How to use
Print this page. Cut out all 15 cards along the dotted lines. Place geography cards in one pile, technology cards in another, contact cards in a third. Each group draws one card from each pile.
Social Studies • Year 9–10 • Systems thinking • Printable resource
Constraint Cards: Design Your Own Society
Fifteen index-card-sized constraint cards to print, cut, and draw. Each card specifies one aspect of a group's society: geography, technology level, and contact with other groups. Draw randomly to make design authentic and force systems thinking.
📋 Printing & Cutting Instructions
- Print this page on card stock (heavier than regular paper — more durable for handling).
- Cut along the borders of each card. A paper cutter makes this fast; scissors work too.
- Sort into three piles: Geography (tan/brown cards), Technology (blue cards), Contact (purple cards).
- During class: Each group draws one card from each pile. They now have their constraints and begin design.
- Keep the cards: Groups refer back to their drawn cards throughout the project as a reminder of their design boundaries.
🏔️ Geography & Terrain
Coastal
Your society has access to ocean trade, fishing, and maritime resources — but also vulnerability to invasion and storms. Economy naturally inclines toward trade and seafaring.
Mountainous Island
Your society is isolated by terrain and sea. Self-sufficiency is essential. Limited arable land. Natural defence against invasion. Few resources to trade (unless they're rare mountain minerals).
Plains / Grassland
Your society has good agricultural land and open space. But no natural defenses. Vulnerable to invasion and nomadic raiders. Governance likely centralises around defence.
Desert
Extreme resource scarcity. Water is life. Agriculture is nearly impossible without irrigation or oases. Population will be small and concentrated. Trade becomes survival.
Temperate Forest
Abundant timber and game. Moderate climate. Good for settlement. Natural resources support diverse economy (hunting, logging, farming in clearings).
⚙️ Technology & Resources
Pre-Industrial
Agriculture, hand tools, animal power. No electricity, no factories, no machines. Communication is slow. Life is bound to land and seasons. Economy is subsistence-based or barter.
Early Industrial
Steam power, basic factories, mechanical tools. Faster production. Cities grow. Class divisions emerge between workers and owners. Transportation improves (trains, ships).
Modern
Electricity, manufacturing, automobiles, communication technology (telephone, radio). Healthcare improves. Education becomes possible at scale. Economy is complex (specialists, services, trade).
Information Age
Computers, the internet, and automation. Knowledge and money move instantly across the globe. The economy runs on information and services as much as on making things. Who controls the data? Who is left offline?
Advanced / Frontier
Near-future technology — artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, abundant energy. Machines do much of the work. What are people for when survival no longer depends on their labour? Who benefits from the abundance?
🌏 Contact with Other Groups
Isolated / No Contact
Your society has had no contact with other groups for generations. Complete self-sufficiency. Unique culture and language. No trade. No external knowledge. You must solve every problem alone.
Limited, Peaceful Trade
You have occasional contact with neighbouring groups. Small-scale trade. Some cultural exchange. You can get goods you don't produce, but trade is slow and limited. Relative peace.
Integrated / High Contact
Your society is part of a larger trade network. Regular contact, cultural mixing, diverse population. Specialisation is possible. But also exposure to foreign ideas, disease, and conflict.
Deeply Xenophobic
Your society has deep, irrational prejudice against outsiders. Students quickly discover: you cannot trade effectively. You cannot access outside knowledge. You become isolated, economically weak, and vulnerable. Powerful learning.
Expansionist / Imperialist
Your society seeks to expand and control neighbouring groups. Militarism is central. But expansion is expensive, morally fraught, and creates enemies. Students must grapple with: Why choose this? What does it cost?