Energy Policy: A Decision-Making Simulation

Grade Level: 7 - 12

This simulation was developed by The American Forum for Global Education and its predecessor organizations, Global Perspectives in Educations and the Center for Peace Studies, with the aid of a federal grant and is, therefore, in the public domain. This activity appears in its complete form. We encourage you to download this information and use it in your classes.

This simulation can be used as a beginning exercise in an examination of the national and global energy issue. It provides the students with a task to accomplish in groups. Students begin to gather the kind of data they need for an in-depth analysis of humankind's use and misuse of energy. The directions provide a framework for completing the task successfully while permitting instructor and student ingenuity.

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Identify basic issues and policy alternatives in the area of energy usage, conservation, and production.
• Research energy policy alternatives and use the data gathered to support a particular policy option.
• Identify the special interests of particular lobby groups and develop and defend an energy policy position from the perspective of a special interest group.

Introduction

In Energy Policy, students will be participating in a decision making simulation based on one of the important issues facing the United States and other nations of the world. Students will serve as groups of advisors to the President (the teacher). In that capacity, they will be required to develop a position paper and defend it through research and debate.

The eight role-playing groups the students will play in the game are as follows:

1. The Department of Energy
2. The Department of Transportation
3. The U.S. Automobile Manufacturers' Association
4. A lobby group representing oil and gas interests
5. A coalition of conservation groups
6. A concerned citizens group
7. The solar energy lobbying organization
8. Nuclear power lobby

Suggested Procedure

Read the following general premise to the students:

The world is approaching a new era in energy use. We have passed from the age of wood burning to coal burning to petroleum burning (oil and gas) as a source of energy. The end of the petroleum era may be in sight. The combination of alternative energy sources we will use in the future is still unclear.

The United States has been heavily dependent on petroleum for energy. We represent about 5 percent of the world's population, but use a much greater proportion of the world's energy resources. Much of the petroleum we use comes from other countries. The high price we have had to pay for oil increased our trade deficits and has had a negative effect on both the national and world economy which still affects us all.

For more then 30 years, we have hoped that nuclear power could meet at least some of our energy needs. However, because of concerns about safety, waste disposal, costs, and other matters, this source has not been fully developed. The American people have still not completely acknowledged the seriousness of the energy problem. We must decide what the facts are and what must be done.

Divide the class into eight groups and assign each group one of the roles listed above. Distribute Student Instructions to all the students and distribute the appropriate Student Role Cards to each group. Have the students follow the instructions and proceed with the simulation. You must determine the amount of time students will be given to complete each phase of the simulation.

When the simulation is over, discuss the students' reactions. How have our leaders been dealing with the energy problem as it is today? Students might want to research current alternate energy schemes and discuss their viability.

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