Contemporary Social Studies

I think games can be used in social studies in many ways. One way they could be used in a history class is for a student to take on the identity of a historical figure. Gee talks about the fact that identity is important in the gaming world. Students could take on the identity of a President Lincoln or a slave to understand the activities that occurred during slavery from that particular person?s point of view. This will help with what Gee states as seeing ?the world in new ways.? Another way games could be used in the social studies area is for geography. With programs such as Google maps and Google earth students can get a bird?s eye view of different geography in different parts of the world. This will help develop ?relationships that will allow them to explore new worlds? (Gee). I have encountered many teachers in my graduate classes who have said they use Google Earth on a daily basis to help students visualize certain geographic areas.

Games should be used effectively in order for students to benefit from them. First of all the game must effectively be tied into the curriculum. Games should not take the place of traditional models of teaching, it should assist them. Gee talks about the fact that students learn best when they can go off of prior experience. In subjects where tapping into students prior experience is hard to do, games can help by engaging ?players with languages and ways of thinking with which they have no prior experience? (Gee).

Of course with all kinds of technologies there will be limitations. It might be difficult to ?sell? the idea of game usage in classrooms to teachers who have grown up in the traditional classroom. There are many educators you still believe the ?lecture and learn? model is best for students. As we all know technology itself can malfunction. How many of us have seen a teacher struggle to get a PowerPoint to work correctly for his/her lecture? It can be assumed that educational games might have some of these problems as well. An increase in technology in classrooms requires more time for training and planning from teachers. As we all know time is crucial for educators and some might view new technologies as unworthy of their time

As a student I remember playing Oregon Trail a lot in elementary school. I really enjoyed our time in the computer lab but I?m not sure how much I actually learned from it. Looking back, I think I viewed it more as fun because we were not sitting in class like normal. Although I am not a teacher yet, I hope to use games in my classrooms. In one of my classes last semester I remember a teacher telling me there was a history game out that was very interactive for students. Students would put on some kind of head piece that covered the eyes and ears. It was a virtual experience where students would be put in certain times in history and required to maneuver around the environment. Although I am not certain about the specifics of the game it seemed very engaging for students and teachers. I hope I will learn more about the different types of games I can use in my classroom from this class.

Posted by Jennifer Whitworth on September 07, 2007 at 06:44 PM EDT #

I?ve done some gaming. I created a barter & trade game for 7th grade African cultures, and years ago I did a 6th grade currency-exchange game, buying and selling goods using 6 different European currencies (with mass confusion over relative value in exchange), the following day we would replay the game using the new (at that time) euro. The kids had to write on the improvements a single currency provided (except for the Canadian team with whom no one wanted to trade). I?ve played modified chess (4 moves at one time, and team-play using two sets of pieces and boards at one time) and a home-made version of Risk, with a military history elective to teach tactics and strategic thinking. I?ve also had catapult building and competitions.

Re: Gee & Papert
Damn, I hate articles like this! One being so very radical and subversive that it prompted a response from a representative of the Established Order of Curriculum Designers (who is a devote? of that quack Gardner). Both radical enough that they make a persuasive case for real learning via gaming

What a great set of ideas; that kids can learn all manners of skills in situ, that real cognition happens when kids are doing something that engages them and has value to them, that kids should have an increasing portion of control over their learning. We read this, say, ?Right! What a great way to learn. Why can?t we do this??

For support we turn to the Mission Statement of North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
?The guiding mission of the North Carolina State Board of Education is that every public school student will graduate from high school, globally competitive for work and postsecondary education and prepared for life in the 21st Century.? (http://www.ncpublicschools.org/organization/mission/)

Cool, maybe gaming can fit this? Maybe gaming can help develop skills at actual critical thinking and problem solving.

And then reality pimp slaps us when those hypocritical pinheads at DPI load us with EOG, EOC and Blue Diamond assessments. Why, just last month we 8th grade Social Studies teachers were told that we will do Blue Diamond assessments (which are multiple-guess questions keyed to the SCOS, and for which a 50% accuracy rate is considered proficient), and just last Wednesday we learned that some well-meaning idiots are piloting a 6th grade Blue Diamond for Social Studies.

Where shall we find the time in the mandated curriculum and associated assessments for this intriguing approach to learning? And if there is no time (and from what I hear from US History and Civics & Economics teachers there isn?t, and the time of North Carolina history teachers is being rapidly reduced), why raise our level of discontent?

