Warm-Up: Trust Thermometer

Instructions: Read each statement below and consider where you would place yourself on a 'Trust Thermometer' from 1 (not at all) to 5 (completely).

1. I trust my classmates to work fairly in a group project.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. I feel comfortable sharing my ideas, even if they are different from others, in this classroom.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. I believe my friends will support me if I make a mistake.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. I trust myself to make responsible decisions.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Reflect:

• What makes it easy or hard to trust others?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• How does trust (or lack of trust) affect how you interact with people?

Script: Building Blocks of Trust

(Teacher opens with the Warm-Up activity, then transitions to the Slide Deck.)

"Good morning/afternoon everyone! Today, we're going to explore some really important ideas that help us get along with each other and achieve great things. We're talking about trust and teamwork!"

(Display Slide 1: Welcome: The Power of Our Choices)

"As you saw in our warm-up, thinking about trust can bring up a lot of different feelings and ideas. Our goal today is to understand what trust and cooperation really mean and why they're so powerful in our lives. Every choice we make, every word we say, every action we take – they all have an impact, not just on us, but on the people around us."

(Display Slide 2: What is Trust?)

"So, what exactly is trust? When you say you trust someone, what do you mean? [Pause for student responses, validate different ideas.] Great answers! At its core, trust is believing in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. Think about it like this: If I trust a friend, I believe they will be there for me, tell me the truth, and generally do what they say they will. If I trust a bridge, I believe it will hold me up when I walk across it. It's about feeling safe and confident in a person or situation."

"Let's break it down further. When we talk about trust, we often think about:

• Reliability: Can you count on them? Do they consistently do what they promise?
• Honesty: Do they tell the truth, even when it's hard?
• Competence: Can they actually do what they say they will do? Do they have the skills or knowledge?"

"Can anyone share an example of a time when someone showed you they were trustworthy? Or perhaps a time when someone broke your trust? [Allow for a few student shares, emphasizing respectful listening and not naming names if discussing negative experiences.]"

(Display Slide 3: Let's Cooperate!)

"Now, let's talk about cooperation. How many of you have ever worked on a group project or played on a sports team? [Most hands should go up.] That's cooperation in action! Cooperation is simply working together towards a common goal. It's about combining your efforts with others to achieve something bigger and better than what you could do alone."

"What happens when people cooperate well? What are the benefits? [Guide students to answers like: tasks get done faster, ideas are better, everyone feels included, less stress.] Exactly! When we cooperate, we usually have a shared goal, we support each other, and we create synergy. Synergy is a fancy word that just means that when everyone contributes, the result is often much better than what one person could do alone."

(Display Slide 4: Your Choices Matter)

"This brings us to a really important point: your choices. Every single choice you make, whether it's deciding to share your ideas, help a classmate, or even just listen carefully, has an impact. When we're working in a group, our individual choices can have a ripple effect, influencing the entire team. A positive choice can lift everyone up, and a less helpful choice can make things more difficult."

"Today, we're going to put these ideas of trust, cooperation, and the power of choices to the test with an activity. It's going to be a challenge, but a fun one!"

(Display Slide 5: Challenge Ahead!)

"Get ready to think about how you communicate, how you cooperate, and how much you trust your teammates! This challenge will help us see these ideas in action. Let's get into our groups!"

(Teacher transitions to explain the Activity: Communication Challenge.)

Cool-Down: Ripple Effect Reflection

Instructions: Reflect on today's lesson and activity by answering the questions below.

1. Define trust in your own words. How does it feel when someone trusts you?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Describe one thing your group did well during the Communication Challenge. How did this show cooperation or trust?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Think about a time outside of class when your choice (big or small) had an impact on someone else or a group. Briefly describe what happened.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. What is one thing you learned today about building better relationships with others?

Warm-Up: Recalling Trust

Instructions: Briefly answer the following questions.

1. In your own words, what is trust?
   
   
   
   
2. What is one key takeaway you had from our Communication Challenge yesterday?
   
   
   
   

Warm-Up: Shared Resources Brainstorm

Instructions: Think about resources that many people share. These could be natural resources or things in your school/community.

