FACULTY NOTES

In this exercise the "citizen's argument" simulates deliberations among a committee of citizens appointed by elected officials to study and recommend appropriate actions for deer management in a suburban community. Students are given results of a community attitude survey (Figure 3, adapted from Chase et al. 2002) and informational scenarios about different deer management options. After digesting these, students deliberate as a group and try to reach consensus on the preferred management option for the community. You can let students form their own opinions. Or, if you feel consensus would be reached quickly and students would not really get to grapple with diverse stakes in deer management decisions, you can assign specific roles (such as wildlife photographer, animal rights supporter, hunter, police officer responding to deer-vehicle collisions, gardener, homeowner, motorist, educator, etc.)

Help students understand the survey results in Figure 3. Surveys were sent to 550 randomly selected resident property owners in Cayuga Heights during November and December 1998. The researchers received an 81% response rate (adjusted for undeliverable questionnaires and nonresidents). Students should note that the majority (54%) of respondents said that they enjoy the presence of deer but worry about associated problems. Of particular interest is that 81% of respondents prefer a decrease in the deer population size; however, 50% and 52% find killing deer by sharpshooters or licensed archery hunters respectively to be “not at all acceptable.” This posed a challenging dilemma for community decision-makers and wildlife managers: how to reduce negative impacts associated with deer with dubious public support for lethal control? This led to exploration of additional management options and the 5 scenarios included in the students’ instructions. Let students read and digest the pros and cons of the five management scenarios.

Have students begin deliberating for a specified period of time (e.g., 10 minutes). After the designated time period, ask students if they have reached a consensus and, if so, for a group leader to articulate their decision. If not, ask students to prepare to vote. Vote orally or by written ballot. After the vote, if class size permits, ask each student to explain the reasoning behind her or his choice. Alternatively, facilitate a group discussion around challenges to reaching consensus and the trade-offs between different management options.

Student Assessment: Reflective Essay

(1) Oral presentation of students’ reasoning behind selection of a management option. (2) Ask students to write a brief (1-2 paragraphs) essay on the thinking process behind their selection of a management option. Some questions to help guide students’ reflection:

• As an individual, what criteria (e.g., effectiveness, cost, safety, acceptability, humaneness) did you consider in selecting a management option? Which was most important to you and why?


• As a group, how did you attempt to achieve consensus on a management option? Was consensus possible? Why or why not? What trade-offs were involved between different management options?