A cross-cultural simulation game---The Albatross

 

The Albatross: A role-playing activity that allows students to observe and interpret what they observed, in order to demonstrate how easily a misunderstanding and error assumptions can be produced.

Target Population: after grade 10
Duration: about one hour
Actors needed: one is a male student, and another is a female student
Required materials: one small bowl, some kind of liquid to drink, some food to eat, sheets or other cloth for the use of the Albatrossians, and candies, incense, or other extras.

The first part (15-20 min):
In an imaginary culture, two actors play the roles of Albatross man and woman holding a greeting ritual, and students are invited to take part in that event. Students need to take notes about what they observe, including cultural themes and gender relation in this show.

The Second part (about 45 min)
Debriefing:
1. participants describe what they observed in this imaginary culture
2. They interpret their observations
3. informing them about the facts about the Albatrossian society.

Further discussion

Reference:

Cruz, B. C., & Patterson, J. M. (2005). Cross-Cultural simulations in teacher education: Developing empathy and understanding. Multicultural Perspectives, 7(2), 40-47. doi:10.1207/s15327892mcp0702_7