December 2013 Games of the Week

By Margaret Duncan, Ed.D.

The Histocrats support the idea of incorporating board-games into your personal life as well as in the classroom.  As such, we help support a local board-gaming group.  Within this group any and all board-game enthusiasts are welcome to join. We host Game Nights every first and third Friday night of the month.  As part of our gaming group, we also recommend history centric games that are fun to play each week.  These games receive our “Game of the Week” distinction.  Recommended games are a mix of cooperative, card games, as well Euro style games.

Resistance: Avalon, Indie Boards & Cards

The Resistance: Avalon pits the forces of Good and Evil in a battle to control the future of civilization. Arthur represents the future of Britain, a promise of prosperity and honor, yet hidden among his brave warriors are Mordred's unscrupulous minions. These forces of evil are few in number but have knowledge of each other and remain hidden from all but one of Arthur's servants. Merlin alone knows the agents of evil, but he must speak of this only in riddles. If his true identity is discovered, all will be lost.

 

Great Fire of London, Pandasaurus Games
In The Great Fire of London 1666, the players are men of wealth and standing who own property around London. The Lord Mayor has failed to act and it is down to these mighty men to lead trained bands of militia to fight the fire and save the city. To do so they must decide which districts to sacrifice to the fire and which to protect. Remember, these same men own much of London, thus such choices will shape their own future and greatly affect their wealth and standing. Save the city, or watch it burn.

 

Carcassonne, Z-Man Games
Carcassonne is a clever tile-laying game. The southern French city of Carcassonne is famous for its unique roman and medieval fortifications. The players develop the area around Carcassonne and deploy their followers on the roads, in the cities, in the cloisters, and in the fields. The skill of the players to develop the area will determine who is victorious.

 

Guillotine, Wizards of the Coast
This irreverent and humorous card game takes place during the French Revolution. Players represent rival guillotine operators vying for the best collection of noble heads over three rounds. You want top bragging rights, so you’d better collect the most prestigious noggins. Will you be skillful enough to bribe the guards and collect Marie Antoinette? Or will you lose points for beheading the Hero of the People.

*All product descriptions are from the manufacturer.

Some Fun History Themed Card Games!

By Margaret Duncan, Ed.D.

Archaeology, Z-Man Games.

Great quick card game where you are an archaeologist who must discover the lost treasures of Egypt in order to make your fortune. You will search for the right pieces to complete torn parchments, broken pots and other priceless artifacts. Explore an ancient pyramid hoping to uncover a huge stash of treasure. Trade shrewdly at the local marketplace to increase the value of your collection.

 

 



Love Letter, Alderac Entertainment Group

Don’t let the name fool you into thinking this is a mushy love themed game. In this fast paced card game all of the eligible young men seek to woo the princess of Tempest. Unfortunately, she has locked herself in the palace, and you must rely on others to bring your romantic letters to her.  Plenty of backstabbing to see who will reach her first.

 

 

 

 

 

 Resistance Avalon, Indie Boards & Cards

The Resistance: Avalon pits the forces of Good and Evil in a battle to control the future of civilization. Arthur represents the future of Britain, a promise of prosperity and honor, yet hidden among his brave warriors are Mordred's unscrupulous minions. These forces of evil are few in number but have knowledge of each other and remain hidden from all but one of Arthur's servants. Merlin alone knows the agents of evil, but he must speak of this only in riddles. If his true identity is discovered, all will be lost.

 

 

 

 

Saboteur Card Game, Z-Man Games

You and your Dwarven brethren dig for gold in the depths of a mine. Suddenly, a pick-axe breaks and the light from the lantern goes out. The saboteur has struck again - but which of your fellow players is a saboteur? Discover the traitor in your midst while questing for gold in this path-laying card game for suspicious dwarves.

 

 

 

Guillotine, Wizards of the Coast

Irreverent and humorous card game takes place during the French Revolution. Players represent rival guillotine operators vying for the best collection of noble heads over three rounds. You want top bragging rights, so you’d better collect the most prestigious noggins. Will you be skillful enough to bribe the guards and collect Marie Antoinette? Or will you lose points for beheading the Hero of the People.

*All product descriptions are from the manufacturer.

November 2013 History Games of the Week

By Margaret Duncan, Ed.D.
 

The Histocrats support the idea of incorporating board-games into your personal life as well as in the classroom.  As such, we help support a local board-gaming group.  Within this group any and all board-game enthusiasts are welcome to join. We host Game Nights every first and third Friday night of the month.  As part of our gaming group, we also recommend history centric games that are fun to play each week.  These games receive our “Game of the Week” distinction.  Recommended games are a mix of cooperative, card games, as well Euro style games.
 

Letters from Whitechapel, Fantasy Flight Games

Letters from Whitechapel is a thematic board game of deduction and bluffing in which one player takes the role of the infamous Jack the Ripper, while up to five other players are detectives working together to pursue him through Victorian London. After committing his horrible murders, Jack must outmaneuver the detectives in the tangled streets of the Whitechapel District. Meanwhile, the detectives must use clever deduction and their superior numbers to hunt Jack the Ripper down before he can kill again or elude them forever.

Gone With The Wind, Classic Games Inc

A trivia board-game with a small twist. In addition to drawing cards and answering questions in your quest to win, this game includes two complete decks of playing cards. These form the 104 question cards, but can be used as regular playing cards as well. Instead of spades, hearts, clubs and diamonds, we have Scarletts, Rhetts, Mammies and Ashleys. In addition to the game itself, there are also rules for playing other games with only the cards, including variations on rummy and go fish, as well as other games that make use of the trivia questions.

Moonshot,

This board game puts you in command as you develop rockets, launch spacecraft, avoid hazards and earn mission patches in a thrilling race to be the first player to land on the Moon. By combining the strategy of a classic board game with the tactics of collectible card games, Moonshot The Game creates an entirely new gaming experience -- one that's easy to learn, strategically challenging, highly informative and an incredible blast to play!

1960: The Making of the President, Z-Man Games

In 1960: the Making of the President, you take on the role of Kennedy or Nixon in vying to lead America through an era of turbulent change. The candidates must contend with all the great issues of the day, from the cold war to civil rights to voters' pocket books. This is an election that will turn on positioning and momentum. The contest is fought on an electoral map of the United States as it stood in 1960. As with a real election campaign, the challenge is to adapt your game plan as the ground shifts out from under you. There are never enough resources or time to do everything, but you need to make the tough calls to propel yourself into the White House.

*All product descriptions are from the manufacturer.

My Top Ten Games for the Classroom

By Margaret Duncan, Ed.D

1. Pandemic—2^nd 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.

 

 

Gaming 101: How to Effectively Incorporate TableTop Games Into The Classroom

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.  
 

An overview of games presented at GCSS, October 2013

 

So, Who am I?

I am a history teacher but often struggle 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!



Okay, not every game needs to be overtly academic or historic, and quite frankly it doesn’t need to be.  Games on the simplest level should be fun and contain a goal.  The historic significance can be implied.  Simply by playing, board games can teach important social skills that are sorely lacking in many of today’s students and help build an affection for history.

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.