Venture: Dominion of the Ancients: A Hands-on Learning Resource for Social Studies

Introduction
        In most classrooms around the world, students are expected to memorize events and facts instead of experiencing them. In turn, there is an educational gap that exists when students struggle to see the relevance of past history, creating opportunities for school districts to bridge the gap between the past and present with various resource kits. Dominion of the Ancients is one such opportunity, which reimagines Social Studies using inspiration from two beloved strategy games, Settlers of Catan and Civilization 6. Although Dominion of the Ancients draws from some classic mechanics of these games, it is entirely original in its purpose and design. The beauty of the game is that it’s curriculum-aligned, teacher-based, and built to serve a diverse range of learners, be it ELL or IEP learners. Currently, there are no existing ancient civilization type games on the market that could provide simulation gameplay to learners, be integrated in the BC curriculum, and be a free (non-profit) resource for educators, until now.

This board game is based on the pedagogical principles that James P. Gee describes in Cats and Portals (2008) and Elisabeth Gee and James P. Gee outline in Games as Distributed Teaching and Learning Systems (2017), focusing on interactive and experienced-based learning. Gee (2008) emphasizes that games and game-based learning allow students to take on identities, practice their perspective skills, engage in problem-solving, and learn through experimentation, quick feedback, and reflection, which are features that are missing in the traditional Social Studies lecture-based classrooms. Dominion of the Ancients combines immersive play with academic goals by encouraging students to collaborate, experiment, and test their decision-making skills within a historical setting. The game acts as a distributed learning system where students are able to run different scenarios in their head, role-play, and simulate potential outcomes, creating a deep and meaningful learning experience (Gee & Gee, 2017). Thus, students aren’t just learning useful skills and enhancing their understanding of history, they are experiencing the past, and sometimes, rewriting it.

Problem & Solution & Goals in Social Studies Classrooms

Quite often, Social Studies units and lessons rely heavily on passive consumption through lecture-based learning. In turn, some students disengage from the material, especially some ELL, IEP, or kinesthetic learners. Although gamification is gaining popularity in education, few resources are available to provide a meaningful historical simulation experience that is also supported by the curricular standards. Social Studies educators require an engaging resource that could be used as a supplemental tool to invite students to experience, not just read about, history during ancient civilization units.

Dominion of the Ancients is a turn-based game where players assume the role of a historical leader who they’ve learned about in class (e.g. Pharaoh Khufu, Qin Shi Huang, or Caesar Augustus). Students guide their civilizations to victory through diplomacy, warfare, trade, and technology. The objective of the game is to accumulate 3,000 points through various activities, including building cities, discovering technologies, capturing cities, and constructing wonders of the world.

Furthermore, the game will include both positive and negative historical events though “Turning Points” cards, events that students can review as they play, (e.g. Bronze Age Collapse or Agricultural Revolution). These cards draw upon real-world events and present challenges that students’ civilizations would need to overcome to succeed, emphasizing global interdependence.

Finally, this game is designed for grade 7 students with learning outcomes linked to the BC Social Studies Curriculum (B.C. Ministry of Education and Childcare, n.d.). The following are the curricular content that the game will aim to address:

Big Ideas

●        Economic specialization and trade networks can lead to conflict and cooperation between societies

Content

●        Scientific, philosophical, and technological developments

●        Interactions and exchanges between past civilizations and cultures, including conflict, peace, trade, expansion, and migration

Curricular Competency

●        Assess the significance of people, places, events, or developments at particular times and places

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

●        Civilizations & Leaders: Students choose from 10 available ancient civilizations, each with unique strengths and bonus resources

●        Resource & Trade: Players collect and trade resources like wood, clay, minerals, etc. as they go through turns.

●        Technology: Players upgrade technology trees in order to boost their production, defenses, and pieces movements.

●        Population Growth: Affects resource production and city development.

●        Event Cards (e.g. Disasters): Turning Point cards add global events, making the world more dynamic as players face new challenges.

●        Victory Condition: First civilization to 3,000 points wins.

Foundation: Theory & Practice

The game is based on Gee and Gee’s (2017) theory of video games as distributed teaching and learning systems. They argue that good games embody strong learning principles that allow players to explore and practice their problem-solving, feedback systems, and identity in new spaces (Gee & Gee, 2017).