Posted by Ron Jones on September 08, 2007 at 01:08 PM EDT #

It is funny to think that playing a game can help students learn, but in fact it is very true. I remember playing Where in the World is Carmen Sandeigo in elementary school, and that was fun and educational at the same time. Now technology has developed so much that now strategy games are brought into the classroom to help teach. In a social studies class many different games could be played in order to help studnets learn. In a class last semester a classmate did a project on the use of the game Civilization as a learning tool. She discussed how students not only play the game, but how they have to use their critical thinking and cognitive skills in order to continue to survive in the game. I believe that the use of such games not only encourage students to learn, but it also gives them a sense of motivation because they are stepping outside the walls of the classroom. Also, the use of Google Earth was discussed in that class. I found that it was a perfect tool for geography classes, because it gave very detailed maps and actual sattelite images of various locations. This would allow the student to have a better image of what the area looks like rather then a colored map from a book. You could also use tools such as Google Earth to create your own games. You could play the older versions of Carmen Sandiego and use Google Earth to have a better understand of the area.

Gee discussed how studnets can learn from games that are not even education based like Tony Hawk Underground. This is one of my favorite games, and I never consider it a learning tool. This is because you start out not being very good, but youre able to practice and learn new moves in order to advance in the game as it becomes more difficult. Antoher unique aspect Gee mentioned was the use of research that is involved with games. People will get on the internet to find ways to help them beat the game, or secret tips to get them more advance. This research may be for fun, but they are increasing their internet skills.

Posted by kelly maxwell on September 08, 2007 at 04:40 PM EDT #

As teachers there is no doubt that we must find ways to incorporate gaming into our classrooms. Our students are the XBox generation. The days of reading a textbook and basing instruction on the textbook is no longer appropriate, yet it is the basis for most instruction in today's classrooms. The more opportunities we provide for our students to become actively invloved in their learning will not only benefit them but our profession as well.
The one game I use for all my US History students is the Oregon Trail. I assign my students to groups of two or three depending upon the number of computers available. They must not only decide for themselves which course of action to pursue as they play the game, but they must discuss the options amongst the members of their group and reach a consensus on a course of action. The dynamics are interesting to watch as the students try to reach an agreement or consensus on what to do, especially if a bad decision is made and a member of their group is killed or they loose all their possessions. Of particular interest is many of the groups cannot agree on what supplies to take on their journey or choose items and quantities that they do not need or forget to even purchase.
Unfortunately, I have only been able to schedule one class period for the game. At the conclusion of the game we discuss the problems they encountered on their journeys. During the discussion I use their experiences from the game to relate to the experiences of the pioneers.
Another game I utilize is a Jeopardy powerpoint based upon the Standard Course of Study. The games are based upon specific objectives and I utilize them as a review tool at the conclusion of a unit. The limitation of the game is it recall rather than problem solving. However, I do place the students in groups of four and require them as group to come up with the answer. A recorder for each group writes the answer down on a sheet of paper in the form of a question. Each group is required to answer each question and points are awarded or deducted for wrong responses. The students look forward to playing game and it's one of their favorite activities.
From a personal perspective, I need to incorporate more gaming into my lessons. My knowledge of current games which could be applicable to the classroom, specically US History is limited. I need to learn more which is why I have enrolled in this course and intend to make gaming and technology the focus of my dissertation.

Posted by Jeff Probert on September 09, 2007 at 12:30 PM EDT #

First of all, let me state that I don?t play video games anymore. About 10 years ago when I was an undergraduate, I wasted a lot of time playing games such as Doom, rather than studying. I realize that if I get an Xbox or a Playstation, I will probably be spending too much time in front of the TV instead of doing things I need to get done.

I do agree that some games can nurture higher order thinking skills (i.e. Tetris, Bejeweled). I am not sure about the more modern video games because I am not familiar with them. According to the articles we read, many of the newer games such as Rise of Nations, Age of Mythology, and Civilization require high levels of strategic thinking in order to successfully finish them. If this is the case, then they can be helpful in aiding the learning process.

I have never been assigned a video game to play for social studies class, but I am interested in the idea. I have my reservations about the process because kids and adults that I know often spend several hours a day playing video games. Also, I want to make sure that the students are getting the right lessons from the game. Just like with movies that are ?based on actual events,? students need to be able to understand what really happened. They need to differentiate between what is fact and what is fiction. Whenever we watch a movie in class, my students research the real events that occurred and compare it with the events depicted in the movie. The same needs to be done with these epic video games. I like the fact that students learn things such as the role of trade, agriculture, and natural resources in the development of civilizations. They also are able to see what the architecture, weapons and clothing of specific time periods actually look like.

While I have never played video games for social studies, I am very interested in exploring the topic. I found several games that are based on historical events: Conquer (medieval Europe); Making History: The Calm of the Storm (WWII); and Discover Babylon, to name a few.

