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Follow these instructions in your group:
1. Read the following text and individually write down seven of the most important items
from the list to ensure survival and/or rescue.
2. Discuss in your group and try to persuade the others that your chosen items are more
important for survival than theirs.
3. The group agrees on a list of seven items which are presented for the rest of the class.
What arguments do you have for your choices?
The situation
About ten o’clock in the morning in July, your small airplane has crashed in the
Sonora desert in Northern Mexico. Both pilots are dead and all that is left of the
aircraft is a burnt-out shell. One of the other passengers is injured.
There was no radio in the airplane, but some of your fellow survivors think that you
were about 100 kilometres off course when you crashed. Just before the crash the
pilot informed you and the other passengers that you were 120 kilometres south of a
small mining camp.
From experience you know that daytime temperatures can reach 43°C (110°
Fahrenheit) and night-time temperatures reach freezing. All the passengers and
yourself are dressed in light clothes. The area is flat and arid as far as the eye can see.
The following list of items survived the crash in good order:
-
jack knife
flashlight with four batteries
large plastic poncho
detailed pilot’s chart of the area
instrument to measure blood pressure
compass
one overcoat per person
one pocket mirror
one pair of sunglasses per person
two bottles of vodka
book Edible Desert Animals
bottle of 1000 salt tablets
one quart of water per sperson
loaded .45 pistol
one red and white parachute
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TEACHER
Problem solving – The Desert Dilemma
Put the students in groups and make them follow the instructions. Make it clear to them that there is no
wrong solution, but there are many variations. This activity is a great way to make them discuss and they
need to come up with good answers and arguments in order to “defend” their list of chosen items. You will
be able to see how ingenious (or otherwise) the solutions are.
One proposed solution is as follows:
The mirror and the flashlight: walking is inadvisable owing to the heat, so a signalling mirror (by day) and
flashlights (by night) will be useful.
One quart of water per person
The parachute can be used for shelter and as a sign for searching planes.
The sunglasses can prevent blindness.
The overcoats keep people warm in the cold desert nights.
The plastic poncho can be used to create more water, which is clearly important.