Starpower

I played Starpower with my students this past week to kick off my unit on Revolutions. This game, developed in 1969, has players trade assets in a quickly stratifying society. Though equal at the start, within a few rounds those with wealth almost invariably change the rules to their benefit. I have had students play this game over 40 times and it is always fascinating to see the behavior of students in a system that naturally stratifies them economically and, as a result, politically.  Over the last two days, history repeated itself as those who seized power from the elites made rules that cemented their newly elite status.  Power indeed corrupts.

As engaging as the game play is, it is the follow-up conversation/ de-briefing where the learning occurs. Here's my slidedeck I used to explain the game and debrief the game. 
I bought this game years and years ago. It isn't cheap. But it's a great go back to year after year. And it's never failed to promote great discussion. I've played this game with 5th, 8th and 9th graders and presented it once at a conference with adults. It's always worked. 

 I also will refer back to the game as we launch into our study of the American, French and Haitian revolutions. The parallels in the game to these revolutions are striking. 

Flipping for Flipgrid

More and more I'm appreciating the flexibility of the flipgrid tool. I've used thus far in a couple of different ways. The way I usually use it is as a simple exit ticket. However, may favorite way to use it is to break down the 4th wall of the classroom and use it to extend the class conversation beyond the classroom walls. It's really cool to have kids having a recorded back and forth between each other on a class topic. The final way I use Flipgrid is what I call video journals. I ask students to reflect on their learning in a longer form answer. I like the informality and the thoughtfulness it promotes. Sometimes learners are more comfortable explaining themselves in less formal ways. Sometimes formal writing in particular robs students of their voice. Please don't think I'm dismissing the importance of formal writing. But some students view it almost as a paint by numbers experience... that it needs to be "exactly so". And thus they are so worried about it being exactly so that their voice is essentially removed.

If one wants to add "rigor" to Flipgrid, there is a built in simple rubric. But I don't use it.


It's a really nice cross platform tool (it's an iPad app and web-based on a computer) to have in my quiver. I am not going to share examples from my class as I haven't sought my students' permission to post them. But check out this video from the always excellent Richard Byrne on how to use Flipgrid.