Creating a Civilization

Moderation state
funded
Grant Applicant
Maggie Bockius, Amy King, Brian Kehoe, Pam Hamiliton, Becky Wright, Katena Sanford, Katie Lyczko, Tina Cook
Grant Co-applicants
Grant Date
2022-06-18T12:00:00
Description

Sixth-grade social studies centers around looking at first civilizations and how the environment influences human migration, ancient ways of life, and the development of societies.  Catan is a multiplayer “German-style” board game designed for three or four  It’s recommended for players aged 10 and up, and one game typically takes between 45 and 90 minutes to complete. 

The basic premise of the game is that you’re settlers on the island of Catan, and you’re competing against each other to see who can build their civilization the fastest. As you build your settlement and unlock achievements, you’ll earn victory points, and the first player to reach 10 victory points is the winner. There are three ways to earn victory points in Catan. First, you can build settlements and/or cities on the board, but you have to collect the necessary resources to do so. Second, you can earn advantages by having the longest road or the strongest army.  Finally, you have the option to purchase “development cards,” which may also award you victory points. Natural resources are the key to winning the game. Catan works on strategy and probability. Players strategically pick locations based on the probability of earning resources.

This game is a fun, engaging, and academic way to teach Ancient Civilizations, probability, and sportsmanship.

Benefits of Program

Students will move from learning about ancient civilizations to creating civilizations on the game board.  Students must accumulate the resources needed to survive in ancient times. Students will understand the idea of the probability of an event happening based on the ever-changing probability of the resources on the board and the roll of the dice.  Along the way, they will learn to win with humility and lose with dignity.

This grant will be used at ACMS with the grade six students.

Success of Program

This is a perfect culminating activity for our year-long social studies question: How did the environment influence human migration, ancient ways of life, and the development of society.

Implementation

This year the game will be implemented as a social studies activity at the end of the school year. In the future, it could also be used as an Aces class. I envision each class playing for a week or 5 social studies classes.

Can you share this grant with your grade level or subject team?

Yes.

Sustainability
The grant will last as long as the games stay organized and in working condition. I would anticipate purchasing a replacement game every 3-5 years.
Amount Funded
$440.00
Individual Budget Items(s)
$400 - 10 Catan Board Games
Shipping
$21.00
Taxes
$34.00
Other funding sources

The PTO is another revenue source.  There are no district funds available to purchase games.

Notes

No this is a straightforward request for a social studies activity.