COVID-19 has crowned a number of other disasters (wildfires in Australia, Desert Locusts in Kenya, an imminent WWIII merging Iran and the US), causing panic to click into place and horror to become our global predicament, making us realize that we live in the illusion of the permanence of things, of mastery, and of immortality. People's turning to…

Concerns about environmental sustainability are constantly in the news as global warming, fossil fuels, and pollutants increasingly endanger habitats worldwide. What once were uncommon extreme environmental events have become commonplace--unseasonal intense heat, year-round drought, raging wildfires, rising sea levels, severe storms, massive…

Global warming is a current environmental issue that has been linked to an increase in anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. To raise awareness of the problem, various simple experiments have been proposed to demonstrate the effect of carbon dioxide on the planet's temperature. This article describes a similar experiment, which…

Games and simulations are increasingly used in courses on international politics. This study explores the hypothesis that games are better than simulations (as well as only reading and lectures) in introducing students to abstract concepts integral to an understanding of world politics. The study compares a two-level Prisoner's Dilemma game…

This comparative case study presents one key challenge that 2 experienced teachers faced when using simulations: control. Simulations are activities that place high demands on teachers, including the ability to anticipate pitfalls in advance, act in multiple capacities, shape the direction of the activity without unduly interfering, and to be…

The "Global Village Playground" ("GVP") was a capstone learning experience designed to address institutional assessment needs while providing an integrated and authentic learning experience for students aimed at fostering critical and creative thinking. In the "GVP", students work on simulated and real-world problems as a design team tasked with…

A conference on terrorism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln was taken over by terrorists, hostages were seized, and negotiations failed. The goal of the conference was to teach about international terrorism. The events of the simulation are described and the exercise's accomplishments are discussed. (MLW)

Models of global energy demand, a lower-growth-rate model developed at Case Western Reserve University and the H5 model of the Conservation Committee of the World Energy Conference, assess the features of decentralized and centralized electricity generation in the years 2000 and 2025. (BT)

This article argues that systems thinking transcends disciplinary boundaries and should be part of everyone's education. Stresses future importance of systems global models and their capacity for planning and decision making on a world scale. A tentative topic outline for a systems approach course at university level is proposed. (Author/SMB)

In this simulation, secondary students explore the potentials for cooperation and conflict that have existed in relation to control of the seas. Through playing roles of decision makers of various nations, students learn about issues and positions involved in exploiting the wealth of th sea, including minerals, oil, and fish. (RM)

In this lesson, junior high students consider two instances of exponential population growth--one at the local community level and one at the world level--as a way of illuminating some of the problems posed by growth and the limits that may curtail it. (RM)

The article describes a study of the effects of experience with an energy-environment simulator on the attitudes of its users. The study concludes that tools like the energy simulator appear to provide an important way to help educators take a leadership role in solving energy problems. (RE)

This simulation helps students in grades four to eight see their planet as one environment with limited resources shared by all. Students learn that the earth is a large system comprised of small systems, that systems are interdependent and often have irreplaceable parts, and that resources are not equally divided among countries. (RM)

Describes a mock judicial proceeding that incorporated computers in the classroom and questioned international law. Explains that students were divided into interested parties in the Kosovo conflict (NATO members, the Yugoslavian government, Kosovo Albanians, Russians, and Chinese), a delegation of human-rights groups, and a panel of judges. (CMK)

Describes a classroom simulation that has students role play membership in the United Nations. Students are assigned countries and through research and debate learn that country's position on international issues. The culminating activity has students participate in a mock United Nations Assembly vote. Argues that this method encourages students…