1. List 2-3 examples of resources that you share with others.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. What are some benefits of sharing these resources?
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. What are some challenges or problems that can arise when many people use the same shared resource?
   
   
   
   
   
   

Script: Understanding the Commons

(Teacher opens with the Warm-Up activity, then transitions to the Slide Deck.)

"Good morning/afternoon everyone! Welcome to our final session on 'The Choices We Make: Trust & Teamwork.' Yesterday, we talked about making tough choices in dilemmas. Today, we're going to use what we've learned to understand how our choices impact resources that we all share."

(Display Slide 1: Sharing Our World: The Commons)

"As we discussed in our warm-up, we share many things. How do our individual choices affect these shared resources and the well-being of our whole community?"

(Display Slide 2: What Are 'Shared Resources'?)

"Let's brainstorm a few more examples of shared resources, sometimes called 'commons.' These are things that are open for everyone to use, and often, everyone benefits from them. Think about a public park, the air we breathe, the water in a shared lake, or even resources within our school, like the playground or gym equipment. [Pause for student responses, affirm diverse examples.] These are all great examples of shared resources!"

(Display Slide 3: The Shared Pasture Predicament)

"Now, imagine a beautiful, green pasture in a village, owned by no one, but open to everyone in the village to graze their animals. Each villager wants their animals to be healthy and produce as much as possible, so it makes sense for each individual villager to put one more animal on the pasture. This seems like a small, reasonable choice for one person, right?"

"But what happens if everyone in the village makes that same logical choice – to add just one more animal? [Pause for student predictions.] Exactly! The pasture gets overgrazed, the grass dies, and soon, no one can use the pasture anymore. This is a classic example of something called the 'Tragedy of the Commons.' It's when individual choices, made for personal benefit, end up harming the shared resource and, in the long run, everyone who relies on it."

(Display Slide 4: Me vs. We: A Tricky Balance)

"It's completely natural to think about what's best for ourselves, our families, or our immediate group. But the 'Tragedy of the Commons' shows us that sometimes, what's best for 'me' in the short term isn't what's best for 'us' in the long term. This creates a tricky balance. How do we make sure our individual choices don't accidentally ruin things for everyone? It requires trust, cooperation, and responsible decision-making – the very things we've been talking about."

"Can you think of a time when you saw individual choices, even small ones, start to negatively impact a shared space or resource? [Allow for a few student shares, encouraging reflection.]"

(Display Slide 5: Let's Play: The Shared Pasture Game!)

"Today, we're going to play a game that simulates this 'Shared Pasture Predicament.' You'll work in groups, and each of you will make choices about how many 'sheep' to graze on a shared 'pasture.' Your choices will affect not only your own 'wealth' but also the health of the entire pasture and your group's ability to keep grazing in future rounds. This game will help us experience firsthand the challenges of managing shared resources."

(Display Slide 6: Reflect and Discuss)

"After the game, we'll debrief what happened, analyze the choices we made, and discuss how this relates to real-world challenges in managing shared resources like clean water, forests, or even our school hallways. It's an important concept for understanding how we can all work together to protect the things that benefit everyone."

"Let's get into our groups and see how we navigate the Shared Pasture!"

**(Teacher transitions to explain the Activity: The Shared Pasture Game.)"

Activity: The Shared Pasture Game

Objective: To simulate the Tragedy of the Commons, demonstrating how individual choices can impact a shared resource and collective well-being.

