Our class participated in a debate regarding the location and building of a new dam to further broaden our learning and understanding of the fresh water unit we are currently studying. We were placed into groups of four and were categorized into four different countries. We were given a piece of paper that showed what our country has to offer the other countries, and our wants. We were told to conference with our team members and decide what was negotiable and what we needed to meet our goal. We essentially needed to make an ally in order to achieve our goal. We had around a class period to gather our thoughts. During this time period our group thought of strategies and narrowed out the key advantages we had against the other countries. We decided on a main statement and key facts to back it up our statement. The next day we chose two representatives to speak on the teams behalf. We all met in a common area and each country took turns talking about their wants and what they have to offer to the other countries. After a stimulating discussion between the four groups we came to an agreement. Some parties weren’t happy while others were pleased.
Overall, I enjoyed this assignment. It was something that we usually don’t get to do in school. We usually come to class and listen to the teacher talk about the lesson. This was refreshing and different. I really liked how we got a chance to interact with everyone in the class. I learned and used skills that I wouldn’t have learned or used in a regular class setting. I advanced on my compromising skills. I learned how to negotiate and listen when needed and talk when appropriate. I improved on collaborating with people as well. Additionally, I got to improve on my problem solving skills and learned a bit about each member of the class. I was one of the two representatives for our group. I worked with my partner to clarify our wants and strategies to obtain the construction of the dam in our...