Board with Education? Games and Learning in the classroom

"I'm tired of this book...It's so boring..." 

"Why do we have to do this worksheet?  I already know this stuff..."  

"But Ms. Nordwall--break starts in 10 minutes! "

If your students are anything like mine, you may have heard these classic lines a few times this year.  As the weeks spread onward towards winter break, my classes seem to be getting a bit stir crazy.  And now a central question every teacher faces on any day of the week become exceedingly pertinent: how do I keep my classes content-heavy and focused, while engaging students?

As I began to contemplate this question with greater urgency, I encountered several interesting options for bringing engagement and interest into the classroom.  While many students might think of board games as outdated initially, the games I researched are filled with interesting graphics that greatly resemble popular video games.  The length of both games is determined by the players, and the structure of the game is collectively focused and dynamically interactive.  Below I have included several reviews of board games that I would love to incorporate into my classroom instruction through thematic or historically focused literature units.  For the looming pre-break days, this would be a fantastic opportunity to reel in the youthful craziness and direct their enthusiasm towards something constructive.

Beowulf The Legend

Everyone loves a monster.  For a class unit on early to medieval literature, a board game known as "Beowulf The Legend" allows students to play the role of a hero, fight Grendel and Grendel's mother, and eventually face the great dragon, while learning the plot and central characters of one of the oldest works of literature.  According to Boardgamegeek.com

"The game consists of a series of auctions depicting different events in the legend of Beowulf. Players "bid" in the auctions by offering up cards representing the skills they will offer to help Beowulf succeed (fighting, cunning, etc.) in an attempt to earn rewards of points or powerful cards, or to avoid injuries or other penalties. Players can also take a `Risk' and draw two cards from the deck to bid with. But if the cards don't match the current auction, the player is forced to drop out. Players need to carefully manage their hands and the timing of when they choose to take risks to increase their chances of winning".

I would use this game to either supplement a unit on Beowulf or as an end of the semester/quarter activity.

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/17449/beowulf-the-legend

Shakespeare the Bard Game
Despite its auspiciously cheesy title, "Shakespeare the Bard Game" is a creative introduction or extension of the classic high school Shakespeare unit.  In this game players become managers of their own playhouse.  In a similar form to many monopoly style games, players must collect "acclaim" points though buying scripts from Shakespeare, hiring actors and collecting the right number of props, patrons and costumes for the play.  Players use shillings to purchase necessities and and are awarded through these activities:

"1. You may recite a speech where your audience decides how much you gain (1-10 shillings) based on your performance.
2. You may show your knowledge by answering an easy, medium, and difficult question about Shakespeare and gain 10, 15, or 20 shillings. These questions can be multiple choice or true/false.
3. You can Busk. Busking is an impromptu performance where you gain five shillings and a fate card." (Courtesy Boardgamegeek.com, "Board Games for English Teachers")

I would love to use this game during a Shakespeare unit with my students.  Not only would it be a fun supplement to content learning in my classroom, it would also give students a deeper understanding of early theater culture and the economics of art through examining the process of play production.

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12372/shakespeare-the-bard-game

May your final weeks of the fall semester/quarter be ever enlivened with the spirit of fun and may your students never be bored.