere for their colonists.
• They create interlocking pipe systems to swiftly deliver fuel and liquid to critical areas of your base. if they plan well, they be rewarded as their colony transforms into an imperishable, well-oiled machine.
• They choose from a multitude of power sources including coal, hydrogen, natural gas or just plain old elbow grease. 
• Waste Nothing through Extreme 
• They recycle waste into precious fuel, process unbreathable gas into air or harness the natural bodily processes of wild creatures for food.

Students research developments in a chosen country regarding social (People), ecological (Planet) and economical (Prosperity) aspects. What has changed? What has stayed the same? What was the result of actual policy? Compare with developments under previous governments.

Discuss findings and relations between social, ecological and economic policy. Share and compare viewpoints and suggestions with rationale amongst the group.

Useful websites: BBC’s reality check, National Geographic and The Balance.

Game-example: Bury me, my love

Bury me, my Love tells the story of a Syrian couple, Nour and Majd. They are separated, as Nour decides to leave her country and tries to reach Europe for a safer life, but Majd has to remain and take care of older relatives. The only way they can communicate is through a chat application on their smartphones. As a player, you witness those conversations and try to help Majd provide Nour with the best possible advice and support.

Students learn a song eg:

• Little boxes (original Malvina Reynolds), about standardisation in everything : houses, education, cultures etc.
• Garden song, inch by inch (original Dave Mallet), about growing your own veggies.
• What have they done to the rain (original Malvina Reynolds), about polluted rain.
• Morning dew (original Bonny Dobson), about the day after a nuclear war.

Discuss the meaning of the song and the fact that these are relatively old songs (at least 40 years) that describe a specific situation. Can we relate to it? Is it still relevant? Do we all feel the same about it? How do we deal with differences? What should we do about the issues mentioned?

Students write a poem, essay, song, roleplay in which a preferred solution is described. Imagine (John Lennon) could be used as an example.

Game-example: The Human Security Challenge

The Human Security Challenge takes place on a board that symbolizes a virtual world. Six fictional nations invest in security and aim to gain the most power by the end of the last game round. The dynamics are similar to issues that world leaders grapple with: limited resources, crises, conflict and international negotiations. The players face crucial trade-offs between long-term stability and short-term national interests.

The world is becoming increasingly complex and this calls for appropriate tools on how to deal with the world’s commons. The Human Security Challenge aims to provide players with insights into the dynamics at play and to stimulate reflection on collaboration between different players with different interests and perspectives.

The Challenge focuses on hard and soft measures of security and is used as a tool to start the conversation about the different aspects of security. The game is designed in a way that ensures the participants gain an improved understanding of the complexity of security issues and also helps them reflect on how they, as individuals, make decisions and position themselves in relation to each other.

Introduce the idea of how learning from nature can lead to smarter designs and more sustainable solutions. Students, in small groups, explore the school to identify unsustainable behaviour, routines etc. They then brainstorm alternative, sustainable solutions that might include mimicry, circular thinking and/or cradle to cradle.

Students write the challenge and solutions on a big sheet of paper and put it on the wall.

Teams check and critique each other’s work.

If possible, the results are presented to the school management.

NB: the whole process can be adapted to consider home, personal lifestyle, neighbourhood etc…

Useful source: ‘Webster & Johnson, Sense & sustainability’ (TerraPreta 2009); Dutch: Leren van de Natuur (NME Utrecht 2010) especially the suggestions on p154.