7th Grade Conquers the Empire Game
"Their game was fun; you got to take over lands and become the new leader of the empire," said one 7th grader of another group's board game in "The Empire Game Challenge" in Social Studies. 7th grade students worked in groups to plan and create a game board about the Roman and Byzantine empires. The focus of the game could be the factors that influenced the growth and decline of the empires, characteristics of the empires, important people, or something else about the empires.
First, the students identified the focus of the game. Then, they discussed the design of the gameboard and playing pieces. Next, they brainstormed for ideas on how to gather information on the key events and the people involved. Then, as a group, they identified events, places, and people they wanted to include in the game. Each student wrote a number of questions to be used on the playing board. Eventually, the groups shared their games with the rest of the class. Small groups were invited to play the games. Finally, the seventh graders, reflected on what they learned, asked for feedback from their fellow students, and made changes to the game if necessary. Hail to the seventh graders for victoriously conquering "The Empire Game" challenge!
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Located in Los Angeles, CA, Berkeley Hall School is a private, coeducational school for students in preschool through grade 8. Rigorous academics in a supportive atmosphere and grounded character development allow students to become fearless scholars and conscientious citizens - gain a love of learning, leadership with social responsibility, creativity with moral integrity, and self-esteem with compassion for others and the environment.