Finally, I just wanted to point out that in the latest issue of Time (September 10), there is an article called, ?Halo 3: The Thinking Gamer?s Shoot-?Em-Up.?

Posted by Tim Rhue on September 09, 2007 at 12:46 PM EDT #

Games can definitely be used in a social studies classroom. Throughout my undergraduate career, professors always reinforced the use of games as as a fun tool to help students learn. Games encourage high order thinking skills. Many times, students are having fun and don't even realize they are learning. However, too many games can possibly prove to be a distraction. Sometimes, student's behavior changes when playing a game because the game provides for a fun environment. Thus, games should be a privilege. Tell your students that if they do well in their class activities, that, as a review, they will be able to play a game.

I went to the North Carolina Social Studies Conference last year and there was a program just about games. In the end, the presenter provided us a CD of games that can be played in a social studies classroom. I can easily load that CD on my computer and change the format to include the certain area I am teaching about (ie. Australia). Games on the CD include vocabulary baseball, jeopardy, hollywood squares, wheel of fortune, etc.

Last spring during my student teaching, my cooperating teacher used many interactive games in the classroom. We were lucky enough that we could check out a class set of laptops to use in our classroom. My cooperating teacher found a wonderful game on scholastic's website that has to do with Lewis & Clark and the exploration of America. The students get to take a quiz online of what they would take a long journey. The computer then scores their quiz and tells them what would really be beneficial on journey to the west. The students really responded to the game and it was evident that learning was occuring.

I have never actually played Oregon Trail. As a child, I always wanted to play it. However, I never got a chance in school or at my house. I could see how this game would be especially beneficial in a fourth or eigth grade classroom, when students learn about U.S. History.

Posted by Sue Carter on September 09, 2007 at 01:04 PM EDT #

Games are a great way of integrating higher-level thinking skills with the facts of history and other areas of social studies. They go beyond knowledge and comprehension to application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Games allow students to role-play and apply what they know about time periods, major events, planning strategy and problem solving. Through role-playing students not only comprehend an event and/or group (such as with Oregon Trail) but would be able to apply what they know and evaluate their options and decisions.
A short coming of games made for social studies is that they don?t necessarily teach facts therefore students must have a great deal of prior knowledge to be successful. They must also have the ability to perform higher level tasks.
In school I can only remember playing games at the elementary level. We had some fact-based board games to help learn capitols and states. We also had some problem-solving games such as Oregon Trail and Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? I also had a game for Nintendo called Mario is Missing that required you to search for Mario all over the world in different time periods. Beyond that we had few games to play in class even though there is greater opportunity for application and evaluation in the higher grades. I do remember being asked to create my own games as a project, which was difficult because I had not played any.
As a teacher I have used problem-based activities to teach social studies but have not used manufactured or self-made games. I do feel that even in the lower grades there is opportunity for application games that require students to apply their prior knowledge to make a goal or solve a problem. One game I have always wanted to play but have never is Risk. It seems so complicated that I?ve always been too scared to try. I?m not sure that it fits well with the social studies curriculum in third grade but may be appropriate for problem solving and strategies if altered.

Posted by Alice Hager on September 09, 2007 at 01:14 PM EDT #

I believe that implementing games in a social studies class can be beneficial, if done in moderation. I agree with many of Gee?s points such as games improving higher order thinking, problem solving skills, and taking on other perspectives. These are skills that I believe all teachers desire for their students. However, the reality of the situation is that most teachers are working with limited time and dealing with students who come to them below grade level expectations. Therefore, teachers struggle with teaching students the basics and implementing more innovative tools, such as video games. I teach a self-contained class that (unfortunately) devotes only 30 minutes to social studies. I think it would be difficult to implement games due to limited time. However, I am interested in learning how to use games in my social studies curriculum.

I learned best in my social studies classrooms when the teacher was a good storyteller. I have had many teachers take me back to certain time periods through storytelling, drama, movies, text books, etc. I do believe there is a time and place for this type of learning, and it should not be seen as outdated. I think games can be used effectively in the classroom if used as a supplement rather than the heart of the lesson. Like Gee stated, students must have prior knowledge in order to benefit from the games. Like with every great instructional strategy teachers need to find the balance of implementing old strategies that have proven to work, with the more advanced and innovative strategies. Children can reap the benefits from both.

The only social studies came I have experience with is Where Is Carmen Sandi ago. I recall this game being fun and educational. I truly believe a gained a lot of knowledge about geography from this game. We played this game in moderation and as an extracurricular activity. I have limited knowledge of the recent educational games used in classrooms, but I am highly interested in learning and implementing them into my third grade classroom.

