By
Margaret Duncan, Ed.D.
In October, I was able to share thoughts of incorporating
games into the classroom with fellow teachers at the Georgia Council of Social
Studies. The following are some thoughts
about what I presented, as well as a Top Ten list of games I think would be
great for classroom use. In my seminar
I offered information on many more games, but the Top Ten can be considered a
starter set for those who want to test the gaming waters first.
So, Who am I?
I am a history teacher who often struggles with how to get students
excited about a subject I love, but sadly, bores them. Nevertheless, I am not just a Histocrat, but
also a gamer. No, not a video gamer, but
an old school board gamer. I have
attempted to meld these two loves—teaching history and playing games into my
classroom. In no way can I say the journey has been easy, on the contrary I
have had a few false starts. Even now, I
am hesitant to give up valuable time in my AP US History class to play a
game. Still, I think incorporating games
into the classroom has merit.
So, Why Incorporate
Board Games?
Well, teachers who
incorporate board games into the classroom do more than teach a standard for
one day. Teachers often incorporate
simulations into their classroom.
Unfortunately, a simulation is a one-time offing. A cooperative board game can be used not just
to gain historical knowledge but also for the simple benefit of playing a
game. For example, a student who enjoys
playing a round of Carcassonne may be
motivated to play the game again with their family. Wouldn’t it be nice to have students play
games with their family for fun? Games are a gateway to allow students to get more history into their lives.
A year ago, I introduced games to my history club students as part of my “Get History into Your Lives” initiative. Some were eager to embrace gaming, some thought I was crazy. Nevertheless, how did I hook them? I showed an episode of Wil Wheaton’s TableTop show—Ticket to Ride to be specific. Happily, I found that gaming created a gateway for other things. For example, this year, I showed off Pillars of the Earth, a game based on Ken Follett’s novel of the same name. Not only did students enjoy the game but were curious to seek out and read the book. I have also tried to convert skeptical teachers by hosting a “Teacher Game Night.” Those who attended understand the motivation and are open to incorporating games into their classroom.
Hosting a Game Night--proving that playing Games can be Educational and FUN! |
Overall, board games do not teach students all the facts, but many are a good place to start. More importantly, they may provide the motivation for student and teacher alike to delve deeper into a certain historical subject that many students would otherwise not be interested in.
You Are a
Gamer, But I am Not, So Where do I Begin?
There is an amazing Gaming community that can
offer tips and all kinds of advice for the teacher who is a novice gamer. Try watching an episode of TableTop. This show was created by Wil Wheaton and
Felicia Day for the Geek & Sundry
YouTube channel. Games featured on show that
would be great in classroom include: Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride,
Alhambra, Pandemic, and Resistance.
Probably the mother
of all gaming resources is Board Game
Geek. This online resource is full
of all kinds of board game information. The
website contains several threads on games in the classroom. Any game you would ever want to play undoubtedly
has a message board. However, if you
have a specific question or need, just ask a question on the message board and
be prepared for a number of answers.
Another great
resource is The Dice Tower. This is a
thorough gaming website and podcast for gaming news. Plus, they offer a variety of game reviews on
their YouTube channel. One reviewer in
particular, Mike Vincent, exclusively reviews games for classroom use.
So, My Top Ten Games for the Classroom
1. Pandemic—2nd Edition, Z-Man Games. Great for Geography, AP Human
Geography. Playing Time: 1-2 Class Periods
2 (Tie) Carcassonne, Z-Man Games. Geography, AP Human Geography, World History. Playing Time:
1-2 Class Periods
2. (Tie) New World: A Carcassonne Game, Z-Man Games. World History, US History.
Playing Time: 1-2 Class Periods
4.
7 Wonders, Asmodee. World History, Government. Playing Time: 1 Period
5. Ticket
to Ride, Days of Wonder. Geography,
AP Human Geography, World History, US History, Economics. Playing Time: 2-3-
Class Periods
6. Twilight
Struggle, GMT Games. US History,
Government. Playing Time: 1-2 Class Periods
7. Pillars
of the Earth, Mayfair Games. World
History. Playing Time: 2-3 Class Periods
8. Alhambra,
Rio Grande Games. World History,
Economics. Playing Time: 2-3 Class Periods
9.
Archaeology, Z-Man Games. Geography, World History. Playing Time: 1 Class Period
10. Catan
Histories: Settlers of America, Mayfair
Games. US History. Playing Time: 2-3 Class Periods
Honorable Mention:
Monopoly, Hasbro.
US History, Government, Economics. Playing Time: 2-3 Periods
Most Students own a version of Monopoly making it easy to incorporate into the classroom.
Most Students own a version of Monopoly making it easy to incorporate into the classroom.
Great post. As a gamer myself, I feel like you provided a very solid introduction for a newcomer.
ReplyDeleteHow do you save or preserve board set-up between sessions?
For games that take more than one class period, students simply take pictures of the board/cards/placements on their cellphone. This is by far the easiest way to recreate the board and all info the next day.
ReplyDeleteHow do you adapt it for whole class? Do you have to buy multiple games?
ReplyDeleteGood question GReece -- I am wondering the same thing. For Twilight Struggle, would you pit one side of the class against the other, or rotate groups of teams playing on different days?
ReplyDelete