Explorer Simulation

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Home : 2004 : August : 26

Explorer Simulation
By Robin

I have used an explorer activity from a book called US History Simulations (I think that's the title).

Here are the steps I use for the simulation.
1. On the morning of the simulation, start a rumor that gold has
been spotted on the primary playground (or anywhere you want). Start with one or two students and watch the rumor grow. Last year one girl added that her little brother found some of the gold the day before at recess! The rumor will take on a life of its own.
2. Make arrangements for a parapro, older student, office worker, or someone to hide a chocolate bar wrapped in gold paper

on the playground at a predetermined time. Make sure there's not a class at recess.
3. Assign each of the students a country to represent while looking for gold. Have more students represent Spain and France and fewer represent Portugal, etc. Put your most determined students in one of the larger countries.
4. Set up a few ground rules and allow the members of each country to meet and strategize for a few minutes.
5. Go to the playground and let the students search for the "gold." I usually have a few people announce gold for a joke. This helps the discussion.
6. After someone finds the "gold," return to the classroom and relate the experience to that of the Explorers. What were the explorers looking for? What kind of dangers did they encounter? Was it fair that some countries were largely represented and others were not? etc.

The students love the simulation and bring it up throughout the Explorer unit. I swear the morning class to secrecy so I can do it in the afternoon class as well. I do let the morning class help spread the rumor, though.