My name is Adam, and I teach at the high school level in Manitoba, Canada. I have taught a variety of courses, including business, computers, math, science (chemistry, biology, and physics), social studies, and computer science. In fact, the only area I really haven't taught (besides specialties like band, art, and gym) is ELA. I find every subject interesting to teach as it has its own unique perspective on the wider world, and bringing the concepts of the wider world into the classroom is one of my favorite ways to engage with students.
Embedded Files
Hence, NationStates.
I was introduced to NationStates in the mid 2000s. When I was introduced to it, I focused only on the individual portion, but the simulation sparked a very active community of interactive politics and philosophy through roleplay and forum involvement (which I never got involved in - it just wasn't my thing.)
I'd always been fascinated by the idea of using NationStates for something bigger, and then I got my chance. Years ago, a section of grade 10 Geography was added to my course load, and immediately I looked up NationStates and started planning out a way to use it. It became one of the most engaging tools I have made use of in all my years of teaching, and students in that classroom talked about those discussions for years afterward. What made it so engaging was that the class felt like they were part of something bigger and that they all had the opportunity to help shape the growth of their shared nation - and they became very invested in it. (I can't tell you how important their fishing industry was to them - pretty soon, a question they asked for every decision was "how will this affect our fishing industry?")
In 2023, after transferring to Manitoba's online high school program (called TMO), I integrated NationStates permamently into my practice. All of my classes take part in the same nation, each class being given issues that focus on the content of that course. It has been extremely successful and is one of the most popular aspects of my classroom now. I continue to explore its use in my classes and speak at conferences about the use of NationStates - my plan is to make as many educators aware of NationStates as possible, and to promote its use in classrooms everywhere.
This website was the start of this plan. I would like it to become a hub of activity for teachers from all over the world to share ideas, discuss uses, and most importantly, use as a reference tool for classroom use. For now, it is a static resource, but if there is interest, I would consider doing more development on it.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse