Negotiating Win-Win Solutions

Preplanning

Make arrangements for the symposium.

• In Session Two, students are invited to a mock symposium on issues facing the Brazilian rain forest where five guests, each representing a different stakeholder group, will address small groups of students. We suggest asking teachers, parents or high school drama students several weeks prior to this critical challenge to prepare for the following roles:
  • Angela Carr, environmentalist
  • Maria Sanchez, Brazilian peasant
  • Eduardo Rodrigues, Brazilian government official
  • Matuwe, Indigenous person
  • T. J. Edwards, multinational company executive.
  Distribute the corresponding briefing sheets to each actor, who is to present the script in role at the symposium. Encourage the actors to present their talk dramatically and, if possible, to dress for the part. Arrange for the symposium to be held in the library or other large room where the guest speakers can each address approximately six student reporters.

Make arrangements for dramatization.

• In Session Three, we propose a short demonstration to dramatize win-win solutions. Prior to this class, identify and brief two groups of three students on the following situation:

The school just received new sports equipment. All of the grades want to use the equipment at break and lunchtime. Before she makes up her own mind, the principal has asked representatives from various grades to discuss what should be done.

Assign the following roles to the three students in each group:

• a young student who thinks that his/her grade should be allowed to use the equipment because they are the youngest and always lose out to the other grades
• a middle grade student who thinks his/her grade should be allowed to use the equipment because there are more students in his/her grade in the school than in any other grade
• a senior grade student who thinks his/her grade should be allowed to use the equipment more often because they have only one year left at the school

In the first dramatization, students are to focus on why their grade should get exclusive use of the equipment. Each is to show no knowledge or concern for how the other students might feel. They should refuse to agree on a solution other than the one they have suggested. In the second dramatization, the group is to work to find a solution that is fair to everyone. Encourage students to take turns listening to each other and to suggest different ways of sharing the equipment so that everyone benefits; e.g., getting grade levels to play together, staggering break and lunch times, collecting money so each grade would have its own equipment. Each role-play should take approximately three minutes. If the actors would benefit from your involvement, assume the role of principal in both scenarios.