The game of power!

This week I am at NCCAT for a workshop by the Institute of Play, called TeacherQuest. We played a game that is really awesome to play as an adult and I am positive it can be used in middle and high school classrooms. It might be modified to lower grades but I am finding it easier to incorporate with upper grade standards right now. So enough talking... This is how you play....

Put students into groups. We had a group of six. One person is the ruler and the other five are citizens. Each person gets three blocks-- one red, one yellow and one green. The ruler gets the same but they also get a bank of blue blocks. (We used a basket). The goal of the game is to get the most blue wealth blocks.

Now you flip one card that explains the green block. The green cubes- wealth! one blue wealth block per green block shown is given. Citizens show the green block and five blue wealth blocks are distributed as the ruler sees fit. Play a few rounds with the ruler distributing wealth.


Now, explain the yellow block. Yellow blocks- STRIKE! No wealth is given for yellow blocks but the ruler loses 2 wealth blocks if majority of citizens strike. Some people may still show a green and for those wealth is given.

Now, the citizens have two options- green and yellow. Play some more rounds and the ruler distributes wealth again and citizens may negotiate and strategize ways to get more wealth.

Finally, reveal the red block purpose- rebellion! If the majority rebels a new ruler is chosen and the ruler loses a quarter of their wealth.

This is a great game to teach government, power, economics, socials skills, economics, etc.