Life Simulation Activities for Middle School
Middle school students are at an age where they are more than eager to find the place where they fit in the adult world. The school environment must strive to meet students' needs by introducing them to situations they will encounter as adults while still in a controlled, safe environment.
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Parenting Excercise
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One of the biggest aspects of being an adult is having children. Often, students don't realize the work that a young child entails. Have your students bring a small doll or stuffed animal to class. This toy represents their child. Have the students be a parent for one week. Students should research the baby's first year and make the decisions they believe is best for their baby. They should also research the price of formula, baby clothing, medicines, diapers, etc. Have them evaluate pediatricians and local day care centers and school districts. At the end of the week, ask the students what they have learned about parenting.
Job for a Week
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Allowing your students to explore different career options helps them identify what they are interested in and helps them plan for the rest of their education. Instruct your students to choose and research several career options before deciding on one career. They should try to find what constitutes a typical "day in the life" of people with this career. Have students role-play for their chosen careers, having them interact with other students in ways that they might if they were in the adult world. At the end of the week, discuss with the students what they have learned, what their expectations were and what expectations were realized and which were not.
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Show Me the Money
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Many students think that being an adult automatically brings with it the privilege of spending money freely. Show your students a more practical financial approach by assigning them monthly salaries. Explain how checkbooks, bank accounts, bills and credit works. Create several "life event" cards from index cards that have items such as childbirth, broken water pipes, car repairs, sick days and leaky roofs written on them. Have the students draw one card a day, subtracting the life event's worth (car repairs, $300, etc.) Also have the students subtract mortgage payments, grocery costs, car care costs and recurring expenses such as utilities from their monthly salary. Explain how budgeting and saving for the future can make a difference in how stable someone's finances can be.
Immigration/Emigration Simulation
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Focusing on the people who leave one country and move to another is one way to make students aware of the country they live in and the different economies that people are parts of. Have your students pick a new country to live in and role-play that they are the ones who are choosing to make such a drastic change. Students should put themselves into the roles of immigrants by deciding what few of their belongings they will be taking to their new country, where they will be living and how they will support themselves. Have students review the living conditions of their "old country" and compare them with those in the new country. At the end of the activity, students should give an oral report about the reasons for leaving one country and what drew them to the new one.
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References
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