In Dominion of the Ancients, students take on identities of historical leaders and civilizations, implementing real-world problem-solving, critical thinking, and understanding of complex systems within a game. In this way, students can engage with social studies core competencies through simulation and exploration, rather than simple memorization. Gee and Gee (2017) believe that learning is most powerful when it is embedded in action and reflection (2017). This sentiment aligns with the game’s attempt to bring history to life through engaging and entertaining gameplay that is meant to supplement the traditional learning in Social Studies classes.

Moreover, the game’s turn-based format promotes ‘situated learning’ through student’s engagement in authentic discourse with fellow peers, strategic negotiations that vary from turn to turn, and class-based play. This highlights Gee and Gee’s (2017) belief that games can function as distributed systems where players and tools form their own web of learning, helping each other through turns, which is reminiscent of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Most importantly, this allows students to be active in class, improving their understanding of material through collaboration, experiments, and problem-solving.

Target Audience & Stakeholders

Dominion of the Ancients can accommodate a clear and growing need in Social Studies, as an engaging and interactive resource.

●        The game targets Grade 6 & 7 teachers across Canada, with a specific focus on B.C. teachers and BC’s curricula and curricular competencies in Social Studies, Humanities, and cross-curricular classes in the Elementary schools.

●        It accommodates ELL and inclusion teachers with its multimodal approach which promotes language development, collaboration, and potential for differentiation in instructions for IEP students.

Potential investors:

This game aims to attract investment from:

1. School districts that seek to modernize pedagogy through engaging resources, including the creation of inclusive classrooms (accommodating all kinds of learners).

2. Ministry of Education to promote engagement-based learning with the focus on modern classrooms and competencies.

3. Curriculum developers in need of practical resources that can benefit their curriculum goals, connecting their theory to practice via practical toolkits.

4. Non-profit organizations that are committed to supporting historical awareness, literacy, and educational equity.

5. Parent organizations that would like to see diverse and multimodal pedagogy implementation in their schools.

Implementation Goals
As a non-profit venture, we aim to be quite strategic and transparent with our resources and ways organizations, educators, and ministries can support our short and long-term growth. Initially, we would like to implement the following:

●        Free printable game files: Files would be distributed from our website and free to download. If schools have 3D Printers, they can also print game pieces which can be found on the website.

●        Low-cost physical kits: These kits would include game pieces and could be printed in bulk and distributed at the district-level.

●        Teacher resources: These would include step-by-step instructions on when and how to use the game with some video files and tutorials for visual learners.

●        Optional Pro-D workshops: A booking system on the website can be implemented.

Scalability

With the increase in interest from various districts and organizations, here is our roadmap for scalability in the future:

●        A complete digital classroom version: This would enable remote play and hybrid integration with platforms like Microsoft Teams. This version would support students who are absent quite frequently and can mitigate the effects of a future pandemic.

●        Customizable temples: These would allow educators to incorporate more Indigenous content, through turning points and specific events, based on the Indigenous nations in their region.

●        AI integration: AI tools would allow a quick and seamless adaptation and accommodation of resources for ELL and IEP students.

The overall aim is to be able to accommodate educators’ needs and promote accessibility with additional tools and options.

Product’s Benefit

Few simulation games about ancient civilizations exist, be it in the non-profit or commercial sectors; thus, Dominion of the Ancients stands out as a classroom-first, curriculum-based resource uniquely positioned to fill this gap in the educational sphere. The game is created by an educator, for educators, focusing on pedagogical priorities and innovations instead of profits.

Unlike few commercial board games like Catan or digital simulations like Civ. 6, our game:

●        Connects directly to Grade 6/7 Social Studies curriculum in B.C.

●        Is easily modified and accommodating for a diverse group of students, including ELL and IEP learners.

●        Is engaging and interactive to supplement the learning process.

●        Most importantly, as a non-profit initiative, the game promotes and allows open access to its materials, advocating for equitable distribution.

●        Addresses a vacuum in the market when it comes to engaging, interactive, and curriculum-aligned Social Studies products on the topic of ‘Ancient Civilizations’.

