Ozone Exercises

• Tell the group to stand up and move their chairs to the side to allow people to move around the room.
• Explain the purpose of this activity
• Ask the participants to imagine that they have to group themselves according to category in order to bus to city hall.
• Call out four or five different categories including a couple of humorous ones, such as: your favourite season; the colour of your eyes; the number of cups of coffee you need in the morning; the sum of the numbers in your age (34 years old, 3+4=7); etc.
• As each bus forms, ask the participants to review each others' names.
• For the last category, ask the participants to arrange themselves based on a question that they have about ozone depletion.

• Ask each participant to try to find a partner who they do not know very well.
• Ask person A to introduce her/himself to person B and speak for a minute on a question s/he has about ozone depletion and why s/he cares for the earth. Then have their partner do the same.
• Reassemble the group, and have the person A introduce person B and explain their concerns to the larger group, and vice versa.

• To begin, ask each participant to choose a piece of the puzzle.
• Ask participants to search out others who have the rest of their puzzle. Then ask them to put their pieces together and discuss the question on the back.
• Ask these small groups to write up the answers to the question and post them on the wall or share them with the other groups depending on the time available and the number of participants.

• Explain that the purpose of the round is to have the participants introduce themselves and give the group a unique understanding of themselves.
• Tell the participants that each person will be asked to introduce her/himself by saying their name and also fill in the following blank phrase three times, "I am ___". One person say "My name is John. I am a cyclist. I am an environmentalist. I am calm."

• Preview the video before you use it and determine how it can best be used to fulfil your goals.
• Before viewing the video, tell the participants why you have decided to use it.
• Ask people to move their chairs so that they can better see the T.V.
• After seeing the video, start a discussion by asking questions about the content, followed by questions about people's feelings, reactions and interpretations.

• Split into small groups and ask each group to appoint a reporter to write down the main points of the discussion; these will be used in a plenary discussion.
• Ask the participants to talk briefly about their understanding of ozone depletion.
• Participants should spend 5 minutes reading a section you have chosen within the Participants' Guide. Some participants may be better able to respond if sections are read aloud by a member of the group.
• Ask them to spend 5-10 minutes discussing the material that they have read and generate questions to be brought to the larger group.
• Reassemble the group and ask for one question form each group. Ask them not to repeat any points that have already been mentioned.
• Go around the room until a list of 10-15 questions or points have been generated. The facilitator should write these points on a flip chart.
• Promote discussion by asking questions to clarify points of concern. Also ask how they felt about the information discussed.
• Summarize main points, highlighting what other information needs to be obtained.

• Explain that the purpose of a brainstorm is to generate ideas and that people are not to criticize ideas until the brainstorm is finished. Encourage the group to provide answers to the questions, but not to begin discussion around them.
• Ask the group to name some well known myths about ozone depletion.
• A facilitator should quickly write down the ideas on a flip chart in a Myth Column until all or most of the ideas have been written down.
• Ask them to identify what they know to be a fact. The facilitator should write this down in a fact column.
• Now open a discussion to allow participants to identify items which they may feel are in the wrong category. If there isn't consensus as to which items belong in either the Fact or Myth, then Move them to the Confusion Column.
• Discuss what this exercise has revealed about the problems of ozone depletion.

• Divide the group into small groups.
• Give each group a copy of the questionnaire.
• Get them to come to a quick decision as to what are good answers. You may choose a time limit of one minute a question.
• Have each group select one member to discuss their observations about people's knowledge of ozone depletion and to present one question in a plenary discussion.

• Lead the group in brainstorming about things on the planet that are important to them (ideas ranging from oceans, ozone deer, children, etc.)
• Divide them up into two or three groups.
• A facilitator will play the role of an auctioneer
• Provide each group with an imaginary $26,000 to bid.
• Each group is to designate a spokesperson who handles the bidding
• After all but one group have spent their money, begin a short discussion around our values for the environment.

Ask to have three volunteer sculptors.

Get the volunteers to move their chairs into the centre of the circle in such a way that the other participants can see and hear their discussions.

Give these volunteers ten minutes to consult on how they are going to create a sculpture, using the other participants, which will convey the problems associated with ozone depletion.

After the then minutes are up, instruct the volunteers to create their sculpture in silence.

