Lesson Three :   Interdependence

Key Concepts and Issues: This lesson plan
explores the concept of Interdependence where
the world in which we live grows smaller. More
people inhabit this planet, more resources are
depleted, we are instantly in touch with each
other. We are connected through the air we
breathe and the water we drink and the images we
see on the Internet. No nation can go it alone entirely. At some point in a nation’s history, a cooperative relationship needs to be formed with a neighbor or a partner whether it’s sharing resources or trading in goods and commodities, righting a grievous wrong or supporting the other against a perceived enemy.

Duration: One to Eight Class Periods

Curriculum Links: World History, Geography, Environmental Science, Social Studies, Political Science, English, Visual Arts

Objectives/Outcomes:

Students will:

• Understand the links
  between nations
• See that the natural world
  is extremely fragile
• Link Human rights to responsibilities
  of global citizenship
• Comprehend the role technology
  plays in linking people together
• Figure out why, we as human beings,
  need to depend on each other
• Work together in teams
• Hone their communications skills
• Critically assess situations and events
• Benefit from real world experiences

Case Study: Nature’s Revenge

Samsul is 15 years old and lives in the Ampara coastal region of Sri Lanka. He lives in a village where the economic base is fishing. Each day, the men head out in their fishing boats to ply their trade in the hope that the catch that day may be plentiful enough for them to sell to the local markets and supply their personal needs as well. It is a difficult and precarious existence. The sea is often rough and there are storms. Boats can be damaged or lost. The boats themselves are expensive to buy and cost quite a lot to maintain, not to mention the price of fuel for the diesel engines. Samsul has left school and is now helping his father fish for a living. His father is grateful for the help and an extra pair of hands is very useful. When the men aren’t fishing, they are darning their nets or making necessary repairs to their boats. Samsul enjoys working with his father and is proud of the fact that he his helping to support the family through his labour. And by supporting the family, he is, in a way, supporting the village as well. When the fisherman sell their catch, it means they have money they can spend in the village, to purchase goods from some of the local tradesman which, in turn, helps them support their own families. In this way, everyone in the village is interconnected. Each depends on the other for help or trade or barter. Because of this system, it means that everyone in the village knows everyone else. Sometimes, this can be a nuisance, almost too close as neighbours know each other’s business and other intimate and personal details too. It also means that this co-dependant system that has been created in Samsul’s village is fragile and vulnerable to collapse in certain extreme conditions.

Unfortunately, for Samsul and his fellow villagers, some of these conditions do exist. They have been caught in an ongoing political dispute for many, many years. Samsul’s village is near a regional border. And this border has been in dispute for two decades as a rebel faction has been fighting the government for independence. Samsul and his fellow villagers have not taken sides nor declared their support for one side over the other. They try to keep their heads down and cooperate with everyone. Yet the dispute causes serious problems for the villagers. In the past, the village has been raided by the rebels and although they were treated well enough, many of their much-needed supplies were taken and no compensation was offered. Then, when government troops intervened and the rebels left, inevitably some of the villagers would be accused of aiding the insurgents. Once the government troops were satisfied, this wasn’t the case and felt the area was secure enough, they, in turn would leave, opening the door to the rebels once again. And so it went on. In some ways, the villagers became accustomed to the comings and goings of the various factions and troops and stuck to the business and life of the village as best they could.

Within the space of just a few minutes on a particular day, however, this all changed.  Far out in the Indian Ocean, a massive earthquake erupted deep below the surface of the water. This earthquake registered on seismographs around the globe at roughly 9.0 on the Richter scale. The scale only goes up to ten. The cataclysmic force of the earthquake created a gargantuan disturbance in the water above the earth’s surface resulting in a gigantic tidal wave, otherwise known as a tsunami. On the surface of the Indian Ocean, the scope and breadth of the tsunami was almost unparalleled stretching for hundreds of kilometers and gaining heights of 10 meters or well over 30 feet. What’s more, the tsunami was rapidly advancing toward coastal regions across the Indian Ocean.

On that morning, Samsul and his father were delayed from going out in their fishing boat as they were repairing some of their nets. What saved them was the fact they were in the boat when the gigantic wave swept down on their coastal village. The tsunami took them by surprise, there was no warning, and no reason for them to be alarmed. They did not know about the earthquake in the Indian Ocean. No alarm had been sounded because no warning system was in place. The tsunami swept in. The fishing boat broke its moorings and was carried up on the shore and inland for some 200 meters and then was pulled back almost another 100 meters before the water receded enough so the boat was left on somewhat dry land. Samsul had been too terrified to scream or cry out. He had been numbed with fear and could only hang on and watch with horror. By the time, the devastating waters had receded, Samsul’s village had disappeared.

