Stage 2. Historical Context: Life under political oppression
Students explored the historical and political conditions in which people had experienced restrictions on their freedom. They examined examples of censorship, surveillance, propaganda, political imprisonment and persecution. They also considered how these practices affected everyday life, relationships and the ability to express personal opinions. The teacher introduced the historical experiences of Jerzy Popiełuszko and Hieronim Dekutowski. Students learned about the different circumstances in which they had acted and discussed the risks associated with their decisions. The materials encouraged students to examine historical evidence and avoid simplifying complex events or treating different periods as identical.
This stage provided the background knowledge needed for the simulation and helped students understand that individual choices were shaped by the political, social and personal circumstances of the time.
Stage 3. Presentation of the Simulation
The teacher explained the rules of the simulation and introduced the dilemmas. Each scenario described a realistic situation in which a person had faced a difficult choice. Students were informed that they would have to consider several possible responses, explain their reasoning and anticipate the consequences of their decisions.
The scenarios addressed situations such as witnessing an act of injustice, encountering censored information, being pressured to inform on another person, deciding whether to participate in peaceful resistance or having to choose between personal safety and defending someone at risk. Students were encouraged to avoid judging historical actors solely from a contemporary perspective. Instead, they were asked to consider what information had been available at the time, what risks people had faced and what alternatives had realistically existed.
Stage 4. Group Work: Analysing the dilemmas
Students worked in small international groups and analysed their assigned scenarios. Each group discussed the available options and considered the possible consequences of each decision.
They used guiding questions to structure their discussions:
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What were the main options available to the person in this situation? |
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What risks were associated with each option? |
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Who might have been affected by the decision? |
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What values or responsibilities came into conflict? |
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What information would have been needed to make a more informed |
decision? |