Created by Dr. Mildred Cody, Department of Nutrition, Georgia State University, Atlanta

For college students in economics, political science, history, African-American studies, philosophy, sociology, psychology, theology, business, nutrition, food science, agriculture, anthropology, geography.

Rationale
Worldwide resources and population are not evenly distributed. In developing countries resources are relatively low and populations are relatively high. Conversely, in industrialized countries, resources are generally high, and populations are relatively low. Transitioning countries usually have resources to meet the needs of their populations, although they do not have surplus.

Objective
This module simulates the distribution of needed resources among industrialized, transitioning, and developing countries to help students recognize the emotional issues faced by individuals living in different situations.

This can be a very stressful exercise for students. The "points" are class participation points. This exercise is used in a course that has a total of 1000 possible points. The points available from this exercise are substantial. You will want to decide how you will use the points. The points below are based on estimates of populations and their associated resources.

Outline
Prior to class collect 1 index card for each class member: 40 blue, 40 green, 20 yellow. Shuffle the cards.

During class:

Step 1: Preparation

1. Take an index card.
2. Ask them to print their names on their cards.
3. Collect any unused cards.

Step 2: Group formation

1. Divide students into groups by color of their index cards and have them decide on a name for their group

Step 3: Division of group points

1. Announce points for each group.
   Blue = 4 points Green = 18 points Yellow = 265 points
   Ask each group to decide what to do with their points.   They might
   • Divide the points evenly among members
   • Divide unevenly among group members
   • Share points with another group
2. After 5-10 minutes ask students to write on their cards how they decided to divide the points.   Have a representative of each group write down their group’s decision on a sheet of paper and have each student sign it. All must sign the "treaty" to proceed.
3. Have students write their group-assigned points on their cards.

Step 4: Division of individual points

1. Announce that students can now make individual decisions about their points.  Students might
   Keep their points "Share" their points with someone else
2. If a student gives points to someone else, he or she should write the name(s) of the recipient(s) and the number of points donated on his or her card. They should draw a box around this information.
3. If a student receives points from someone else, write he or she should write name(s) of their donor(s) and the number of points received on his or her card. They should underline this information, and circle it.

Step 5: Discuss the issues involved in the original point distribution and the subsequent decisions to share (or not share) points.

• Fairness and justice?
• Types of decision-making used, i.e., voting, consensus, individual?
• Value of the simulation — relationship to food distribution and hunger

Step 6- Have students write a reflective statement about their experience on the back of the index card (in class) or in a longer paper (outside class).  Suggested questions to address include:

• What did being in the __ group mean to you?
• If you had to choose one word that described how you felt, what would that word be (and why)?
• Was this exercise a good model or a bad model for examining world hunger issues? Why?

Note: There are two types of points awarded in this exercise: points from the groups and points for the reflective statement. I assign a maximum of 10 points for the reflective statement (in class). I take up the index cards, implying that the points from the assignment hold. At the following class session, I tell everyone that each student will get the maximum points obtained by a class member (typically 15-20 points).

Instructional Materials
Bread for the World Institute. Coalition-Building Manual: Transforming Anti-Hunger Leadership.

Silver Spring, MD: Bread for the World; 2000. www.bread.org

Population Reference Bureau www.prb.org

Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN. FAOSTAT, http://apps.fao.orq/default.htm

Evaluation Methods
This is a good project to use as the basis for a Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) assignment. The reflective statement offers potential for students to review their own classroom experience and relate it to the larger experience of world hunger since they are unlikely to have experience first-hand.

Action to be Taken
After their initial reflections students may decide to volunteer for a local or international hunger organization or participate in citizen actions, such as writing letters to their elected officials,