Students participate in group decision-making processes - initially as they wish and secondly with imposed decision-making models on the role-plays they develop.

Learning intentions

We are learning how to:

• describe different ways of decision-making
• evaluate different ways of decision-making.

How will we know we have done these things?

We will be able to:

• work together in a group to arrive at a decision
• participate in assigned role plays to show different methods of decision-making
• evaluate the methods of decision-making shown by groups in our class.

Key social studies concepts

• groups
• interrelationships
• roles
• rules
• rights
• responsibilities

Gathering information and processing knowledge

• describe
• reason
• compare

Reflecting on knowledge

• judge/evaluate
• synthesise
• evaluate

What you need

• Round 1 - You are the winners info card (one per group - optional)
• 5 scenarios - cut out and put onto card.
• self and group assessment forms
• summary chart - models of decision-making role plays.

Background reading

Purpose groups, identity groups and social and peer groups all need to make decisions at some stage. These could range from deciding how to fundraise or gather support for a petition or choosing a movie. Decision-making takes many forms, but the most common models used include:

• Consensus- all agree after discussion and debate
• Compromise- members of a group reach a decision with some giving up their original demands.
• Vote- at its simplest everyone votes and the winner is the one that has more votes than any other option.  This is a plurality winner.  If over half of the people chose that option then it has a majority.
• Decision by a leader - the leader makes decisions according to his or her views and does not need to ask the group members what they think
• Select representatives to decide - such as a committee or a smaller group.  The representatives are meant to talk to the group and explain why they made their decisions and acted as they did. 

Roles used in groups can reflect the type of decision-making model used - For example, if there is a clear cut leader, decisions will often be deferred to him or her. In a peer group, decisions are likely to be by mutual agreement (consensus). Other groups, such as a Hospital Board, have systems which require representatives of the public, so they are elected by political process on to the Board.

Note:

Students will learn most about decision-making when they actually do it. These activities are designed for students to experience some of the decision-making processes. Students are asked to rank methods of decision making. It is likely they will choose the method that arrived at the decision they most closely agree with. The purpose of the activity is to consider the process over the outcome. Encourage the students to consider how decisions are arrived at and the effect this has on people involved.

Round 1 - Making Decisions

All levels

Divide the class into four - five groups. Give each group a card with instructions (as below) or read it out for younger students. In Round 1, the students will be given an issue which requires decision making. In the second Round, the students are asked to perform a role-play using a model of decision making. Adapt the scenarios to serve the best interests of students in your classroom.

What to look for

While the students will be busy 'solving a problem', your role is to observe HOW they reach decision. Look at participation of all students in the group and observe how the group interacts to arrive at a decision. Your observations will be a valuable contribution for the class's evaluation later in the activity.

You are the winners! How will you spend the money?

Your class has won $300 dollars as a prize for you work on a school fund-raising project. Your group has been given the task of deciding how to spend the money.

• How will you make this decision?
• What will you spend the money on?

Keep the groups moving to arrive at a decision - should be no more than 10 minutes.

Levels 1-2 Teacher scribe parts of the group assessment and allow students to draw faces for the question on how did you feel?

Levels 3-4 Ask the students to individually complete the self and group-assessment forms (copy and cut these out so there is one per student).

Self and group assessment

Round 2 - Models of decision-making

Levels 1-2

Depending on the level of ability of your students, this activity could be done by listening to the 5 models of decision making OR working with groups of students to present a role play. Another alternative would be to work with an older class and get them to present their role plays for the younger students. Complete the summary chart as a class during or after the role plays.

Levels 3-4

In Round 2, groups will all have the same scenario, but they will be given a model of decision making to use. They are to role-play how the decision was made using this model. During the presentation of these role-plays, each student can fill in the following summary chart.

Summary chart: Models of decision-making role-plays. 

3. Levels 3-4

Write a diary entry describing how you made the decision you did in either Round 1 or 2. Outline the strengths and weaknesses of the decision-making model. Describe how you would like to make the decision if you could do it again. See if you can apply this process to what happens in the 'real world' (i.e. can you see an example of how adults may use this model to make a decision?)