Posted by carice cantelupe on September 09, 2007 at 02:46 PM EDT #

Since I don't think of myself as particularly gifted in the creating of games department, I have only developed a few review-type games for my students. I have played Oregon Trail many times, but never actually made it to Oregon as I always found ways to die along the way--much like the reality of the time I suppose.

In the broad sense, I believe educational gaming could be/is beneficial to students. They promote higher level, often creative thinking; they require focus and concentration for (sometimes) lengthy periods of time; kids find them engaging and interesting. What I found to be irritating is the opinion that gaming is the silver bullet to get kids to learn --teachers in and of themselves are not creative or engaging enough to reach students. To quote: "It is ironic that young people today are often exposed to more creative and challenging learning experiences in popular culture than they are in school." (Gee) Yes, there are many drill and practice types still in the classrooms, but not all teachers are. Some, as mentioned in a previous post, are great storytellers who engage students' imaginations; some develop integrated projects that reach across curriculum lines; some differentiate what/how they teach to reach all of their students--not just the ones that can afford to buy a game. You can't replace the classroom teacher (even drill and practice ones) with a CDRom. What is the point of playing something like Oregon Trail if there is no teacher there to provide the context and detail to make the decision making process of the game relevant?

And, lastly, classroom teachers today have two very real problems when it comes to using games in the classroom. Resources like computers are scarce. I have one computer in my classroom for my 117 students, and we have one 30 computer lab for a school of 1300. Time is also very tight; as an eighth grade social studies teacher I have 180 days to cover 560 years of history. Factor in to that that there are the inevitable interruptions to instructional days for things like field trips and the dreaded testing schedules that disrupt the entire school day and I really only have something like 170 days. Realistically, how much time can I spend on a game that only looks at one aspect of one historical event? And, as Ron mentioned in his post, DPI has now decreed that social studies teachers will now go down the Blue Diamond test mine with all the other subject areas. Maybe when the format of the EOC, EOG and other tests are in game format we can get more resources in the schools so teachers can provide more game opportunities for students.

Posted by Erica Martin on September 09, 2007 at 06:23 PM EDT #

In my past experiences as a student teacher at Enloe High School, I had the opportunity to incorporate a couple of games into my unit plans. Civics and Economics can be a very challenging subject for some freshmen students. As many of you know, the process of "How a Bill becomes Law", is an essential element of the legislative branch, and at times, may be somewhat of a boring/confusing area. Therefore, I created a simulation of the United States Senate. My students took on the role of U.S. Senators and used a relaxed version of Robert's Rules of Order.

In addition to the simulation of the U.S. Senate, I used a game for reviewing items for tests in my Civcs & Economics and Law & Justice courses. The game that I selected was Jeopardy. This game allowed for students to be competitive, and learn materials for the upcoming tests.

Most of these games were used to re-enforce what I had already taught them. At times, students could get off task, so you must monitor students during these activities.

Posted by Lock Whiteside on September 09, 2007 at 08:32 PM EDT #

Games are great ways to engage students in a learning activity if used properly. Both Gee and Papert suggest that good games are extremely engaging and challenging. I agree with Papert when he suggested, "learning is essentially hard; it happens best when one is deeply engaged in hard and challenging activities." Games should always be challenging and provide a well defined goal that is not merely for amusement.
Games can be effectively used in social studies by using them as review and as either formative or summative assessment tools. Of course they can be used also as an actual lesson plan to engage students in the learning process. I would also like to point out that it can also help 'hard to reach' students who might not be that interested in the traditional learning process.
Social studies in particular offers a wide variety of options when it comes to games. From Oregon Trail to Civilization, students can visualize social studies quite easily. I have used one game in particular to share with students the process settlers went through into the West. This always seemed to allow them to have fun while really understanding the harsh reality of the West.
There are many limitations that students will face with gaming in the classroom. Some students aren't interested in complex games that teachers may have them utilize. Also, EC/ESL students might also find it difficult to integrate gaming into their learning process. Finally, another limitation is the resource of games and the technology to support those games.
I have never played Civilization but from hearing about it, think it might be a great tool in my classroom. It sounds constructive and fun at the same time.
Overall, I am very excited at the opportunity to engage my students in gaming!

