Cannibals

45 min | Team | Discussion Game Vision Activate Resources

The Challenge

This dynamic is connected with Shipwrecked exercise. Finally, the students arrive to the island but they are captured by a group of cannibals. They tell the students to make them a list, from the first one, that will be used to feed cannibals, to the last one. Each week, cannibals will eat one person in the list.

Students will play a role from the template of this challenge.

List of required equipment

Template of Cannibals exercise
Paper and writing material

What can students learn from this?

Students will learn how to make decisions skills, to work in a team and to debate. Through this exercise, students will have to think about a strategy to “escape” from the jail in which they are kidnaped by the cannibals, using the different roles of the characters.

Also, they will have to negotiate in teams of 12 people maximum and to try to survive, but without damaging the group.

How can I do this in class?

Presentation of dynamic (5 min)

Tell students the situation. Give each student, or group of students, a role. Each role has a positive aspect and a negative one. Then, students have to present their role, explaining their importance in the island and if they have a plan to escape. Then, open a debate and let students talk.

Development of the exercise (30 min)

Encouraging students to make a list from the least important characther in the island to the most important one. Also, they’ll have to set a plan to scape.

Possible results and debate (10 min)

Observe how students take their decisions: if they vote, if there are a leader, etc. Maybe students make a plan to escape from jail of cannibals, or they complete a list of the 12 roles from the least important characther to the most important one.
The most important aspect in this dynamic is looking at the behaviour of students and making them think about this situation.

RULES for student:

Don’t use violence and remember that you’re playing a character
You can try to be honest or not, but your choices will have consequences in the level of confidence of the group in your character
Try to benefit the group with your decisions
Set a strategy to arrive to agreements in group
Argue your interventions and be open

RULES for teacher:

Try to motivate students and set them into the “simulation”
Promote debate
Punish attitudes that put in risk the team
Guide the team when you see that they are loosing the focus (it will happen)

Reflection tips

Was it difficult to assess the importance of each character?
How did you decide which roles were important? Why?
In what way did you make agreements?
Did you find a plan to escape the cannibals?
What would you improve?

Relevant useful material

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Cannibals