LESSON SEVEN:
Breakdown

Introduction
The oil shortage has caused episodes of disorder and violence throughout the United States, and local, state, and federal government are reacting in controversial ways. At the local level, some police and fire departments have been unable to respond to all calls, resulting in the creation of unofficial Red (dangerous) and Green (safe) Zones in most cities. Outside the cities, the federal government has established refugee camps for those forced to leave their homes because of violence or lack of food. It has been reported that some of these camps have been converted to agriculture work camps to help offset the food shortages. Few official reports address the true nature of these camps.

Lesson Objectives
Students will:

• Continue to immerse themselves in the realistic WWO scenario.
• Evaluate the government's role in a crisis.
• Compare the governmental handling of the fictional oil crisis with Hurricane Katrina (2005) and the San Diego wild fires (2007).
• Develop a basic government emergency plan that will maintain order and protect the American people in an emergency situation.
• Continue to develop personal strategies predicated upon anticipated events.
• Continue to reflect on the life changes that would occur in a prolonged oil shortage.

Before the Lesson

• Read these WWO news reports:
  Week 17 http://www.worldwithoutoil.org/weekly.aspx?week=17
  Week 18 http://www.worldwithoutoil.org/weekly.aspx?week=18
  and Week 23 http://worldwithoutoil.org/weekly.aspx?week=23
• Preview the resource materials (links below).
• Prepare your own "in-game" reaction to the events unfolding in World Without Oil. Do you live in a Green Zone or a Red Zone? Blog your in-game citizen report and share your blog with your students.

Part 1: Set the Stage
Student Page for this lesson is here:
http://worldwithoutoil.org/metalesson7s.htm
This page summarizes ideas and instructions for students.

• Re-immerse the students: briefly remind them of what's happened previously in a World Without Oil.
• Show PeakProphet's "Petroterrorism in Nashville" video:
  http://heartlandnotes.blogspot.com/2007/05/
  petro-terrorism-in-nashville.html

Part 2: Take Action

1. Discuss with the students the basic nature of the role of government especially in the United States. You can use the WWO crisis to focus students on the basic protections a government should afford. Remind them of what's stated in the Declaration of Independence: all people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
   
2. Have the student groups review the following posts and create a list of what the government should be doing during crisis for the citizens of the United States.
• Revolution in Slow Motion http://postpeakmilwaukee.blogspot.com/2007/05/
  revolution-in-slow-motion.html
• Riot gear
  http://lead-tag.livejournal.com/4783.html
• The threat becomes real http://xblitzxkriegx.vox.com/library/post/
  the-threat-becomes-real.html
• Update from the Southeast http://wwotext.blogspot.com/2007/05/
  fw-update-from-southeast-north-carolina.html
• Enjoying life in the red zone http://platonicpimp.livejournal.com/22934.html
• The spark
  http://platonicpimp.livejournal.com/22719.html
  
3. Create a class list of the items and try to determine what level of government (local, state, and federal) holds the responsibility. Ask students: "at what point do state and federal governments involve themselves with local problems? At what point should they?"

Part 3: Lesson Activity

1. Ask student groups to outline measures the different levels of government could take to limit the problems currently hppening in a World Without Oil.
   
2. Next, have students review the following articles about Hurricane Katrina (2005) and the San Diego wild fires (2007). In groups, have students make a general comparison of the government reactions. How did the local, state, and federal governments fail in New Orleans and succeed in San Diego? What factors contributed to these outcomes? Could socioeconomics be involved?
• Hurricane Katrina disaster relief http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
  Hurricane_Katrina_disaster_relief
• Unrelenting fires char Southern California http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/23/
  wildfire.ca/index.html
  
3. Bring the class back together and discuss the importance of having a governmental plan to deal with emergency situations. On the board or projector, create three columns. Label the columns preparation, reaction, and recovery. As a class, determine specific actions the government should take in each of those categories. Also determine which level of government (local, state, or federal) holds responsibility and what should be done if the accountable party fails its duty.
   

Part 4: Reflect
Students should now consider the large-scale problems that could erupt in the community and environment around them. Preexisting tensions, severe economic disparities, and available local resources could all factor into the situation that students are facing in their local communities. Use the following questions to help guide their reflections:

• How are the citizen groups in your area reacting to the crisis? Have they remained calm? Why or why not?
• What measures are your local government taking to maintain order? How is the oil shortage affecting the government's ability to act?
• Where are the Red and Green Zones in your area? Do you live in a Green or Red zone?

Part 5: Take It Further
Distribute this to your students:

As the situation gets tense, we have to find ways to cope – and not only physically, but emotionally as well. One way to lessen fear, especially of the unknown, is to play with it, because play creates a non-threatening space where we can think about problems and even try out solutions.

To take it further today, come up with some games to play that help the players think about and adapt to the oil crisis. The games can be for children if you want, because they are looking for ways to fight fear as much as anyone.

For inspiration, read Avantgame's defense of play even during crisis:
http://avantgame.blogspot.com/2007/05/
is-it-ethical-to-play-during-time-of.html

And look at Defend the Farm or Steal the Crops:
http://media.putfile.com/Defend-the-Farm-or-
Steal-the-Crops

Don't forget to document your game ideas in your blog!

Additional Resources

• Criticism of government response to Hurricane Katrina http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_government_
  response_to_Hurricane_Katrina
  
• San Diego Wildfires: This went better this time around http://www.sandiegoinstitute.com/index.cfm/
  barometer_160.htm