Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So, while driving around today I got to thinking about some of my coworkers. We all work at a library and several of them work as teachers during the day. I get to hear all the ways they try to incorporate new learning tools in to the class room. This got me wondering, how many of you are teachers in a school and have used miniature wargaming to aid you in teaching particular subjects? How did it work out? Would you do it again?

There are many aspects to these games, from what I can see, that might actually be beneficial to teaching kids about any number of subjects.
History
Math
Reading
Team Work
Communication
Art
Science


I am interested in hearing your response or maybe this thread will inspire some teachers to see what they can do?

http://teacherweb.com/MA/NorthMiddlesexRegionalHighSchool/Bridges_Summer_Academy/apt1.aspx

I use minis extensively in our middle-school-to-high-school transition summer academy. The game generates challenges that lead to most of the subjects you've listed. The links on the left of the attached webpage share some of our activities.

And if you've got the time:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/video-game-model-unit-andrew-miller

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2011/08/serious_talk_about_games.html

http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/game-for-anything-is-this-the-the-digital-future-of-learning-20110429-1e09r.html

http://mindshift.kqed.org/2011/04/can-gamification-boost-independent-learning/

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/education-game-gaming-technology-tools-design-project-mary-beth-hertz

A friend of mine from my old gaming club is a teacher. Sometime last year he and the gaming club painted up a bunch of figures for a Thermopylae setup to teach students about the 300 Spartans. When I was in 6th grade or so my dad came to my school with a lot of barbarian and Roman minis and set up a battle for ancient history. I incorporated painting minis into school projects from grade school to high school, so while it might not be gaming per se, I used the hobby for school.

I once used two boxes of historical figs for a school project on the battle of agincourt (hundred years war). Made it really easy to explain, everyone loved it, and the teacher is a wargame nerd too, so I aced the project.

One of my teachers at secondary school ran the wargaming club.

He basically was awesome and came up with shedloads of game ideas and used alot of it in his history lessons (aswell as showing us Sharpe, coz we all know that was perfect historical accuracy).

InquisitorMack wrote:http://teacherweb.com/MA/NorthMiddlesexRegionalHighSchool/Bridges_Summer_Academy/apt1.aspx

I use minis extensively in our middle-school-to-high-school transition summer academy. The game generates challenges that lead to most of the subjects you've listed. The links on the left of the attached webpage share some of our activities.

And if you've got the time:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/video-game-model-unit-andrew-miller

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2011/08/serious_talk_about_games.html

http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/game-for-anything-is-this-the-the-digital-future-of-learning-20110429-1e09r.html

http://mindshift.kqed.org/2011/04/can-gamification-boost-independent-learning/

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/education-game-gaming-technology-tools-design-project-mary-beth-hertz

Haven't had the chance to check out the links but thank!

I am really liking what I have read from you guys so far. Hope to hear more.

I taught a 6th grade class Greek mythology with beastmen, dark elf and daemon models-Pan/satyrs (ungor), centaurs, minotaurs, hydra, furies and cerberus (modified karanak from 6th Ed fleshhounds). It went VERY well. I didn't have access to a cyclops at the time, but they loved it, learned a lot and some of the students with the biggest behavior issues were my most involved students. It was awesome. If you get a chance, do it-by all means, do it.

I did a book report on 15 Hours in middle school and used Guardsmen and Orks to make dioramas for scenes in the book.

I did a comic strip or story board (Cant quite remember) for Media Studies, gak subject - but thats for another post...

It went well. Had some Marines shoot up some eldar anyway, i enjoyed painting the models needed and the teacher seemed pretty interested. Got my-self a B. Coulda been worse.