Materials (per group of 4-5 students):

• 1 "Pasture Board" (a simple drawing of a pasture, or just a designated area on a desk)
• 20-30 "Grass Tokens" (e.g., small paper squares, counters, erasers, or even dry pasta pieces)
• 5 "Sheep Tokens" per student (e.g., pennies, beans, small rocks)
• Individual "Grazing Choice" sheets or small whiteboards/paper for students to secretly record their choice
• A group score tracker / whiteboard to record pasture health and individual earnings

Instructions:

1. Form Groups: Students will be divided into small groups of 4-5.
2. Setup the Pasture: Place the Pasture Board in the center of the group. Start each game with 20 Grass Tokens on the pasture. Each student starts with 5 Sheep Tokens.
3. The Goal: The goal is for each individual student to maximize their personal "wealth" (sheep) over several rounds, while also trying to maintain the shared pasture for future grazing.
4. The Game Play (Multiple Rounds - ~3-5 rounds):
   • Grazing Choice (Secret - 1 minute): In each round, each student secretly decides how many of their sheep (1-5) they want to graze on the shared pasture. They record this on their individual sheet.
   • Reveal Choices: On the count of three, all students reveal how many sheep they chose to graze.
   • Calculate Impact:
     • Consumption: For every sheep grazed, remove 1 Grass Token from the pasture. (e.g., if 4 students graze 3 sheep each, 12 grass tokens are removed).
     • Regrowth: At the end of each round, the pasture grows back a fixed amount. Add 5 new Grass Tokens to the pasture (representing regrowth). However, if the pasture runs out of grass tokens completely (goes to 0) at any point, no new grass grows back for that round.
   • Individual Earnings: For every sheep grazed by a student, if there was enough grass for that sheep (i.e., you successfully removed a grass token), that student earns 1 additional Sheep Token for that round. Students add earned sheep to their personal pile. (If no grass was left, they earn 0 for that sheep).
   • Pasture Health Check: Check the number of Grass Tokens remaining. If the pasture reaches 0 and stays at 0 for two consecutive rounds, the pasture is considered permanently depleted, and the game ends prematurely.
5. No Communication (during choices): During the choice-making phase, students cannot talk or signal to each other about their grazing numbers. Communication is allowed between rounds for discussion and strategy.

Debrief Questions (for after the activity):

• What happened to the pasture over the course of the game? Did it thrive, stay stable, or get depleted?
  
  
  
  
  
  
• What was your personal strategy in the first round? Did it change in later rounds? Why?
  
  
  
  
  
  
• How did your individual choices impact the shared pasture and other players?
  
  
  
  
  
  
• What made it difficult to manage the shared resource sustainably?
  
  
  
  
  
  
• What strategies could your group have used to prevent the "tragedy" in the pasture?
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Can you think of any real-life examples where people struggle to share resources fairly, similar to our Shared Pasture Game?

Cool-Down: Sustainable Choices Reflection

Instructions: Reflect on today's game and discussion about shared resources.

1. In your own words, what is the "Tragedy of the Commons"?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. What is one challenge you faced in the Shared Pasture Game when trying to balance your own interests with the group's interests?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Propose one rule or strategy that your group could have implemented to manage the pasture more sustainably. How would this rule require trust or cooperation?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. How can lessons from the Shared Pasture Game apply to real-life shared resources (like clean water, public spaces, or even classroom supplies)? What is one thing you can do to be a better steward of shared resources?

Answer Key: The Shared Pasture Game Debrief

These answers are suggestions and can vary based on student experiences and insights. The key is to encourage thoughtful reflection and discussion around the concepts of the Tragedy of the Commons, self-interest vs. collective good, and sustainable resource management.

1. What happened to the pasture over the course of the game? Did it thrive, stay stable, or get depleted?

   • Thought Process: Students should describe the outcome of their specific game. Many groups will likely experience depletion unless they consciously cooperated early on.
   • Possible Answer: "In our game, the pasture got depleted very quickly in the first few rounds because everyone kept grazing a lot of sheep. Eventually, there wasn't enough grass for anyone."

2. What was your personal strategy in the first round? Did it change in later rounds? Why?

   • Thought Process: Students might start with a self-interested strategy (graze many sheep) but then adapt if they see the pasture depleting or if other players start cooperating. They might also stick to a strategy to 'win' individually.
   • Possible Answer: "At first, I grazed 4 sheep to get a lot of points. But when the grass started disappearing, I tried grazing fewer, like 1 or 2, hoping others would too so we could save the pasture. It was hard to trust everyone to do the same."

