NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST: WHO SHOULD SURVIVE?

Scenario:

World War 3 has just occurred and you and 9 other people find yourselves to be the only people left on the earth. You manage to all make it to a bunker, however, you all realize that only 5 people will be able to survive in the bunker. The doors to the bunker are closing. They will be sealed shut in 10 minutes and will not open up again for a two year period (when radioactivity will hopefully have dissipated.) The doors will allow only one person in at a time and will automatically seal once the fifth person enters. There is absolutely no way of getting any additional people inside.

In your bunker, you have the following facilities:

• sewage system
• water
• seeds
• some clothes
• a few books
• some medical facilities but no operating material
• a greenhouse

The following people are in your group. You have ten minutes to decide who will go inside the bunker and who will not. You must all agree to the choices being made or else no one will be allowed in and all of civilization will die off.

1. scientist
2. priest
3. a drug addict
4. a single pregnant woman
5. a 5 year old girl
6. an ex-military commander
7. an elderly woman
8. a disabled man
9. lawyer
10. doctor

• You have ten minutes to write down which of the five people listed above that you unanimously agree will enter the bunker.

____________________________ _____________________________

____________________________ _____________________________

____________________________

When that is complete, you are to answer the following question in your journal.

Debrief: Explain why you feel the choice was made. What influenced your decision?

For each person below explain why you decided to let this person in or not let that person in.

• scientist
• priest
• a drug addict
• a single pregnant woman
• a 5 year old girl
• an ex-military commander
• an elderly woman
• a disabled man
• lawyer
• doctor

Did anyone emerge as a leader?  Why?  How did this influence the choices?

HOW did you make your decision?