For the last few years I wanted to do an end of the semester trade simulation and I haven't been able to find one that wasn't online (we aren't 1:1). I finally decided to take the time to create one.
I set it up so each team, I wanted 2 or 3 at most to a team, was a different nation. They received a sheet that had the specifics of their nation. For instance, birth rate, death rate, GDP, resources and type of government. It also listed allies and enemies. The first step was for them to read about their nation and the others, design a flag and pick a country name. Next, they had to answer some questions about their country and the philosophy. I had each group decide on a president and a press secretary. At the end of each days simulations they would have the president give a speech, and the press secretary answer questions from the group.
Next, was the fun part, letting the students loose to start wheeling and dealing with each other. It was amazing to see them in action. The higher order thinking skills were on display as they worried about their choices for their nation and the implications of each deal. There were some pretty heated arguments and some lying and backstabbing, but hey this is the world of politics.
For the next few days I put a list of game changers on the board. The first day Game changerswere full of surprises. As they went around making deals, I followed playing devil's advocate.
The same thing happened on day 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Overall, this was really a great week. The students were very into making deals, and things got heated at many points. It was great to get to walk around and strategize with the students.
If you have any adjustments or suggestions let me know.
No comments:
Post a Comment