Integrate current learning into a wider understanding of the world around them. Attitudes At the end of the simulation students will demonstrate: – An appreciation for the complexities of international relations and negotiations. An appreciation for the difficult situation confronting national leaders as World War 2 reached its end. An appreciation for how the postwar world of the 20th century might have been very different. Acceptable Numbers This simulation can accommodate between 18 and 33 students. Within each of the three national delegations there are 6 separate roles and the number of students assigned to these roles can be adjusted to suit class size. Having a single student assigned as the leader and two for each of the other roles would be ideal. Materials All the written materials required to conduct the are included in this Yalta Conference Simulation file. Students will require lots of paper for notes and letters between groups and poster size paper for writing out their national goals. While this is not a necessity, it makes the simulation debrief much easier if all three national agendas are posted side by side on a wall. Simulation Space The ideal scenario for this simulation is to place the three groups in their own rooms so that they are free to widely (and loudly) discuss their plans and use a fourth room for the conference. If this is not a possibility, a large space like a library, cafeteria or gym will also work. The key is to make sure that the groups cannot hear each other. Duration The length of this activity is typically between 2 and 3 hours but it is not recommended that it be run over a couple of days. Due to the complexity of the delegation’s positions and the negotiations that occur, it would be very difficult for students to be able to pick up where they left off. In addition, stopping the simulation in the midst of negotiations will severely affect the momentum and level of excitement. While this initially appears as a problem, several solutions present themselves. One suggestion is to use lunchtime on either side of the class in which the simulation is scheduled. This will create a much larger block of time to work with. Using an hour after classes end is another option. Some teachers have solved this problem by holding the entire simulation after school or during the early evening or on a weekend. In exchange, teachers should offer students the appropriate amount of time off during the regular school day. Students are surprisingly responsive to these ideas if regular class time is offered in fair exchange.
Integrate current learning into a wider understanding of the world around them. Attitudes – At the end of the simulation students will demonstrate: An appreciation for the complexities of international relations and negotiations. An appreciation for the difficult situation confronting national leaders as World War 2 reached its end. An appreciation for how the postwar world of the 20th century might have been very different. Acceptable Numbers This simulation can accommodate between 18 and 33 students. Within each of the three national delegations there are 6 separate roles and the number of students assigned to these roles can be adjusted to suit class size. Having a single student assigned as the leader and two for each of the other roles would be ideal. Materials All the written materials required to conduct the Yalta Conference Simulation are included in this file. Students will require lots of paper for notes and letters between groups and poster size paper for writing out their national goals. While this is not a necessity, it makes the simulation debrief much easier if all three national agendas are posted side by side on a wall. Simulation Space The ideal scenario for this simulation is to place the three groups in their own rooms so that they are free to widely (and loudly) discuss their plans and use a fourth room for the conference. If this is not a possibility, a large space like a library, cafeteria or gym will also work. The key is to make sure that the groups cannot hear each other. Duration The length of this activity is typically between 2 and 3 hours but it is not recommended that it be run over a couple of days. Due to the complexity of the delegation’s positions and the negotiations that occur, it would be very difficult for students to be able to pick up where they left off. In addition, stopping the simulation in the midst of negotiations will severely affect the momentum and level of excitement. While this initially appears as a problem, several solutions present themselves. One suggestion is to use lunchtime on either side of the class in which the simulation is scheduled. This will create a much larger block of time to work with. Using an hour after classes end is another option. Some teachers have solved this problem by holding the entire simulation after school or during the early evening or on a weekend. In exchange, teachers should offer students the appropriate amount of time off during the regular school day. Students are surprisingly responsive to these ideas if regular class time is offered in fair exchange.