SUBJECT: History

GRADE: High School

TECHNOLOGY: Civilization II (Software)

Civilization II

Microprose Software (MPS), 1996.

9th-12th grade history students. This group often finds the traditional method of history teaching dull and uninteresting. Further, the lessons that can be learned from studying and understanding history are lost when such a group cannot relate historical events to real-life processes and conditions. This lesson is intended to allow students to experience decision-making in a pseudo-historical context and then to justify their decisions based on game conditions.

If the lesson plan is properly completed, students will play a complete game of Civilization II and afterwards write an historical account of the fictitious society they created with the program. The account will not be a mere chronology of events, but rather an insightful account of decisions made by the student during the game and an evaluation of the causes and consequences of those decisions.

Students will be allowed (either in-class or at home) to complete one full game of Civilization II. They may take as long as they wish, saving games and then returning later to the software, but may not save for any reason other than to temporarily stop play. In other words, they cannot use the "save" function in order to re-load already played moments in an attempt to change the outcomes; once a decision has been made, it cannot be undone. After the game is over, students will be responsible for writing a "history" of the Civilization that they created. This history should include, but not be limited to, a chronological account of major events of the game, an account of population demographics and change, and a geographical description of the fictitious society. More importantly, students will outline some of the important decisions they made during the game and explain their causes and outcomes. Attention should be paid to game conditions before a decision was made and how those conditions influenced the student's choices, as well as to the results of the decision. Students should judge their choices with regard to how those choices affected their Civilization (did the choice help or hinder their game? Was the decision a "wise" one in the eyes of history?). Students may also wish to construct hypothetical situations based on other, unchosen, alternatives they considered during the game. In other words, the finished product should read like a history textbook, and may include pictures and fake "biographies" of personages. The student's creativity is really the only limit to this lesson, and even a poorly-played game can result in a well-written history. This lesson is probably best when applied over a fairly long period of time; perhaps a month-long period or a quarter-school year. The extra time will allow for the length of an average game as well as for the time needed to create a "history" as designed by the students; this lesson may serve well as a final project for a term.

Students may use word-processing programs to compose and edit their historical accounts of the civilizations they create. In addition to aiding in the editing process, such programs will allow for the easier inclusion of graphics (e.g., maps) and charts (e.g., population graphs).