Let me know if you have had similar experiences with role play in your classroom.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Purpose of this blog
The goal of this blog is to discuss creative ways to relate content in ancient history. I have created and implemented lessons for Sumerian history and Greek history. The most crucial element to these lessons was adding an element of role play. For the Sumerian/Mesopotamian unit I decided to have a "People's Court" based on the Law Code of Hammurabi. Students were given slips to argue their cases as either plaintiff or defendant, and all of the mock cases were prepared beforehand and judged by myself based on the principles of Hammurabi's Code. The kids really enjoyed hearing about the Draconian measures by which they were to be punished, and were soon eagerly volunteering to be executed under Babylonian law.
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I love working with the "History Alive" series because it has lots of role playing activities that the kids enjoy. I'm student teaching in a 7th grade world History course and we did an activity based on the signing of the Magna Carta.
ReplyDeleteOne student was randomly designated as the King and he collected play money from the other students, sent them to a mock jail and made some of them sit on the floor (to represent taking their land). Then the students were given an opportunity to vent their frustrations and the King was forced to sign their petition (Magna Carta) to end the abuses.