After they have finished the sculpture, break up the group and ask if they have gained any new insights from this physical representation.

• Place the items or their smaller replicas on a table in the room. Ask the participants to divide the items into those which use or have the potential of releasing ozone destroying chemicals and those which do not effect the ozone layer.
• After the group decides what items lie in which camp, ask them questions about products to point out any errors they may have made. Ask them if they were surprised about the things which help to destroy our ozone layer.

• Tell the participants they are simulating a meeting whose purpose is to create a policy document on ozone depletion.
• Ask for a volunteer to be the chair of the meeting. You may need to discuss their responsibilities in the simulation.
• Hand out the job descriptions to the remaining participants. Try to maintain the number of participants as suggested for each job description.
• Ask them to read their job descriptions carefully, and to assume the role of that person.
• Get them to meet with other participants with the same job descriptions to discuss their strategy during the meeting.
• Organize three round-table discussions of 6 minutes each, followed by informal 5 minute breaks. The round-table should be structured to allow one representative from each group, except the media representative, to participate in the discussions.
• Each participant's responsibility in this meeting is to try to ensure that his/her perspective is represented in the final document

• Tell each small group that this is a visioning exercise in which members will be playing the role of environmental historians.
• Explain to them that they are now living in the year 2050 and that you are meeting to collaborate with other historians to create an outline for a book examining how the people around the world managed to change their lives and stop producing ozone destroying substances.
• After the groups have come to some agreement on their histories ask them to present it briefly to the other groups. Then lead a discussion on what is stopping the implementation of such changes now.

• Divide into three small groups.
• Provide each group with a copy of the policy provided in the handout section and have a member of the group read the description out loud.
• Ask the group to discuss the position that they have been given and ask them to create a list of pros and cons from which to begin their discussion. Also ask them to consider a question that they would like to have addressed to the other groups.
• After they have discussed their policy, ask them to select a member of the group to represent them in the debate.
• Assemble the three debaters in the front of the group, with the facilitator controlling the structure of the debate.
• Provide each speaker two minutes to explain their position on: What should Canada's policy on this ozone destroying substance be?
• The facilitator should make sure to provide each debater with equal time. It may help to warn them when their two minutes is coming to an end.
• After the position statements have been made, have at least one minute round for rebuttal.
• Close the debate and reassemble the group circle. Get quick responses from the group about how they felt about their position. Also ask them to consider what they felt was important about what they heard, outside of the positions they have been given. Also ask them to discuss which positions are compatible with each other and which are not.

You have just arrived home from work and turn on the television. It is the year 2010 and the ozone layer is at its lowest level in recorded history. Despite the summer heat, you have had to wear a jacket with long sleeves and a collar for the walk home. You remove your wide brimmed hat, UV protected sunglasses and the SPF-30 sunscreen it is now necessary to apply when you go outside. Your outside gear hangs besides your family's. Your two-year-old daughter toddles toward you for a hug. She has yet to play in the sun and must be kept covered for trips between buildings. 

The news on the television is not good "Melanoma has reached a new high for Canadians. One in 5 people is now diagnosed with this type of cancer during their lives. The continuing increase is linked to ultraviolet B radiation that used to be absorbed by the ozone layer. 

In a related story, UV radiation is being blamed for the declining fish stocks, along with continued over fishing. Phytoplankton is dying at tremendous rates in the world's oceans due to higher UV levels. Fish feed on the phytoplankton. 

"The decrease in the ozone layer has caused the Canadian government to encourage residents above the Arctic Circle to settle farther south due to increased incidents of cataracts and damage to immune systems." 

You prepare your dinner and marvel at the increase in the price of meat and other protein supplements such as soybeans. Because of the increase in the cancer and cataracts in free range cattle, meat producing animals are housed in crowded, expensive, indoor barns. The soybean yield has decreased by 25 percent due to the plants sensitivity to increased ultraviolet radiation. 

Rover scratches at the door, wanting to go for a run. Looking at the sky, you think better of it. Having the cancerous growth removed from his eye was expensive. The dog will have to wait until after dark before going out. 

As night falls, you can see the moon light shimmering across the pond down the hill behind the house. But what you hear is silence. The voices of the frogs are gone. They, too, have been silenced by UV radiation caused by the thinning of the ozone layer. 
 