3. How did your individual choices impact the shared pasture and other players?

   • Thought Process: Students should connect their actions to the collective outcome. Emphasize that even small individual choices, when multiplied, have a large effect.
   • Possible Answer: "My choice to graze more sheep meant less grass for everyone else, and it made the pasture shrink faster. If everyone did that, no one would have any grass left, which is what happened to us."

4. What made it difficult to manage the shared resource sustainably?

   • Thought Process: Students should identify factors like self-interest, lack of trust, fear of being exploited, and the absence of clear rules or communication.
   • Possible Answer: "It was hard because everyone wanted to get more points for themselves, and we didn't know what others would choose. We worried that if we grazed fewer sheep, others would graze more and we'd be at a disadvantage. There weren't any rules to make us share fairly."

5. What strategies could your group have used to prevent the "tragedy" in the pasture?

   • Thought Process: This prompts students to think about solutions to the Tragedy of the Commons: communication, agreed-upon rules, monitoring, consequences, or external regulation.
   • Possible Answer: "We could have talked between rounds and agreed that everyone would only graze 1 or 2 sheep, or we could have set a maximum number of sheep for the whole pasture. Someone could have been a 'pasture manager' to make sure everyone followed the rules."

6. Can you think of any real-life examples where people struggle to share resources fairly, similar to our Shared Pasture Game?

   • Thought Process: Encourage students to draw parallels to real-world issues. This could include environmental problems, public goods, or even school-level resource management.
   • Possible Answer: "Fishing in the ocean – if too many people fish too much, there won't be any fish left for anyone. Or even something like using classroom supplies, if one person takes too many pencils, there won't be enough for others."

Answer Key: The Delivery Dilemma Game Debrief

These answers are suggestions and can vary based on student experiences and insights. The key is to encourage thoughtful reflection and discussion.

1. What was your strategy during the game? Did it change over the rounds?

   • Thought Process: Students might start by choosing the "Main Road" for personal gain, then switch to "Alternate Route" if their partner consistently chooses "Main Road" leading to 0 points. Or they might try to establish trust by consistently choosing "Alternate Route" and hope their partner reciprocates. They might also try to "punish" a partner who consistently chooses "Main Road" by also choosing "Main Road" in subsequent rounds.
   • Possible Answer: "At first, I tried to take the Main Road to get more points, but then my partner kept choosing it too, and we got 0 points. So, I started trying the Alternate Route to see if we could both get at least 1 point. It changed depending on what my partner did."

2. How did it feel when your partner chose the "Main Road" when you chose the "Alternate Route"?

   • Thought Process: This question targets the feeling of being taken advantage of or experiencing a breach of trust. When one cooperates and the other defects, the cooperator gets the worst outcome, leading to feelings of frustration, unfairness, or disappointment.
   • Possible Answer: "It felt frustrating and a little unfair because I chose the longer route to help us both, and they took the short one to get more points for themselves. I felt like I lost out."

3. How did it feel when you both chose the "Alternate Route"?

   • Thought Process: This question aims to highlight the positive feelings associated with mutual cooperation and shared success, even if the individual gain isn't the absolute maximum.
   • Possible Answer: "It felt good! Even though we didn't get the maximum points, we both got something, and it felt fair. It was like we were working together, even without talking."

4. Did trust play a role in your decisions about which route to take? Explain.

   • Thought Process: This directly addresses the core concept. Students should recognize that their choices were influenced by how much they trusted (or didn't trust) their partner to cooperate. Lack of trust often leads to self-interested choices (defecting) to avoid being exploited.
   • Possible Answer: "Yes, a lot! If I trusted my partner, I might try the Alternate Route, hoping they would too, so we both get points. But if I didn't trust them, I felt like I had to choose Main Road just so I wouldn't get 0 points while they got 2."

5. How is this game different from the Communication Challenge we did yesterday?

   • Thought Process: This encourages students to compare and contrast the two activities, focusing on the presence/absence of direct communication and the nature of the challenge (cooperation vs. strategic dilemma).
   • Possible Answer: "In the drawing challenge, we could talk to each other to try and build trust. In this game, we couldn't communicate at all, so we had to guess what our partner would do, which made it much harder to trust them."

