Island Society

Scenario:
You are unhappy with the society you were born in, so you and a group of settlers sail
to discover a new land where your people will be free to create a society that better
suits your needs. You discover an island; it is up to you to develop a new home here.
This society should meet your needs, as you dene them, and it should avoid the
mistakes of the old society from which you came. The island is tropical (average
temperature 80F), it has many sources of food (fruit trees, sh, land for agriculture),
and it has a steady wind from the West of about 15 m.p.h.


Directions:
Use the questions provided to guide your discussion of how you will set up this new
society. Assign ONE group member to be the scribe: this member should record your
group answers to the questions on a separate sheet of paper/pages document. Your
group will present your island society to the class at the end of the activity.





Questions: SETTING UP YOUR ISLAND SOCIETY


Economic Plan

1. What will be your economic and/or socioeconomic goals? Choose only most important
ones, recognizing trade-offs.
2. Overall, what will be produced? How will it be produced? For whom will it be produced?
3. Who will make those decisions (government, individuals or a mix)?
4. How will your island government be involved in the economy?


Directions:
Use answers to "Economic Plan" to answer the remaining questions. Make sure your
responses are consistent with your overall plan.


Land/Distribution/Location

5. Will the land be privately owned? If so, who gets it, and how?
6. Should the land be owned by everyone together?
7. Should you divide it up and distribute it?
8. If so, should it be divided equally? What constitutes equal?
9. Should you consider the needs of the environment? How?


Labor

10. What work must be done?
11. List the kinds of jobs required to sustain the lifestyle you desire. (Be sure to include the
jobs that nobody likes).
12. Who should do these jobs?
13. Does each person just have one job or many?


Land

14. What natural resources will be used to produce goods?
15. Will there be rules governing use of natural resources? Why or why not?


Capital

16. What kind of capital (tools, machines, etc.) will be used to produce goods? How will this
capital be attained?


Basic Needs

17. Are there some basic needs that you believe should be guaranteed for
all? If so, what are they? Or do you think that individuals should
secure their needs by themselves?


Other

18. Create a name for your Island that reects the type of system you have developed.

19. (Optional!) Draw a sketch of your Island.