Gaming the Past: Using Video Games to Teach Secondary History

It’s one of my favorite times of the year. I mean, it’s not Christmas or the first four days of the NCAA basketball tournament or the magical three consecutive days in Kansas when it’s 75 degrees and there’s no wind. But it’s pretty close.

It’s MACE. I really enjoy this annual Kansas tech conference ritual. Great sessions. Great people. Great venue. And the best part of MACE 2014 last week? I got the chance to lead a conversation with a full room of folks about using video games to teach social studies. We spent 45 minutes talking about reasons to use games, ways to use games, and different kinds of games – including the potential of MineCraftEDU, SimCityEDU, and serious games.

And no, 45 minutes is not enough time. It was definitely a tip of the iceberg sort of the thing.

But still a great time. My hope was that people would walk away open to the idea of looking into the idea of using video games and sims as part of their social studies instruction. In Kansas, we continue to push the idea of historical thinking skills and video games can be a huge part of that process.

My sticky idea for the presentation? Rewiring brains is a good thing. It’s how kids learn. And video games can help you rewire the brains of your kids.

Pursued and Google Maps: Stay one step ahead

Imagine you are a trained undercover agent. While helping a little old lady across the street after saving stranded kittens stuck in a tree, you’re ambushed by evil doers.

You’re taken prisoner, shoved in the trunk of their getaway car, and transported to a secret location.

But because you are a trained undercover agent, you’re able to escape. The problem? You’re not sure where you are. You could be in any city in the world!

And so begins your adventure in the very cool, free, online, geo-based game called Pursued. Using the Street View feature of Google Maps, the makers of Pursued have created a great way for you to trains kids to ask questions, use visual clues, think spatially, become comfortable with geography tools, create mental maps, and solve problems all while having a good time.

Classroom battlefields, recreating history, and emotional connections

It was a massacre. Bodies lying everywhere, draped over rocks and sprawled in the road. The cries and moans of the wounded loud in our ears. The smell of gun smoke wafting through the air. Other soldiers hiding in ditches and behind trees, yelling instructions at one another.

And then . . . the bell rang and we all went to lunch.

Welcome to my 3rd hour 8th grade American History class sometime in the early 1990s. Before standards or state assessments, and without a clear district curriculum, I could pretty much do whatever I wanted.

And one of the things I wanted was for my kids to understand a bit about how historical battles were fought and at least a little about battlefield conditions. So during our study of the American Revolution, we recreated the battle of Lexington and Concord.

Kids were assigned roles as British regulars or colonial militia. Tactics were discussed and practiced. We talked about historical context. And we carefully handed out the weapons – left over paper from the teachers’ lounge, wadded up into balls. Each soldier was allowed only so much, based on their role.

The colonial militia was allowed to turn over the desks to act as rocks and trees. British regulars, with red construction paper taped to the chests, had to march down the center of the classroom – surrounded on both sides by over-turned desks and angry Massachusetts farmers.

I would strike 10 or 15 old fashioned matches, blowing them out quickly so the room filled with smoke (pre-smoke alarm days) and the battle was on.

Tip of the Week: SimCityEDU

Yesterday I talked a bit about the pedagogy of video game theory – a little of the hows and whys of how game design can be used to help teachers develop high quality instructional units.

And I promised a practical example of how video games can be embedded into lesson design.

There’s been some buzz from the SimCity people over the last few months about a possible online video game tool. The promise has been that this tool would include an educational-based version of the game and a collaborative network designed just for teachers.

Tip of the Week: Shambles at the Palace of Versailles Simulation

Times are tough. Teachers are getting fewer and fewer opportunities to take kids on field trips. You just can’t hop a plane and head out to the Gettysburg battlefield or the Palace of Versailles like you used to.

But the good news is if you can’t get to Versailles, Versailles can get to you. With a bit of help from Google, the Palace of Versailles now comes in 3D.

The new this summer Versailles 3D website offers you and your kids the chance to explore and experience the Palace in all of its 3D glory.

Rand McNally’s Play the Election

Rand McNally has partnered with ImpactGames and iCivics to create a very cool election simulation that is perfect for engaging kids in the election process.

Called Play the Election, the sim is a free, collaborative, online tool that teaches students about the 2012 election and the election process through a series of games, resources and competition.

Students predict the election winners for each state on an interactive election map, and compare their predictions to their class and the country to see where they rank. The program also includes eleven digital mini-games that delve deeper into influential and battleground states, like California and Texas, and Ohio and Florida.

Play the Election includes thirteen lesson plans that support core concepts to grades 7-12, crafted by expert teachers specializing in government and civics – and all aligned to the Common Core and the National Standards for Civics and Government.

Teachers are administrators for the students in their class and have access to Lesson Plans and related teacher materials. Each student receives his/her own login as part of the class you create. You’ll find quick start guides for students and lots of resources for teachers.

All this and it’s free!