Role Play

John and his younger brother Mark walked home from school on a cold and windy day. As they rounded a corner, both boys saw a dollar blowing in the wind. They ran to catch it, but because John was bigger, he pushed Mark out of the way and grabbed the dollar. Their conversation went like this:

Mark: I saw it first! It's my dollar! Give it to me!

John: I've got it and it's mine. I'm not going to give you a thing!

Mark: You're greedy. You get everything just because you're bigger.

John: If you don't get everything you want, you go crying to Mom.

Mark: I need the money more, because I don't get as much allowance.

John: So what? I pay for my own clothes and put gas in the car.

Mark: You have a job at the car wash and earn lots of money.

John: You're just too lazy to work for you money.

Mark: I'll get you! I don't care how big you are! Just wait 'til I'm big! You'll be sorry!

Mark chased John down the street and into their home just as their father was going out. After they helped him up, he asked them what was going on. Mark accused John of taking the dollar he found, over John's loud protests. Their father reminded them that they both owed him money; then he took the dollar and went out shopping.

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Time Permitting: Students may create their own role-plays using positive and normative statements and deciding what the rational choice would be in the situation.