Tragedy of the Commons
Length: 3-5 Weeks
Grade Level: High School
Subject Areas: Math, Science
BLOSSOMS Video
Key Concepts & Knowledge
- Can humankind escape the Tragedy of the Commons?
- Real-life examples of Tragedy of the Commons
- Animated simulation of Tragedy of the Commons (Link currently disabled)
Project Dashboard
- Length: 3-5 Weeks
- Grade Level: High School
- Subject Areas: Math, Science
- BLOSSOMS Lesson Video
- Video Teacher Guide
- Project Calendar
- Case Studies & Local Topics
- Summative Assessment
- Project-Based Learning Tools
- Teacher Questions on PBL
- Common Student Concerns During PBL
Key Concepts & Knowledge
- Can humankind escape the Tragedy of the Commons?
- Real-life examples of Tragedy of the Commons
- Animated simulation of Tragedy of the Commons (Link currently disabled)
Overview
How does a freely-used public resource degrade over time, with increased use, possible abuse and its eventual inability to keep up with demand? How can we improve things?
Students learn how to structure a multi-week interdisciplinary study, working collaboratively in small teams, structuring and maintaining their work schedule, collecting data, interviewing stakeholders, evaluating math models, and presenting results – written and oral.
Sequence of Project Activities
- Prior to class, teacher reviews Video Teacher Guide and related background information.
- In class, students experience the full BLOSSOMS video lesson Tragedy of the Commons.
- Student teams are created (3 or 4 per team)
- Problem identification and scoping
- System observation and possible data collection
- Examination of the 4 different BLOSSOMS math models for this problem, and discussion of an appropriate one for the team’s problem. Decision.
- Interview stakeholders.
- Collect results, summary and conclusions
- Final oral presentation with submitted written report.
A Conversational Guide for the PBL Teacher
Read the guide here.
Questions and Answers
Read them here.