Living in the past

What is a good game to put you in a historical world?

There are a number of games out there that let you enter a different era and explore the world around you.  One of these games is L.A. Noire.  Although the game isn't directly related to a Social Studies topic, it is set in the 1940s and allows the players to feel like they are in that world! You play as a police officer in the city of Los Angeles as you try to solve a number murders over the course of your game.  The game seems to involve some psychological elements as you try to read the facial expressions and mannerisms of characters to tell if they are a reliable source of information, or even whether they are innocent or not.  The setting of the game gives an accurate portrayal of 1940s L.A. and the murders are actually based on a number of cases which did occur in the 40s! This is an excellent choice for any mystery lovers out there who want to experience a taste of life in 1940s L.A. 

What about those of us who don't like war games? What can a game teach us about economics?

Well, there are plenty of options out there for those of you who don't like war games.  Social Studies is, after all, a lot more than just war.  It is key for students to understand such things as economics as well.  There are a number of games out there that don't involve the violence of warfare, but teach students valuable lessons about things like economics.  

SimCity is a game that has been around for a long time and has recently been re-released with much better graphics and a more complexity in running your city.  Previously, SimCity was just a matter of making sure you built enough police stations, fire departments and schools to keep your citizens happy.  Now, however, it actually costs money to build these new police and fire departments.  This means you have to make sure that you have businesses in your city to ensure that people have money.  You also need to make tough decisions, such as raising the tax rate to build a new school, even if it means fewer people will be attracted to your city because of the high taxes.  

The game also has a new online mode where you can connect your city to other cities around the world through the internet.  The game also has a great supply and demand system, where you can earn a lot of money if your city produces something that is in high demand.  If, however, your city is producing something that is not in high demand, your city will generate less revenue and ultimately suffer.  This is a great game for anybody who would like to see what it is like to run a city (and possibly learn a little bit of basic economics in the process)! 

History: Building Interest Through Video Games

How can video games increase student interest in history?

Will it work?

Having an interest in history always connected with my choice in video games (and it still does).  I loved to play games that took place in the past, whether they were nation building strategy games or action filled war games.  Although many of these games exaggerated the truth or simplified what had actually happened, the historic setting created a greater interest in the historical time period.  

History related games and their subject matter

Company of Heroes - A strategy game set in World War Two.  The player controls soldiers from an overhead, commander-style viewpoint as they attempt to either eliminate enemy resistance or take control of all the control points on a map.  The player needs to manage resources and use strategy to gain the upper hand over their opponent and achieve victory.  The game includes an assortment of accurate weapons and vehicles from World War Two.  Here is a review of the game to give an idea of what it's like. 

Total War - Despite the name of this series, warfare is only one aspect of the game and one of the many ways to achieve victory.  The total war series is interesting because of the variety of time periods in which different games in the series take place.  For example, the upcoming Rome 2: Total War will take place during the reign of the Roman Empire, Medieval 2: Total War takes place in medieval Europe/Middle East/Northern Africa, Empire Total War takes place during the 1700s as European nations compete for colonies around the world.  These are just a few examples of the where the series takes place.  In each game, the player must balance finances/resources, respond to the demands of the people under their rule, gain control of a certain number of territories (either through military or diplomacy), manage foreign policy and establish and protect systems of trade with other nations.  The game contains accurate units and the soldiers use accurate weapons from the time period the game is set in.  This game gives the player a small taste of what it may have been like to be a ruler during any one of these important historical time periods.  Here is a demo of Rome 2: Total War, which is coming out soon.Here is a demo of Rome 2: Total War, which is coming out soon!

 Check out this review of Empire Total War which came out a few years ago, but still is enjoyable as the game is unscripted and can turn out differently based on the actions you take as the leader of your nation.