• Get the participants to form their chairs into a tight circle and then turn off or dim the lights.
• Explain that it is important for people to be able to envision what their lives would be like if we didn't work to protect the ozone layer.
• A facilitator should begin to verbalize their own worst nightmare for ozone depletion and then ask for volunteers to paint their own visions.

• Ask the participants to brainstorm 13 different things that they use which contribute to ozone depletion. They may need to refer to the participant's manual at this time.
• Then ask them to list 13 alternatives for these substances.
• Within the group, get each person to name three things that they will change to reduce their personal use of ozone depleting substances.
• You can also ask them to sign a personal contract to do these things.

• After distributing the materials, ask the participants to write a short letter to themselves 2 months from now.
• Ask them to write down a few things that they will have done to protect the ozone in that time. Ask them to date and sign the letter.
• Ask them to write their address on the envelope and then mail it.

• When the group is back in the circle start a round to get all of the participants to quickly answer one of these questions.
• Participants should speak for no longer than a minute, and everyone should have the right to pass
• Think about what questions are most appropriate for the section

1. One thing that I have succeeded in changing in my life is...
2. My biggest concern about ozone depletion is...

• Distribute the words randomly in the group (making sure that all of the words of a given sentence are given to participants and that no participant has more than one colour of word)
• Ask them to get into groups by colour and recreate the sentences that they have been given.

1. Ozone depletion threatens all life on earth.
2. The Montreal Protocol does not address all ozone depleting substances.
3. Many "Ozone Friendly" compounds still destroy ozone.

• Ask the group to brainstorm about products that they have heard of that claim to be "ozone friendly."
• Ask the group to decide why they think the company produced it calls it "green" and then decide whether the product is or not.
• Discuss what the group things a "ozone friendly" product should be 

• Draw a large circle on the board with topics related to the workshop like "UV Radiation", "Ozone Depletion", or "Methyl Bromide."
• Ask the participants to list, without discussion, the immediate causes or effects of ozone depletion. With each idea that is generated draw a circle with the name of the problem within it and connect it to the central issue.
• The group then lists the causes which are connected to each sub point and draws connections from this new point to another one to which it is related.
• If there is time, try to create some third or fourth level connections.
• Analyse where the group can affect the entire web most effectively. Try to demonstrate that the group can affect everything.
• Ask the group what this says about the complexity of the ozone issue.

• Get the participants to brainstorm a list of social issues that they are concerned about in their community.
• Do the same for a list of environmental problems with directly affect their community.
• Ask each participant to speak for up to three minutes to draw connections between as many of the issues on the two lists as they can.
• If you have a large group, or are short of time, ask for a few volunteers to try making the connections
• Remember that everyone has the right to pass, and that it may help the process if a facilitator goes first.

• Get the group to divide into pairs, preferably with people who they do not know very well.
• Ask each person to write their name and phone number at the top of the page.
• Tell them to write down one thing they have learned from the workshop that they would like to apply in their daily life.
• Ask the participants to talk for a few minutes about why they have chosen the action.
• Afterwards have them exchange cards with the person with whom they have been paired and agree to call them and discuss their commitments in two weeks.

• Ask for two or three volunteers to act as judges for the game and then split the group into three teams.
• Arrange three chairs in the centre of the room and get one participant from each team to sit in each chair.
• Allow the first participant sitting to select the category and the difficulty level of the first answer of the game.
• Give the answer and then allow the first person who used their noisemaker to provide the correct question to the answer you provided. Judges will decide who made the first noise and who responds correctly.
• After a participant has had an opportunity to provide a question have them rotate with a member who has not. Go until you run out of time, answers or energy.

• Distribute the handouts and provide people with the time to complete them.
• If people leave during the workshop, please give them a copy of the evaluation before they go.
• Please make sure to send us a copy of their evaluations of the workshop

• Ask the participants what went well in the meeting and how they felt about each activity. Let people respond, but make sure not to restart discussion or debate.
• Ask them what went poorly in the workshop and what could be done to improve it in the future. Try to ensure that every negative point is followed by a positive improvement.
• Record these on the flip chart, using the participants own words if possible.
• "Please hand out the Participant Evaluation sheet at the end of the workshop to allow people to respond individually.