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)!