Posted by Amanda Long on September 09, 2007 at 09:41 PM EDT #

Gaming has the potential to become a great innovation in social studies learning. The author Paul Gee of the article ?The Classroom and Popular Culture? makes a profound and interesting statement in that while many children spend hours playing difficult and complex video games they do not seem to appreciate and spend time on homework. Gee begs the question, ?Why is this occurring?? This is occurring because these children feel a rewarding relationship between themselves and the video game. They are able to learn from experience rather than preprogrammed knowledge for a time they know not when they will use. Young learners must be proactive with their learning, if they are bystanders in which information is given to them without a purpose; they usually have a hard time retaining and applying such information. Society wants our future leaders to be self-sufficient and possess a wide range of critical thinking skills and gaming allows for this to take place. With gaming, students make hard decisions, build upon knowledge and ask for help when needed. Education is now placed in the hands of the learner which is a very powerful tool indeed. For example, if the game Civilizations was played in class, social studies teachers would witness what kinds of decisions students would make in regards to political and economical domains. Teacher and student could then assess what were positive versus negative outcomes of their decisions. Through their own experiences of making such decisions potentially they could understand why a past historical political figure made a certain choice. Gaming also promotes a value that we as a society hold dear and that is competition. Students could learn the implications of winning versus losing in a business, political, and economic sense.

Gaming should be used in context of the curriculum outline for the year. Teachers should make a goal to relate the material to student?s everyday lives. Students should see and understand the results of their work and how what they accomplished is benefiting them along with the general community. A limitation to the use of gaming and technology is the balance of time. Most teachers want lectures, discussions, and readings to be the main focus during class time. Also support from the school to buy and instruct these games to teachers and students would be another issue.

As I recall I did not play any type of game in social studies. Class was mainly used for review of homework, lecture, and discussion. During my junior year of high school I created an interactive webpage on the wetlands of South Florida which was about the extent of my technological experience for social studies class. The game Civilizations has always been appealing but otherwise I have not heard of many other games that would relate to social studies learning.

Posted by Rachel Bumgardner on September 09, 2007 at 11:01 PM EDT #

Gaming has the potential to become a great innovation in social studies learning. The author Paul Gee of the article ?The Classroom and Popular Culture? makes a profound and interesting statement in that while many children spend hours playing difficult and complex video games they do not seem to appreciate and spend time on homework. Gee begs the question, ?Why is this occurring?? This is occurring because these children feel a rewarding relationship between themselves and the video game. They are able to learn from experience rather than preprogrammed knowledge for a time they know not when they will use. Young learners must be proactive with their learning, if they are bystanders in which information is given to them without a purpose; they usually have a hard time retaining and applying such information. Society wants our future leaders to be self-sufficient and possess a wide range of critical thinking skills and gaming allows for this to take place. With gaming, students make hard decisions, build upon knowledge and ask for help when needed. Education is now placed in the hands of the learner which is a very powerful tool indeed. For example, if the game Civilizations was played in class, social studies teachers would witness what kinds of decisions students would make in regards to political and economical domains. Teacher and student could then assess what were positive versus negative outcomes of their decisions. Through their own experiences of making such decisions potentially they could understand why a past historical political figure made a certain choice. Gaming also promotes a value that we as a society hold dear and that is competition. Students could learn the implications of winning versus losing in a business, political, and economic sense.

Gaming should be used in context of the curriculum outline for the year. Teachers should make a goal to relate the material to student?s everyday lives. Students should see and understand the results of their work and how what they accomplished is benefiting them along with the general community. A limitation to the use of gaming and technology is the balance of time. Most teachers want lectures, discussions, and readings to be the main focus during class time. Also support from the school to buy and instruct these games to teachers and students would be another issue.

As I recall I did not play any type of game in social studies. Class was mainly used for review of homework, lecture, and discussion. During my junior year of high school I created an interactive webpage on the wetlands of South Florida which was about the extent of my technological experience for social studies class. The game Civilizations has always been appealing but otherwise I have not heard of many other games that would relate to social studies learning.

Posted by Rachel Bumgardner on September 09, 2007 at 11:03 PM EDT #

I am not currently teaching. Therefore, I am probably naive about how ?practical? the following ideas would be. Here are just a few ideas I have about using gaming in Social Studies.

1. Virtual identity games are popular. You could have students virtually role play as different historical figures in a similar time period. For example, you could have one student act as a slave and one student act as the child of a slave owner.

2. Form a committee of students to create games. When I worked as a tech in an elementary school we had a group of students who did software reviews for us. They loved it!

One limitation I see to gaming in the classroom is that it seems as if gaming doesn?t appeal to all students. I have seen boys show a lot more interest in gaming than girls, at the elementary level at least. I?m not sure if this is a cultural influence.

As a student I played Carmen San Diego and Oregon Trail. As a computer tech I played Geoskills. I have not played many of the virtual identity games, but am interested in them.

Posted by Rachel Palmer on September 10, 2007 at 09:17 AM EDT #