TASKs for democracy

4. Start the activity by saying: “Close your eyes. You are asleep.” Turn on the alarm. When it rings, say, “The
morning has begun.” After the first situation has been played out (you will see that everyone is close to
the walls and the participants are not moving), ask the cashiers to choose their cash desks and go to the
chosen place.
5. Turn your attention to the rest of the participants: now that they are in the store, they have the cashiers
and they may start playing the second situation. Ask participants with the second role to come over and
show their results.
Step 2 (first experiment – whole group – 10 minutes)
1. Count how many people turned off the water and bought plastic bags.
2. Provide some facts
Around 3 million people die of thirst annually.
To grow grain for a loaf of bread one ton of water is needed, but for a kilo of rice 1.5 tons of water
are needed.
According to the World Health Organization, about 55% of children’s deaths are caused by hunger or
malnutrition. Millions of people (including 6 million children) die of hunger every year.
In some countries people are limited to water consumption of 3.5 litres per day (for drinking, cooking,
washing).
Turning off the water while brushing teeth may save up to 8 litres of water each time.
3. Multiply 8 litres by the number of participants who did not turn off the water in the second situation
and see how much water you have wasted during this little experiment.
Step 3 (reflection – group work – 10 minutes)
1. Start a discussion about what can be done by every citizen to contribute to sustainable development;
these are not only ecological issues, but also relate to the economy, society and other spheres. Ask the
participants to reflect and share their ideas on the issue of global interdependence.
Does it matter for a boy dying of thirst in Ethiopia that someone in Europe saves some water every
morning?
What does “think globally, act locally” mean?
2. In the whole group ask a few participants to share the ideas that have been discussed in groups.
Step 3 (second experiment – group work – 10 minutes)
1. Count how many people bought plastic bags.
2. Provide some facts
Plastic bags take between 500 and 1 000 years to decompose.
An estimated 4 billion plastic bags end up as litter each year. This is enough to circle the earth
63 times.
It is estimated that 100 000 marine mammals die each year because of plastic litter in the North
Pacific Ocean.
Very few recycling centres accept plastic bags because they are of little recyclable value.
A “plastic soup” of waste floating in the Pacific Ocean is growing at an alarming rate and now covers
an area twice the size of the continental United States.
3. Ask the participants to get back to their groups and calculate what area the plastic bags they use would
cover in a year. Compare the results of the groups to make sure they are correct.
4. Ask what other little experiments may be held in the classroom to show the students that their behaviour
is also relevant to achieving sustainable development.
TASKs for democracy Page 112