Lesson Name: International Relations Simulation

 

Category: Canadian and World Politics

Course Code: CPW 4U1

Created By: Mark Melnyk

School: Markville Secondary School

Level: Grade 12

Time: 7-10 periods for various amounts of time. Please refer to Sample Schedule to see how to divide and allot time during the first month of classes

 

 

 

 


Rationale:

International Relations Simulation: This simulation runs throughout the second month of class allowing students to practice and live the theories and actions that they will be studying. The current focus is the search for peace in the Middle East. In particular, students attempt to develop a working Peace Plan for Israel and Palestine.

 

 

Expectations:

Ø      describe the main ways in which sovereign states and non-state participants cooperate and deal with international conflicts;

Ø      evaluate the extent to which the rights and responsibilities of states in the international community are parallel to the rights and responsibilities of citizens in democratic national communities;

Ø      describe the participation of several states in international relations in terms of their objectives, resources, and methods;

Ø      identify ways of preventing war and conflict between states (e.g., military preparation, international law, peace movements);

Ø      explain the effects on national sovereignty of the trend towards global decision making (e.g., the decreased power of states to make policies to control the flow of goods and services, ideas, and cultural products);

Ø      identify the causes and consequences of non-governmental international conflict and violence (e.g., terrorism, tribalism, organized crime).

Ø      analyse the need for new international organizations as a result of globalization and the advent of new technologies (e.g., organizations for regulating extra-governmental firms, controlling drug trafficking, regulating activities in outer space).

Ø      describe factors that make states powerful and factors that make states weak;

Ø      identify key influences in the history of international relations;

Ø      explain the role and function of ideologies in national and international politics;

Ø      explain how nationalist and internationalist ideologies shape ideas, as well as conflict or cooperation within and among nations;

Ø      demonstrate an understanding of the many similarities and differences in the aspirations, expectations, and life conditions among the peoples of the developed and the developing nations.

 

 

Instructions:

  1. Introduction: The fact that this course is designed for University preparation should be stated to the students each lesson. Students are reminded that University professors will use simulations to help involve all students and increase understanding of material. The IR Sim will be spread across three weeks with essential individual lessons highlighting IR Theory, Diplomacy, War, and the history of the Middle East conflict.

    There are many subtleties to the Simulation that are not outlined here.. review the previous IR Chat Rooms for some ideas of how that element will be used. The teacher should choose 2 responsible controllers (they will play a major role in keeping the simulation running).

  2. Day 1: of the Simulation, students will be introduced to the nature and goal of the simulation. Please refer to the Introductory Handout: http://www.markville.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/politics/IR/pol_siminstructions.html for further instructions on how to get started.
     
    - Please Print IR Simulation Handouts
    - Sign on to IR Chat Room (Name Country Choices)
    - Work on Country Handbook (Can be website or Standard Handbook)

    *Any extra time at the end of classes during the 3 weeks that the simulation are running should be given to students as research time, diplomacy or planning.

  3. Day 2: Work on Country Profile. Book cross-curricular lab for two days during he week. Refer to Handout and Rubric for more details. This can be used as an opportunity to teach students how to make a basic website. I developed a basic template that students were able to fill out in Microsoft Front Page.
    Template: http://www.markville.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/politics/politicstemplate.html

  4. Day 3: Finish Country Profile

  5. Day 4: Diplomacy with nations. All characters must come dressed in role. The media and Controllers will be in full force at this point organizing, taking pictures (if you have access to a digital camera). Countries begin to discuss their potential actions, speak with the media to get a certain bias out. This day requires closure and reminders of the main objective of the simulation – the Israel-Palestine Peace Plan.

 

  1. Day 5: Press Conference (Dress in Role). The Media and Controllers are given time to ask each of the countries about their actions, Chat Posts and ideas about the Peace Plan. The class can be set up on a U Shape or large square with the Controllers and Media in the Middle or front asking questions. This is also a good time to ask for the first Mandatory IR Chat Post.

 

  1. Day 6: Peace Conference. This is the first stage for countries to develop the Peace Plan. The best Peace Conference to date was one initiated by the people representing Canada. They chose to host a conference and only invited certain countries, forcing the other countries to decide how they would attempt to make peace. The Peace Conferences allow all countries to study past Peace Plans, and try to develop one on their own.

 

  1. Day 7: Debate –Students typically ask for more time for this element of the simulation. One period is very quick, the teacher will need to gauge if students need more time with this element. This can be set up with Israel and Palestine in the middle, surrounded by the world community.

 

  1. Day 8: Peace Plan – Can be done on its own or in conjunction with a Friday Foreign Assignment/Peace plan video. An excellent video on the subject is : Evan Solomon’s show “Hot Type” on CBC Newsworld with Alan Dershowitz as a guest debating his book “The Case for Israel”.

 

  1. Day 9: Controller’s Presentation/Debriefing – The controllers are allotted time to present about any “shady business” that occurred during the simulation. This might be related to secret identities on the Chat Room, or the details of the day to day procedures and interesting highlights. This is an excellent time to debrief the simulation with the students, ask what they liked, didn’t like and what could be improved in future. The IR position paper should be discussed at this stage (I usually give students a week to complete the Position Paper after the conclusion of the Simulation. Mainly because

  2. Activity Closure: Debrief the simulation and ask students how they feel that the simulation mirrored actual historical or current events. Analyze the power structures, and the collapse or maintenance of the peace process. The main element of the debriefing will be the:
    IR Position Paper- http://www.markville.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/politics/IR/fpp.html
    Student Exemplars- http://www.markville.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/politics/exemplars.html

 

 

 

Materials:

Þ    3 Computers with Internet (flexible element)

Þ    Course Pack

Þ    Students must dress in role (costumes)

Þ    IR Simulation Handouts

Þ    Textbooks: Allen Sens, Peter Stoett, Global Politics: Origins, Currents, Directions, 2nd Edition, Nelson – Thomson Learning, 2002. For more information go to the publishers website: http://www.globalpolitics2e.nelson.com/

Þ    IR Chat Room. Set up an Online Chat Room that allows students to carry the Simulation out of the class.

 

 

Assessment & Evaluation:

  1. The evaluation of the IR Simulation is outlined in the Handouts, but the main components involved are the Online IR Chat Posts, role in the Peace Conference, The Role Profile and the IR Position Paper.
  2. The final element is that the IR Simulation will be on the Mid Term Examination.