This document outlines an interactive simulation where students are shipwrecked on a deserted island and must work together to establish a new society and system of government. They will decide on a name for their island, choose a type of government, create laws and an economic system, handle conflicts, and divide labor. Throughout the process, students will keep a daily blog and take photos to document their experiences. In the end, they will create a digital story and presentation to share what they learned.

1. SHIPWRECKED
Foundations for Creating a System of Government
GCU – TEC
538
C. Fowlkes

2. Welcome to this interactive project-based learning
tutorial which will guide you through the process of
creating a system of government using online historical
resources to help in this challenging adventure.
Interactive Tutorial

3. Video clip of “Castaways” :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHtgKIFoQfE
Oh no! You’re LOST! And it doesn’t look like you’ll be
getting back to civilization.
Your ship washes up on what appears to be a
deserted island.
You are all stranded and the captain decides that you
will have to create a new society.
An iPad is your only connection to the blog that will
guide you in creating a new life.
http://teach4c21.blogspot.com/
The Beginning

4. Video screencast explaining these tasks
Every group will write a daily blog and take pictures
of their experience.
You will present this on the SmartBoard for the whole
group
Create a system of government
Select a leader or leaders
Create laws and how they will be enforced
Create a system of economics
The Task

5. Clip of the song “I’m a Survivor” plays as
students read through their assignment
The group will decide the name of your island.
How will you decide?
Will one person decide?
Will a strongest members of the group decide?
Will all members of the group decide together?
LESSON 1- The Task Can You Survive?
Identify the type of government
you will use on the island

6. You have found out that another group is living close
to you.
Cooperate
Wage War
Keep to yourself (isolation)
How will your group change or adapt now knowing
about this other group ?
Establish a relationship with the group
What type of relationship will it be?
Will you invite them to your convention?
Interaction with Native Islanders

7. You hold a convention in order to:
Decide who what type of government system you will
have
Determine who is required follow the laws?
Who will enforce the laws and punish lawbreakers?
You may not communicate with other students on
other islands but you, your fellow islanders and the
natives on the island will make the laws.
http://empire.goodgamestudios.com/?country=US
Convention

8. Laws governing how people relate to each other as
individuals
Laws governing how people relate to the group/society
Laws governing property
Laws governing the rights of citizens
http://www.slideshare.net/tiffsznn/bill-of-rights-resegmented
http://www.phillipmartin.info/hammurabi/hammurabi_situati
on_index.htm
http://www.ushistory.org/civ/4c.asp
Lesson 2 - What Laws are Needed?
Click to link and
explore

9. Some members of your group disagree and have
become unhappy about one of your rules. These
people will no longer follow that rule.
You must decide what to do about them using your
established system of laws and punishments
What are your actions against these people?
How your group will handle a thief on the island?
You must decide
CONFLICT - 1

10. Groups with leaders
–Your leader does something unfair, what do you do?
Following your established code of laws how do you
replace the leader?
–Several in your group refuse to cooperate, you
institute justice for these dissenters using your
established code of laws
CONFLICT - 2

11. Overnight, Pirates have raided your food supply and
taken many of your belongings.
How will your group react to these outsiders?
What will you do to protect yourself?
Can you learn from the native islanders how to solve
this problem?
What steps will you take?
MORE CONFLICT: PIRATES!

12. What human resources do you have on the island?
What natural resources are available?
Evaluate the services that people have offered
Will the government determine how people can be
compensated for their services?
Will the people decide how they will trade/barter for
their skills and services or will the government create
a currency/money?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg_4ogC_yiE
http://www.slideshare.net/guest2d1642/econ-system
Lesson 3– Develop an Economic
System
Explore these types of
economic systems to help
you decide

13. Should you have currency or barter for what you
need?
Make a list of the Pro’s and Con’s
Think about… What problems would you have with
currency? What problems would you have without
currency?
If you decide to have currency, will an equal amount
be distributed among all islanders?
What will you use as currency?
Details of Economic System

14. There is much work to do to keep your group
together-and to stay alive
For example, some sort of shelter must be built
What other jobs must be done during your first few
months on the island?
Make a list of all the jobs you can think of and who in
your group will do each and how much they will be
rewarded for their labor
Create a Division of Labor

15. On your blog… answer these questions.
On your island or with your group---What happened
that you didn’t expect?
Describe the different emotions you experienced
throughout this activity.
Pick ONE emotion you experienced and explain why
you felt that way.
Were things on your island fair? Explain (in detail) why
or why not?
What would you have done differently
Reflective Blog Questions

16. Final Publication
• Students will create a digital story of their experience on the island
using the photos and blog that they kept of their daily experiences
• Create a theme song using music editing for their digital story
• Each group will present their story to the class
• Then upload video to LAN
• Click this link to view a Photostory3 tutorial
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTt5WMHYSsE