Game of Thrones and Gaming the History Classroom by Sarah M. Spalding
“…the show essentially is set in a fantasy world that mimics aspects of “real” history, or what a general audience may perceive as real history-”
I think it’s easy for an average person to consume a piece of media with some historical accuracy and think all of it is true and accurate. One such example is Boy in the Striped Pajamas. I read and watched the movie in seventh grade in my literature class. The entire class and teacher, myself included, accepted the book’s historic undertones as fact. The book basically implies that the general German population had no idea about the Holocaust or concentration camps as they were operating, and also has huge inaccuracies regarding how the death camp Auschwitz worked. But because it was a literature class and we were not there to discuss whether or not the history in it was true, we assumed the author knew what he was writing about. And I carried those vague historical conceptions of German life and regard to concentration camps up until my AP high school classes where I learned the actual truth. In media, especially movies, tv shows, and books, it’s far too easy to spout something that seems historically accurate and the audience will accept it as true. (Some Holocaust institutions have warned people not to use the book as historical fiction, and the author has a bad reputation when it comes to history/research)
“To create the game board, I draw a map on the classroom whiteboard that corresponds to the regions that the students have been learning about through their historical content…from which the students draw, and different colored markers for each team to indicate on the board when a card has been played.”
Would there be a way to translate this game online? Is there a way to incorporate technology into the game besides students using laptops to access the course content?
Personally, I think the whiteboard with the map and markers can be updated to create a map online, especially since there are multiple games being played a semester and students could have their own copy of the board online. Using a map online can also allow for more accuracy regarding borders and possibly even some aesthetic customization. Spalding mentioned that she allows her students to have their laptops with them to access the course content during gameplay, but could she use technology further in gameplay? Perhaps during a middle ages gameplay, one team could send another team a tweet as a “carrier pigeon” with a message that asks for an alliance or something similar.
“It also emphasizes that historical events are not timeless. Rather, the actions of people and events are dependent on the historical context of a particular moment in time.”
Although I think Spalding’s gameplay is a new, unique approach to teaching and understanding history, I think it also might be a little bit restricting (or perhaps I am misunderstanding the rules of the game). Because it goes in chronological order, only a time machine card can be used to go back and use a card that’s later in the timeline. A lot of historical periods and events are like a tangled ball of yarn. Many events influence one another. I think it would be interesting if students could present a card they can no longer use due to the timeline, and explain how it relates to the current event and either earn half a point or some other benefit. It would help show their understanding of the event, its context, and how it relates to other events.