The game is incredibly flexible, allowing educators to modify civilizations, rewrite rules, and promote narratives based on region. For example, educators could introduce the Musqueam Nation in the game, connecting students to the land they live on, the curriculum, and Indigenous representation. Overall, the game is an ecosystem that allows educators to teach and review previously learned concepts in a student-centred learning environment.

Game’s Manifesto and Plan

As an educator who is passionate about the implementation of simulation games in Social Studies classes, I’m leading the Dominion of the Ancients venture not just as a designer, but as a meaningful and entertaining resource creator, looking to enhance the current curriculum in BC. I’ve seen firsthand how Social Studies simulation games, be it WWI, WWII, or the Great Depression, can transform students’ engagement. Given your financial support, I will pilot, edit, and scale this resource to serve in all Social Studies, Humanities, and History classes across BC and maybe even Canada.

Financial Plan:

As a non-profit educational venture, Dominion of the Ancients will seek financial backing through a mixture of educational innovation grants through districts and donations from community foundations with a focus on literacy and various parent organizations. Eventually, we plan to apply for public education funding through BC Ministry of Education innovation grants once they become available. Similarly, we will seek further financial donations from non-profit education-oriented organizations, teacher unions, and curriculum developers, aiming to minimize the cost of physical kits and making the game very accessible for all interested in it.

As one of the greatest once said, “I am once again asking for your financial support.” I’m seeking support from dedicated and visionary partners, like curriculum leads, school districts, non-profit educational organizations, etc., who are dedicated to classroom innovation, equity, and curriculum-aligned content. This financial support will aid us in the next steps as we build the platform, develop the resource kit, and pilot teacher-first content. By investing in this product made by educators for educators, you are investing in a vision to bring interactivity, engagement, and simple fun to all our Social Studies classes. This investment will reflect a dedication not only in our game, but in the future of history education, bringing history to life.

References

B.C. Ministry of Education and Childcare. (n.d.). Building Student Success - B.C. Curriculum. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/social-studies/7/core

Gee, E., & Gee, J. P. (2017). Games as distributed teaching and learning systems. ​ Teachers College Record, 119(120308), 1–22. ​ https://doi.org/10.1177/0161468117119120308

Gee, J. P. (2008). Cats and portals. ​ American Journal of Play, 1(2), 229–245.

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (July 28 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/

Game Prototype

Reflection

Bringing Dominion of the Ancients to life was not a small task; however, it was significantly easier with the support of AI tools. Though this project had lived in my notebook and head rent-free for quite some time, AI allowed me to move it from just an idea to a polished pitch. Image generation tools were crucial in generating a professional design for the logo, player cards, and various gameplay scenes, engaging potential investors and showing the essence of the game in a brief and accessible format. Also, AI supported my writing process by helping me modify my pitch from teacher-oriented to funder-oriented. It further helped me make sure the game aligned with my pedagogy, curriculum, and real classroom needs, thereby reducing the workload to a more manageable level.

From an entrepreneurial perspective, this assignment further reinforced my passion for hands-on/practical simulation games in the classroom; in fact, it prompted me to finish this game prototype by the end of the year with the help of AI. Additionally, I realized that entrepreneurship calls upon a different mindset, which is foreign to me, compared to teaching. Instead of being focused on practical, creative, and lesson relevant tools, I’m required to think about the game’s scale, stakeholders, and further expansion.

As for strengths of my pitch, I think I present a great product that is ingrained with inclusivity, curricular alignment, and problem-solving teachings. The game lists specific educational goals and is rooted in real classroom logistics, making it teacher-first oriented with the potential for further scalability. Furthermore, the game’s theoretical alignment with great educational thinkers, like James Gee, adds credibility and depth to the pitch.

As for weaknesses of my pitch, I believe my pitch is still strongly oriented to teachers rather than decision makers and potential investors, and I spend a lot of time describing the game as a resource rather than focusing on venture as an opportunity. Additionally, although I’ve picked a non-profit venture on purpose as education must be well-funded and supported by the government, it may not be an investment priority, as Math and Science tend to be prioritized while the Arts are often underfunded. As such, I would need to justify my position more strongly and advocate more clearly as to why investors must invest in ventures surrounding the Arts and not just STEM.

Finally, this assignment reminded me that even the most complicated plans can be executed with the proper tools and vision. The vision was to put students’ engagement at the heart of my venture, which I think I accomplished.