A Better World: Orfno

Two robots and an alien landscape with a path with trampoline circles. One robot has legs and looks happy. The other robot has wheels and looks a bit confused.

Transcript

[Spaceship landing]

We have now arrived at the last world on our journey: Orfno!

[Birds singing and water running in a forest]

A forested world, the robots here love to get out into nature and observe the bugs, plants and animals.

[Writing on paper]

They have written many books about their world, which have helped other worlds.

There are extensive trails through the forests, and recently trampolines were installed so the robots can explore the treetops.

[Jumping on a trampoline]

Unfortunately, the Orfnos have discovered that those with wheels can only bounce as high as the first two layers of the treetops, while those with legs can hop between all five layers.

Since this means that our whole team won’t be able to access the whole forest, we’ll head out and come back another time to explore.

[Door opening]

But we should consider what this lesson means for our world!

Would your robot be able to see the whole world?

How can those with wheels or tracks be included?

Should the platforms be changed? Who is responsible for making the change?

[Spaceship taking off]

We have now arrived at the last world on our journey: Orfno

A forested world, the robots here love to get out into nature and observe bugs, plants, and animals. They have written many books about their world, which have helped other worlds.

There are extensive trails through the forests, and recently trampolines were installed so that robots can explore the treetops. Unfortunately, the Orfnos have discovered that those with wheels can only bounce as high as the first two layers of the treetops, while those with legs can hop between all five layers.

Since this means that our whole team won’t be able to access the whole forest, we’ll head out and come back another time to explore. But we should consider what this lesson means for our world!

Questions to talk about

Would your robot be able to see the whole world?
How can those with wheels or tracks be included?
Should the platforms be changed? Who is responsible for making the change?

Bonus challenge (optional)

Have a race around your space! If your robot doesn’t have wheels or tracks, you have to do one extra lap.

Keep the story going (optional)

Imagine you and your friend are trying to ride bikes, but your friend is much shorter than you. There’s only one bike, and it’s too big for them.

If we gave you the exact same bike, that wouldn’t help your friend because they couldn’t reach the pedals.

Instead, what if we give each person what they need to succeed, so your friend would get a smaller bike that fits them, and you’d get a bigger one. That way, both of you can ride comfortably and have fun.

Equality is treating everyone the exact same, but equity is making sure everyone gets what they need to be successful. When we focus on equity, we make sure things are fair for everyone, no matter their situation.

Can you explain the difference between equality and equity in your own words or with a different example?
Can you think of a time when someone needed something different to succeed? What happened?
How can we make sure that everyone in our school or community gets what they need to be successful?

Why this is important: Helpful facts and stats

This world explores the differences between equity and equality.

The topic: You may have heard of terms like equality and equity before. But what’s the difference?

Equality means treating everyone the same, no matter their situations or needs.
Equity means providing each person with the resources and support they need to succeed. It takes into consideration that different people in different circumstances need different things^{Note de bas de page 1} .

Equity is what is needed to achieve true gender equality, where everyone enjoys the same rights and opportunities regardless of their gender.

Why this is important: At first, treating everyone the same might seem fair, but people don’t all start from the same place or face the same circumstances or challenges.

Imagine a group of people trying to watch a parade behind a tall fence. Equality means giving everyone the same box to stand on, but some shorter people might still not be able to see. Equity means giving each person the number of boxes they need to see over the fence, so everyone can enjoy the parade.

Equity creates real fairness by recognizing that people have different needs and circumstances. It helps ensure everyone has what they need to succeed, leading to a more inclusive and equal future for all.