1. Simulation and Roleplaying in the High School Classroom
Jeff Swisher, Gavit Middle High School

2. Background
I have been a teacher for six years. I teach U.S. History, American Government and Concurrent Credit American Government
I teach at a small urban school in a Chicago suburb of Indiana. 88% of my students participate in free/reduced lunch program
School is a very diverse population

3. 1/3 Principle

4. What Started it All Teaching a Current Events course
Fantasy Geopolitics (University of Minnesota)
Building a game as an integral part of my course

5. Balance
Engagement vs. Edutainment

6. Core Principals
Student Engagement – find ways to engage as many students as possible as equally as possible
Clearly Stated Objectives – the purpose of the simulation is directly measured through definable outcomes and student reflection
Duration – length and intensity are suitable to the short high school time frame
Roles – responsibility and dependence on certain roles are minimized

7. Key Design Factors Shortened Timeframe (Minimal Setup and Tear Down)
Limit Available Choices (Card Play)
Level of Pseudo Randomization (Dice)
Assess students not on wining but participation and preparation (Faciliatory and peer assessment)
Use of Primary Sources and Secondary Sources
Large Classrooms (30-35) – limited space
Key Design Factors

8. SpeakEasy
Recreate the New York Stork Club in a Storage Room of the School
Station Driven (Guide runs each station)
Food & Drinks: Kegs of Root beer, Cream Soda and Pinnacle Upside-down cake (invented at a speakeasy)
Fashion: Dress of the Roaring 1920s (photo booth)
Gambling: Various games of chance and betting (simulated outcomes)
Entertainment: Dance instructor teaching the students the dances and music of the 1920s
Former students work the party

9. How a Bill Becomes a Law
Simulation the entire process of the House and Representatives and Senate through the bill process
Each students have a set of constituencies they pole, interpret their needs and represent their needs
Team Goal: Get the law as aligned to their party as possible
Goals: Get their constituencies ideas represented in the law to be reelected

10. Vietnam Draft Students all receive custom printed draft cards
Draft lottery is held each morning
Protest signs and counter protests – students must decide which side they will fall on
Students must decide if they are willing to accept the call of the draft or refuse the draft and face the conciquences

11. Tiered, Poor and Yearning to be Free
Immigration in the Gilded/Progressive Era Simulation
Students are giving a persona/role to represent an immigrant coming to America
The rest of the students act as immigration agents, interviewing the newly arrived immigrants
Objectives: Student explore the pull and push factors for different types of immigrants

12. At the Waters Edge Foreign Policy Simulation
Students are giving roles in the American government
They have to balance foreign policy demands and domestic policy demands
Team Goal: Prevent Turduckstan and Republic of Chicken going to war
Individual Goal: Get reelected
Adapted from Jeremy Caddel, JD, PhD
Washington University, St Louis

13. Key Design Elements to Every Game
Card Play (Reduce the number of available options for each turn)
Incentive for winning (not related to grade)
Equipment to set the stage (Costumes, props, location, etc…)
Compete against other classes
Dice to give a level of randomness
Quick “Check for understanding” quizzes for bonuses during the simulation
Bonuses for using the key terms for this unit (use them properly)
Let students design and modify some of the parameters of the simulation

14. Follow-up Game Debrief Student Reflection
Revaluate/tune the game for the next time

15. Questions or Comments Visit theswishers.com
I will post up the completed simulations as I clean them up