6. Can you think of any real-life situations (outside of school) where people face a "delivery dilemma" type of choice, where individual gain (like a shorter route) might conflict with group benefit (like avoiding a standstill)? (e.g., traffic, resource management, shared projects).

   • Thought Process: This extends the learning to real-world applications. Students should identify scenarios where individual self-interest can harm the collective good.
   • Possible Answer: "Traffic is a good example! If everyone tries to take the fastest shortcut, it causes a huge jam for everyone. Or sharing a limited resource like water – if one person uses too much, it hurts everyone else."

Script: Navigating the Dilemma

(Teacher opens with the Warm-Up activity, then transitions to the Slide Deck.)

"Welcome back, everyone! Today, we're diving even deeper into how our choices impact ourselves and others, especially when things get a little tricky. Yesterday, we talked about trust and cooperation, and we experienced a communication challenge that showed us how important those are. Today, we're going to face a different kind of challenge—one that really makes us think about strategy and trust when faced with a tough decision."

(Display Slide 1: What's a Dilemma?)

"Has anyone ever heard the word 'dilemma' before? What does it mean to you? [Pause for student responses.] That's right! A dilemma is a tough situation where you have to make a choice, and sometimes, no matter what you choose, there are pros and cons, or all the options seem a little difficult. Like when you have to choose between going to a friend's party and a family dinner on the same night – both are good, but you can only pick one!"

(Display Slide 2: The Delivery Dilemma)

"Today, we're going to explore a famous type of dilemma that we'll call 'The Delivery Dilemma.' Instead of people in jail, imagine you and a partner each run a delivery company. You both have urgent goods to deliver. You have two choices for your delivery route, and your partner has the same choices."

"One route is the Alternate Route. It's longer, but completely independent – you won't run into your partner at all. The other is the Main Road. It's shorter, but it has a shared one-way section. If both of you try to use that Main Road at the same time, you'll block each other, causing a huge delay! This puzzle helps us understand how and why people make certain choices when they can't fully trust what the other person will do, especially when there's a tempting shorter route available."

(Display Slide 3: Your Choices, Their Choices)

"In this game, you'll be paired up, and you'll have to make a choice: take the Alternate Route or the Main Road. But here's the twist: your outcome, the points you get (which represent income from a fast delivery), will depend not just on your choice, but also on the choice your partner makes. You won't know what they're going to choose until both of you have made your decision. This means you have to think strategically: What do you think your partner will do? And what's the best choice for you, given that uncertainty?"

"This game will really make us consider the balance between looking out for ourselves and working together. It's a great way to see how trust, or the lack of it, can influence our decisions."

(Display Slide 4: Get Ready to Play!)

"Are you ready to face your own dilemma? We're going to dive into the rules of our game: The Delivery Dilemma. Listen carefully, because your choices will determine your fate... and your partner's!"

**(Teacher transitions to explain the Activity: The Delivery Dilemma Game.)"

Activity: The Delivery Dilemma Game

Objective: To experience and analyze strategic decision-making in a scenario where individual and collective interests may conflict, using a real-world dilemma.

Materials (per pair):

• Two decision cards per student: one labeled "Main Road" and one labeled "Alternate Route" (or simply use thumbs up/down, or write choices on small pieces of paper).
• A scoring sheet or whiteboard to keep track of points for each pair.

Instructions:

1. Form Pairs: Students will be divided into pairs.
2. Explain the Scenario: Imagine you and your partner each manage a delivery company. You both have a batch of goods that must be delivered urgently. There are two possible routes to choose from:All routes are one-way. The objective of the game is to deliver the goods to the destination as quickly as possible—the shorter the delivery time, the higher the income earned (represented by points).
   • The Alternate Route (Cooperate): This route is longer in distance, but completely independent—using it causes no interference between the two companies. (This is like cooperating with the other company by staying out of their way).
   • The Main Road (Defect): This route is shorter in distance, but includes a shared one-way segment. At each end of this common section, each company has installed a control gate. Only one company can use the main road’s shared segment at a time; if both attempt to enter simultaneously, they will block each other, causing a complete standstill. (This is like defecting, trying to get ahead, but risking a collision).
3. Scoring Rules (Display clearly):(The points are designed to be simple and highlight the choices clearly.)
   • If both choose Alternate Route (C, C): You both get 1 point. (Slower but guaranteed delivery).
   • If one chooses Alternate Route and one chooses Main Road (C, D): The company that chose the Main Road gets 2 points. The company that chose the Alternate Route gets 0 points. (Main Road gets fastest delivery, Alternate Route is slowed down).
   • If both choose Main Road (D, D): You both get 0 points. (Complete standstill).
4. Rounds: You will play several rounds (e.g., 5-7 rounds). In each round:
   • Students hide their choice (Main Road or Alternate Route card) from their partner.
   • On the count of three, both students reveal their choice simultaneously.
   • Record points for each student based on the outcome.
   • After each round (or every few rounds), allow for very brief, silent reflection time before the next round.
5. No Communication (during choices): Emphasize that during the decision-making phase of each round, partners cannot talk or signal to each other.

Debrief Questions (for after the activity):

• What was your strategy during the game? Did it change over the rounds?
  
  
  
  
  
  
• How did it feel when your partner chose the "Main Road" when you chose the "Alternate Route"?
  
  
  
  
  
  
• How did it feel when you both chose the "Alternate Route"?
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Did trust play a role in your decisions about which route to take? Explain.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• How is this game different from the Communication Challenge we did yesterday?
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Can you think of any real-life situations (outside of school) where people face a "delivery dilemma" type of choice, where individual gain (like a shorter route) might conflict with group benefit (like avoiding a standstill)? (e.g., traffic, resource management, shared projects).
  
  
  
  
  
  

Cool-Down: Dilemma Reflections

Instructions: Reflect on today's game and discussion by answering the questions below.

1. Describe the "Delivery Dilemma" in your own words. What is the main challenge it presents?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. What did you learn about making choices when you don't know what others will do?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. When is it hard to trust someone, even when you know cooperating would be better for everyone?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Based on today's activity, why is it often difficult for groups of people to make decisions that benefit everyone, even if they know what the best collective outcome is?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Activity: Team Drawing Challenge

Objective: To practice clear and precise verbal communication, active listening, and build trust within a team.

Materials (per group):

• One simple, abstract drawing or image (known only to the "Describer" and the instructor).
• Blank paper for each "Artist".
• Pencils or pens for each "Artist".
• A barrier (e.g., a folder, book, or even sitting back-to-back) to prevent Artists from seeing the Describer's paper or the original drawing.

Instructions:

1. Form Groups: Students will be divided into small groups of 3-4.
2. Assign Roles: Within each group, one student will be the "Describer" (who sees the original drawing but cannot show it to others), and the remaining students will be "Artists" (who will draw based only on the Describer's verbal instructions).
3. Setup: The Describer sits facing away from the Artists, or a barrier is placed so the Artists cannot see the Describer's paper or the original drawing. The Artists should not be able to see each other's drawings during the activity.
4. The Challenge: The Describer must verbally describe the drawing to the Artists without using gestures or showing the image. The Artists must draw exactly what the Describer tells them. The Describer cannot look at the Artists' drawings until the activity is complete. Artists can ask clarifying questions, but the Describer can only respond verbally.
5. Time Limit: Set a time limit (e.g., 10-12 minutes) for drawing.
6. Reveal and Compare: After the time limit, have the Describer show the original drawing and the Artists share their creations. Discuss the similarities and differences.

Debrief Questions (for after the activity):

• What was challenging about giving or receiving instructions?
  
  
  
  
• What did you learn about the importance of specific language and active listening?
  
  
  
  
• How did you try to build trust or understand your Describer/Artists during the activity?
  
  
  
  
• How did the need for clear communication affect your teamwork?
  
  
  
  
• How does this activity relate to real-life situations where clear instructions and trust are important (e.g., following directions, explaining a concept to a friend)?