Big History Board Game

Use design thinking principles to develop an educational board game about human history, geography, and resources for a targeted audience. In this project, sixth- and fifth-grade students collaborate to design and build a history-based board game inspired by their exploration of civilizations. The project weaves together English, science, and social studies, challenging students to think critically about how civilizations emerge, function, and decline. Students examine the foundations of civilization, including geography, trade, governance, technological innovation, and cultural expression. They explore key historical moments and figures while learning to analyze the causes and consequences of social and political change. Students will research how energy flows and ecosystems affect the rise and sustainability of civilizations, bringing environmental dynamics into the logic of their games. Finally, students read the myths and epics that shaped ancient identities and use narrative writing to create stories, characters, and game rules that reflect the values and conflicts of the civilizations they studied.

This project promotes inquiry, creativity, and collaboration, culminating in a game that demonstrates both content mastery and interdisciplinary thinking. It offers students a meaningful opportunity to synthesize their learning and express it through imaginative, purposeful design.

Skills: Students developed their ability to identify themes, summarize sources, and cite evidence to support historical and scientific analysis. Through collaborative discussions and peer feedback, they practiced listening actively, building on others’ ideas, and clearly expressing their own. They conducted short research projects using multiple sources to explore the rise and fall of civilizations, drawing informed conclusions supported by data and reasoning. Finally, students applied narrative and explanatory writing skills to design and present board games that modeled historical processes and conveyed complex ideas in creative, structured ways.

Content: Students explored the foundational elements of civilization, including government systems, economic structures, social hierarchies, belief systems, and technological innovations, examining how these factors influenced the rise and fall of ancient societies. They studied human-environment interaction by analyzing how civilizations adapted to geography, managed natural resources, and impacted ecosystems through agriculture, urbanization, and engineering. Through myths, legends, and the Hero’s Journey, students deepened their understanding of literary genre and structure, analyzing conflict, characterization, and theme within historical narratives. This content was integrated with scientific concepts such as energy use, sustainability, and technological advancement, allowing students to connect past civilizations to broader environmental and social patterns.

Assessment: We use a combination of formative and summative strategies to track individual and team progress. Students are assessed through rubrics that evaluate research quality, content understanding, historical reasoning, and narrative development. Peer feedback, self-assessment, and English Ambassadors' reflections support metacognition and language growth. The final board game and presentation serve as authentic summative products demonstrating interdisciplinary learning and collaboration.

Project Challenge: How can we, as game designers, teach and learn about the rise and fall of civilizations?

Rotation Updates: Sixth Grade

In 6th grade, the Big History Board Game (BHBG) project engages students in a multidisciplinary inquiry that integrates social studies, English, and science through the creation of historically grounded board games. Students begin by exploring ancient myths and game mechanics, using the Hero’s Journey to examine storytelling strategies and player engagement. During the research phase, they investigate key aspects of ancient civilizations—including Greece, Rome, China, Byzantium, Medieval Europe, and the Inca—focusing on how these societies used natural resources, developed economies, and formed belief systems. Using these insights, students develop rules, characters, and visual elements that reflect historical accuracy and cultural complexity. Through iterative prototyping, pitching, and testing, students transform their knowledge into playable educational tools that are refined via peer feedback and makerspace sessions. The project culminates in a public showcase where students present their games, explaining the historical, scientific, and literary concepts embedded in their design.

Provocation / Exploration

Students play and analyze a variety of board games to understand core mechanics, storytelling strategies, and player engagement. At the same time, they explore myths from ancient civilizations, focusing on the Hero’s Journey as a narrative structure.

Research

Students explore secondary sources to investigate key aspects of civilizations (Greece, Rome, China, Byzantium, Medieval Europe, and the Inca). They analyze how each civilization used energy and natural resources, connecting these patterns to innovation, economy, and ecosystem impact. Additionally, they read and interpret myths to uncover the beliefs, values, and cultural identities that shaped each society.

Ideation & Prototyping

Students transform their research into concrete game concepts by developing rules, mechanics, characters, and visual elements inspired by the civilizations they studied. They sketch game boards, design components, and begin building a playable prototype that integrates historical, scientific, and literary insights.

Pitch and Makerspace

Students present concise summaries of their game concepts, clearly explaining the historical themes, gameplay mechanics, and learning goals. After pitching, they use the makerspace to build, test, and improve their prototypes with hands-on materials and tools.

Focus testing

Students rotate between groups to play and evaluate each other’s board game prototypes. This peer feedback process allows them to experience a variety of game styles and provide constructive insights on historical accuracy, scientific integration, clarity of rules, and overall engagement.

Showcase

Students present their finalized board games to a wider audience, including teachers, peers, and invited guests. They explain the historical, scientific, and literary foundations of their game, demonstrate how it works, and highlight their design process.

Sixth Grade Blue

Sixth Grade Green

Rotation Updates: Fifth grade

In 5th grade, the Big History Board Game (BHBG) project guides students through a creative and research-based exploration of ancient civilizations and epic narratives. The journey begins with analyzing board games to understand mechanics, engagement, and strategic play while also identifying literary archetypes such as the ruler, trickster, and mentor. Students then investigate civilizations like Persia, India, Carthage, the Maya, the Inca, the Mongols, and ancient Israel/Judah using academic databases. They examine how each civilization harnessed energy and natural resources, linking these practices to innovation, economy, and environmental impact. Epic narratives are analyzed to uncover cultural ideals and values. Drawing from this research, students design their own historically inspired games, developing rules, mechanics, and visuals rooted in their findings. Through pitching, prototyping in the makerspace, peer feedback rotations, and public showcases, students build and refine educational games that reflect the historical, scientific, and literary legacies of the civilizations they studied. Throughout, gamification transforms the learning process into an engaging journey of discovery, creativity, and collaboration.