For the Common Good
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Provided by: Population Education|Published on: March 25, 2025
Lesson PlansScientist Reviewed
678
Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This lesson from Population Education includes two activities that illustrate the importance of cooperation and collaboration for managing resources.
- Students will play a game to demonstrate the "Tragedy of the Commons," connecting the game to the use of renewable resources, and play a game to demonstrate how all people benefit from collaboration.
- The resource also includes possible game layouts, an assessment, an infographic, and a video demonstrating the activities.
Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Civics
Authors: Population Education
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The video demonstration is a helpful resource for teachers to understand how to execute the activities.
- These models are hands-on and engaging for students.
Prerequisites
- Students should understand the concept of renewable resources and that even renewables have limits.
- Teachers will need poker chips or something similar.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Teachers can connect this problem to biodiversity loss, deforestation, and climate change. Teachers can explain that working only in self-interest has caused a climate emergency that will require cooperation to solve.
- This activity can open a discussion about models. How is this activity representative of the real world? What are its limitations? Students can discuss factors that the model may not consider or account for.
- Teachers can combine this activity with the Ocean Species at Risk Unit. Teachers can start with this game to ensure students are thinking about solutions through the lens of collaboration.
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
Population Education
Population Education provides K-12 teachers with innovative, hands-on lesson plans and professional development to teach about human population growth and its effects on the environment and human well-being. Human population has grown from 1 billion to 8 billion in just over 200 years, so it is critical to examine human impacts on wildlife, climate, and natural resources while working toward equality and justice for the world’s people. Through memorable, standards-aligned classroom activities like simulations, cooperative challenges, and debate, Population Education inspires students to tackle a variety of real-world problems and to become positively engaged in their communities as the next generation of leaders and policy makers.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