Vocabulary List:

• Vulnerable
• Cataclysm
• Tsunami
• Seismograph
• Richter Scale
• Unparalleled
• Faction
• Recede
• Insurgent

Teacher-Directed Discussion

Step One: (One Period)

Have students read Samsul’s story and then have a general discussion of his situation. Focus the discussion points on various aspects of interdependence. That is, frame the discussion so that it explores a number of themes: Environmental interdependence, Economic interdependence, Human interrelationships, Political relations, Links to resources. You may wish to break the class into groups of three or four students and assign each group one of the aforementioned topics to be discussed in more specific terms. What do students think about Samsul’s situation? How do they think he can be helped and by whom? Has anyone in the class been in a comparable situation and if so, what did they experience? What do they think of the political context and what impact might that have on Samsul’s situation over the longer term. Write the vocabulary list on the board. You may assign one
word for each group to define and apply to the situation as
detailed in the case study. Each group will report back on
their discussion and the definition they’ve found for the
assigned word.

Creating an Action Plan

Step Two: (One Period)

Samsul’s village and the region in which he lives has been declared a disaster zone. Many people have been killed or are missing. The remaining villagers have no resources and no means of repairing the damage that has been done to the area.

Divide the class into small groups (as above) and have each group come up with a general strategy for dealing with Samsul’s situation and that of his village. This can be organized from the perspective of the local government, the regional or national government in that area, It can be discussed as if the group was a foreign government offering help and support or might be discussed as if the group was a prominent aid organization that was mobilizing its resources to help out. One member from each group will present the general strategy to the rest of the class.

Optional Extension Activities

Step Three: Building on the Action Plan (Two-Three Periods)

Keeping the same small groups as in Step Two, students will delve into the subject of interdependence in a more substantive way. Each group will use Samsul’s situation as a start point but will select a topic from the following list: The Environment, Technology, Human Rights, Trade, War and Conflict, Peacemaking, the Media, Arts and Culture, and Poverty.

Step Four: The declaration (One to Two Periods)

There are many declarations that exist in the world. In the United States, there is the Declaration of Independence. In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly tabled the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In Canada, there is the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Many nations and states have their own versions of declarations that address a wide range of issues and topics.

Each student in the class will create their own, personal declaration of interdependence.
This declaration may take the form of a poem, a rap song, a story board, a video, a Web site, a
quilt, a collage, an animation, a sculpture, drawing or anything else someone wishes to use.
All of the declarations will be handed in to the teacher who may choose to display and/or
feature all or some of them, so they may be shared with the rest of the class.

Step Five: Comparison (One Period)

In the television series, Get Outta Town!, the host of the show
visits cities around the world but is accompanied by a local
co-host. View any one of the episodes (http://www.getouttatown.tv)
and have students analyze the relationship between the host and
co-host. How is this relationship interdependent? Or is it?
Each student will write a brief summary of the episode
they’ve watched and describe how the host and co-host
rely on each other.

Assessment and Evaluation

Evaluate the class teams on their oral reports:

Suggested criteria:

• Content (was the content/strategy clearly articulated and well thought out?
  Were the points the team made persuasive?)
• Presentation (was the presentation well-delivered, easy-to-hear and understand
  with good vocal quality, gestures, postures etc?)
• Effectiveness (were the points presented effective, how practical were the suggestions?)
• Teamwork (did the group work well and effectively together?)

Assess students on their written work:

Suggested criteria:

• Grammatically correct with sentences properly structured, i.e., use of complex
  sentence structure and correct verb tenses, spelling and punctuation
• Comprehension of the word/phrases—sentences clearly reveal the meaning
• Ideas are expressed clearly
• Information is well organized.

Evaluate students on their presentation work:

Suggested criteria:

• Present information clearly
• What have they done to enhance the presentation
• Effective use of oral and visual communication?

Student self assessment of team work:

Suggested criteria:

• Contribution to group knowledge
• Preparation undertaken for research and investigation
• Articulating goals, devising alternate solutions, selecting best alternatives
• Setting personal goals for working effectively with others