This activity is a cross-curricular extension within the Senior Curriculum for the Space activity in the Transitional Years Volume of this Project. The intention is to provide students with a forum within the humanities in which to explore issues of technology. It has been designed for the Senior curriculum, though it can also be used in the Transitional Years classroom if the teacher thinks it is suitable for a particular class. There is great flexibility built into this activity for its use with relation to current events activity, an as introduction to a unit on environmental or speculative fiction issues, or a unit on the interdependence of the social environment. The main focus of this activity is to get students to explore and express their feelings about our planet as a whole, the relationship of our species to this planet, and how this impacts on our moving from it into an artificial space environment.
Students can work in small groups or alone.
The film Silent Running should be shown first, if possible, to provide students with a common frame of reference. Focus their attention on the attitudes of the main characters, on the isolation of the protagonist and the collective voice of the antagonists. This question would be easier for students who have lived in both urban and rural contexts. Team up students into groups so that each group has a mix of students with urban and rural experiences. Have them develop a short presentation outlining the relative merits of both environments.