Simulation rules & reflection

I. Rules of historical simulations…

I feel that one of the best ways to understand the past is to live it. Nevertheless, to ensure that everyone gets the most out of this experience, everyone must play by these rules:

1. Winning: You win or lose by achieving your character's goals. Do you get what you want? Can you hold on to it? Be aware that losing will not necessarily impact your score for the activity provided that you follow all the other rules.

2. Moving: During your turn, you can do anything you wish, provided that you can justify your move with specific historical examples from the period we are studying and that your actual conduct in the classroom is consistent with school policy. In other words, for your move to be acceptable, you need to make a convincing case as to why your character in reality would actually choose to act as you wish them to. You are allowed to consult your notes for examples. You may also negotiate with other players.

3. Outcomes: Moves with uncertain outcomes are resolved by debating probability and then using a virtual 12-sided die where the higher numbers correlate with better results.

4. When it's not your turn, SAY NOTHING. Listen carefully to the players' deliberations and take notes on their choices. It's your job to keep track of what's happening and record insights in your notes.

5. Collaborations & Challenges: When invited and in turn, you may make suggestions and negotiate with other players. You may also challenge the historical plausibility of others' choices.

6. Mr. Smith plays the role of referee, 'nature' and any characters no already assigned. He will sometimes interject small historical anecdotes that you must take notes on.

7. This activity culminates in a written reflection. Prove you learned something valuable from the simulation. Details are below...

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II. Reflecting on what the simulation taught us...

Task 1: Find a moral

While simulating the past can simply be fun and games, the student of history must get more from it. The goal is to find a moral that is not obvious.

Please pick at least three of these prompts to consider, journaling ideas and listing examples to answer them.

1. Did I win? Look back at the goal you set for your character at the beginning of the simulation. Why did or didn't your character get what they wanted? Explore the role played by your choices, the choices of others and historical forces.
2. You may discuss the role of chance, but only with reference to factors that would have influenced the probability of outcomes in real life. Were there less risky paths to achieve your goals? Would you define success the same way as your character? Why or why not?
3. Now I get it. Discuss three factors that affected daily life of the people in the simulation that you were unaware of. Describe how events within the simulation led you to each conclusion.
4. So that's why change happens! How and why does historical change happen? Consider the influence of at least three of the following: faith, morality, reason, or political economy.
5. If I could do it over... What makes success possible and how can failure be avoided? Be sure to define each term. Supply examples of both from real life and the simulation and explain how they fit your definitions.
   1. You may discuss the role of chance, but only with reference to factors that would have influenced the probability of outcomes in real life. Were there less risky paths to achieve your goals? Would you define success the same way as your character? Why or why not?
6. Game imitates life? What similarities do you see between what happened in the game and events your own life or aspects of the contemporary world? What accounts for the differences?
7. Game imitates art? Describe ways in which the game replicated themes in literature you have read (or are currently reading)? You can also explore links between our simulation and what you’ve learned in science, too!
8. Was this how it really happened? Explore ways in which the game succeeded and/or failed to accurately replicate the past - for example, the origins of ancient Sparta. For each, explain why your simulation followed past models or deviated from it.
9. Did we do the right thing? Were we moral? What did we do right and what did we do wrong? How can we apply one of these lessons from our simulation to the challenges we face today? You can consider the question from the standpoint of the individual, friends and family, our school, the local community, the nation or even the world. Make the bridge between the past and the present clear!

Task 2: Write an essay

Now that you've journaled your ideas, it is time to write a short essay. First, please create a space to write and share it:

1. Google "google drive." Login using your er9 id and password.

2. Click the blue "new" button and then click "google doc."

3. In the new doc, click "untitled document" in the upper left corner to retitle it. Use this formula:

W1 (or W2 or W7), your last name, simulation reflection

Example: W7, Bilinski, simulation reflection

4. Click the blue "share" button on the upper right corner and give rsmith@er9.org access.

5. Type your essay into this during the time provided in class. You may not modify it later unless you have an extra time modification. Your work should be your own.

Following this formula, please compose a one-page essay that justifies a moral, a rule, axoim, or action that if followed would help us solve the problem of co-existence. What does the simulation teach us that we should do?

In supporting this moral, you ought to address three of the above prompts. Be sure you explain the most important lesson you have gleaned from the game. Please follow this formula:

1. Intro: Write a topic sentence briefly announcing the who, what, where, and when you are writing about, which in this case is your class simulation of the Greek stone age. Follow it with one sentence that encapsulates the thesis, in this case a moral, that you wish to prove. Lastly, list the three examples you'll be discussing as a transition to the first body paragraph.
2. Want more specific advice? On the 20 Common Problems in Student Writing page on this site, I have striven to be transparent about how I define good writing. Here's my model for an intro:
3. Write a topic sentence or hook
4. Transition from the hook to your moral or thesis
5. List your examples
   1. Prove your points in three body paragraphs, building bridges linking your moral to at least three your examples. Here's a basic formula for body paragraphs, each linked to a model:
      1. 1c - A topic sentence, transitioning to your next example
      2. 4 - A relevant fact or example from the simulation
   2. 9 - Logic and analysis linking the facts to your thesis or moral
6. Go back to the top of your essay and finish by writing a title that captures your thesis and topic in just a few words.
7. If you still have time, perhaps attempt a conclusion that proves how your moral would apply to us today. How would our world be different if people followed your moral?
   1. If you finish early, look over the rest of the 20 Common Problems in Student Writing, making any changes that it inspires. This will be the criteria I will use to evaluate your writing. Is there a rubric? No, not this time. But what grade will I get? Look here for answers.