Civ2 in Schools?

Shadowstrike · August 11, 2000, 19:56

I jsut realized that Civ 2 would be a neat way to teach history. That is, instead of having to learn "by the book" they give you a good scenario in the appropriate era, ask you to play it, then do the books as needed. And thoughts?

By the way, I'd wish they'd use this system in schools now, and I can forget about history homework...

SandMonkey · August 11, 2000, 20:21

try and get it past a school board....

jcarkey · August 11, 2000, 21:26

That would be pretty cool. I agree with SandMonkey about school boards.

It is sort of funny that you brought that up. School was the place that I first palyed Civ.
I guess I know who my favorite teacher is

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What if the Hokey-Pokey is really what its all about?

Contact me at cpoland@mail.win.org

SandMonkey · August 11, 2000, 22:52

a teacher got you hooked on civ? or just because you got to play in that class??

jcarkey · August 11, 2000, 23:31

Because I played it in class. But I thank the teacher for getting the program.

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What if the Hokey-Pokey is really what its all about?

Contact me at cpoland@mail.win.org

August 12, 2000, 08:26

Cool idea...

Shadowstrike · August 12, 2000, 15:53

Bumping this up so people can see it.

MacUser · August 19, 2000, 21:14

I've thought that this was a great way to teach historical concepts to kids since I first got the game! Thanks to Civ, my oldest son (now 10) and I have had lots of conversations about how events and discoveries played out in the real world. I think that a game would take too long in a classroom setting, however the poster/tech tree could be useful.

There is a video series called the "Ascent of Man" by Jacob Bernowski (I likely misspelled his name) that discusses how one discovery led to another and how history was impacted. The tapes should be available in most great public libraries.

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"And now for something completely different..."
- John Cleese

finbar · August 19, 2000, 21:48

I can hear it now.

Kid: "How come there are chariots in the 17th Century, sir?"

Teacher: "You're on detention, boy."

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finbar
Mono Rules!
#33984591

Seeker · August 20, 2000, 11:29

Essays written on 'causes of the Russian Revolution':

'obviously, Lenin hoped to use the low corruption and ability to control many cities of Communism to counteract the Republic (of Kerensky) with its poor military and greater unhappiness...'

Essays on why Rhodes should've been the most powerful Greek poleis (they had the Collossus, and Collossus vs Oracle? pffft..)

DarkCloud · August 20, 2000, 13:33

Civ 2 should definitely be in schools. How much it should be used however, varies.

The students can learn various things:

#1 How hard it is to manage an empire
#2 The names of historical leaders
#3 Historical Civilizations and where they started.
#4 Real wonders of the world
#5 What some things do (city improvements)
#6 Strategy like chess (unit wars)
#7 They can make book reports on the 100 years war or other wars such as putting historical units facing off each other (High School History and art if they design the units)
#8 They can make book reports (Lord of the Flies) with sound, unit, and terrain drawings)

Those are just some ideas of many

Shadowstrike · August 20, 2000, 16:11

How about having scenario making instead of projects? You can just see it in this:

Parent: Get off the computer, you've been playing for 11 hours.

Kid: But it's a school project...

Parent: Nonsense, why would they make you try to draw a picture of Napoleon that small for a project?

Hehehe...

Empress · August 20, 2000, 16:36

Actually I had a dream about civ in schools a couple weeks ago. I dreamed I was back to teaching and I was in this huge classroom with the walls lined with books and in walking around the room I noticed a section of civ and alpha centauri books!

I opened a civ book and it was a story based on a game played by the author.

MacUser · August 20, 2000, 17:06

Fin - It would be more useful here in the "Colonies" as we don't have surly youth!

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"And now for something completely different..."
- John Cleese

tonic · August 20, 2000, 20:24

I'd like to see more emphasis on the 'perfectionist' approach to encourage the values espoused by a true civilization.

While the initial concepts would be a useful introduction to history, I think the level of AI performance (broached in the Civ3 forum) would need to be improved before some realism can be imparted. Besides the 17th C chariot, the bright kids will no doubt be able to soon produce 18th C armor not to mention finding the Cure for Cancer in 1600 AD.

finbar · August 20, 2000, 20:52

The first kid who builds the Eiffel Tower in an all-human MP game should be put on yard clean-up duty for 110 years.

