Chapter 4: Beyond Facts and Fun: The Need for Purposeful Simulations

Recently in a fifth grade U.S. history class, students developed and acted out scenes in which they portrayed members of different social groups in colonial America. Some assumed the roles of wealthy landowners, while others took on the roles of women or enslaved African-Americans. As each group of students performed, their classmates guessed who they were playing.

Before the first group performed, their teacher Anna¹ reminded the class, “Try not to giggle if you can help it,” and the first group began:

Student 1: I can't believe it. Our slaves escaped.

Student 2: This lady just came and took mine. I don't know where they've been going.