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finbar
Mono Rules!
#33984591

Fiji · August 21, 2000, 06:46

CIV (I and II) could help to explain some key moments in history

Cortez with 1 (veteran) musketeer unit conquers south amerika defended by warriors

Native amerikans in small villages get overrun by riflemen

the USSR has trouble getting it's army forward because of bad roads and absent railroads in WW2

Simpson II · August 21, 2000, 18:35

When I was at university, the library computers would have CivII installed for about a month per year. Apparently this was because the management course included a module in CivII! You actually had to write a 5000 word paper on the game.

Shadowstrike · August 21, 2000, 20:37

I doubt that 5000 word essay would have been a real problem to any devout Civer...

jcarkey · August 21, 2000, 22:48

Well actually, besides being used for the historical aproach, you could use it for probability.
A Vet. Musketeer has a defense value of 5,(The value is rounded up if it it is odd, correct?) and a Hitpoint value of 20. What are the chances of it surviving a cruiser?

It could also be used to teach logic and strategy. That would be good at Military Academys!

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What if the Hokey-Pokey is really what its all about?

Contact me at cpoland@mail.win.org

SCG · August 22, 2000, 00:23

quote:

Originally posted by Shadowstrike on 08-21-2000 08:37 PM
I doubt that 5000 word essay would have been a real problem to any devout Civer...

heh, just look at some of the OCC log overviews

I bet some of those come close to that

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April Cantor: Sire, in order to expand further we must first gain favor of the King

SCG: darn, I've never really got the hang of that tribute thing, guess it will be a long time until i make prince

*goes off and starts gifting gold and techs*

Shadowstrike · August 22, 2000, 13:55

If you come to think about it, Civ2 can be used for a lot of things... Math, History, Geography, Common Sense, Computer Skills, etc.

It would probably work well in schools, if you could get it past the nearly insurmountable obstacle of school boards.

Tom DeMille · August 22, 2000, 14:01

Come on people, school isn't supposed to be fun!

Julius Brenzaida · August 22, 2000, 19:14

Well,

I am a teacher in history somewhere in Europe.

Sorry, I would not use CIVII for my classes.
It's a great game, but just a game.
And as many have already said, it is not meant to be historicaly accurate.

On the other hand, CAREFULLY played at home, after homework that is, it could help stir interest in history.

And yes, school has never been meant to be fun

tonic · August 22, 2000, 21:09

Ultimately education is about understanding principles, getting some insight into what makes the world tick. Does the simplistic "linear" view of history presented by games such as Civ give an insight into how civilization developed? In other words is an fragmented or skewed view better than no view at all or should we expend more effort into making a game specifically for teaching history where developments and discoveries are very much a function of the forces at work at a particular time in a particular human environment, rather than as a rigidly proscribed sequence of fixed events. My bias is apparent.

Caesar · August 22, 2000, 21:14

Yeah, but it would be a lot of fun. I'll find some teacher, play some serial MP. Small map duel, kick his ass... It won't take more than a few lunch periods

Anyway, honestly, its a horrible idea. But I'd love it.

tonic · August 22, 2000, 21:35

It's every "older" person's nightmare, being thrashed in an MP game by someone and then finding out he's only 15! This is in flagrant breach of established historical protocols for the hierarchy of due educational process.

Edit: corrected malapropism!
[This message has been edited by tonic (edited August 22, 2000).]

Shadowstrike · August 23, 2000, 09:25

However, if we can find some scenarios which are historically accurate and entertaining, (i.e. Red Front, Mongols, etc.) children could be learning and having fun at the same time.

Now, I'd like to see a kid win Red Front on the first try...

August 29, 2000, 11:53

I first played SC2000 at school... we were doing Geography and urban planning in 1994!

N35t0r · August 30, 2000, 00:21

when i was in 4th grade, i was the only one to know the capital city of china

thanks civ!