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Former Teacher Shares Genius Game That Teaches Kids Politics And Economics

Robertas Lisickis
BoredPanda staff While teaching kids can be challenging at times, it's certainly rewarding. And the challenge is a healthy one if you're willing, let alone know how to approach the topic at hand. Former teacher Caoimhe O'Connell has shared a genius activity that she did with her class-one that involves getting into random groups, getting a random amount of resources, and making very specific goods using said resources to simulate how country economies and politics work. Needless to say, her Twitter thread drew quite a crowd on the internet. More info: Twitter

Teaching kids through games is probably one of the most fun things any teacher could do

Image credits: woodleywonderworks Twitter user Caoimhe O'Connell recalled from her teaching days an activity she did with her 10–11-year-old students. Said activity was, in short, an exercise in politics and economics. In a nutshell, the class was divided up into small groups, to simulate countries, of 3 to 7 kids, at random. After all, each country has a different population. Then, each country was given a random set of resources: everything from scissors to colored paper to rulers to markers, including some fake money. Some had an abundance of everything, others an imbalance of resources, with some having a complete lack of something. This simulates how each country has more (or less) of certain resources, if any at all.

This teacher decided to play one too-one that should be based on working together but which ended up being amusingly chaotic

Image credits: CaoimheRua88 Each 'country's' goal was to produce very specific shapes and sell them to the teacher. They were also given a list of shapes in demand, complete with specific colors, dimensions, and even prices. In other words, make shapes, get money. You can bet that it all started with chaos as there was no equal ground right from the get-go. What is more, Caoimhe introduced even more mayhem by walking around and sprinkling water, which effectively means force majeure and if your goods are damaged, then, well, sucks to be your country. Image credits: CaoimheRua88 In the end, some countries lost everything, others were trying to make the best of it, yet others were picking up the pieces. Some got rich, others ended up being dirt poor and simply gave up. This was besides all of the "theft, bartering, skullduggery, [and] corruption" that was going on and all of the price fluctuations. At this point, you can imagine the explanations of why some countries failed and others prospered. Image credits: CaoimheRua88 They understood perfectly that not all countries were equal here, not everyone had enough resources, how the rich were able to afford that which the poor couldn't, and how theft, wars and other factors develop. But once the dust had settled and the bickering stopped, Caoimhe asked a very important question: why didn't they work together? "The conversation that these questions produce always amazes me. It's wonderful," concluded Caoimhe. Image credits: CaoimheRua88 Now that's how you teach kids to work together, how to be a global citizen who understands the importance of collaboration. While Caoimhe's thread received modest attention on Twitter, it was later reposted on Imgur where it blew up. The repost garnered over 110,000 views alongside 5,150+ upvotes. Many praised this little game, saying it's pure genius and that they're gonna use this idea for their class. Others pointed out that while it did sound like loads of fun, it is still an analogy of how things are in the world and that made them sad. And, of course, there was that one commenter who honored that one girl who 'risked her life' for her country by diving on the table so as to protect the produce from water. What are your thoughts on this? How would you play this game given the chance? Let us know in the comment section below! Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing! Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Share on Facebook Robertas Lisickis Follow Unfollow Robertas Lisickis Author, BoredPanda staff Robertas, nicknamed the Comma Inquisitor by friends, is a Bored Panda writer and content creator. After his studies at LCC International University, where he got a BA in English Language and Literature, Robertas went on to do freelance teaching, translation, and copywriting work, primarily specializing in IT. He spent nearly three years writing about all things Wi-Fi, eventually being picked up by Bored Panda. Whenever there’s free time, he spends it playing Gwent, or hosting Dungeons & Dragons sessions for his mostly chaotic neutral team. Read more » Get the latest inspiring stories via our awesome iOS app! Download Bored Panda app! 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Respect 49 49points reply Grumble O'Pug Grumble O'Pug Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago This is so true. The kids really engaged and really got it. This is so awesome. 8 8points reply Load More Replies... yeciye yeciye Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago Why did they make it a competition? Well, in most tasks at school kids get results that can they can compare, the system turns it into a competition, so naturally everyone thought that this is a similar exercise. Now maybe try making school less of a competition and then repeat the experiment. 26 26points reply Sarah Sarah Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago I agree but, I wonder too if maybe that was part of the point; to show them that the "competition" approach isn't always the best. Maybe she was trying to teach it out of them a little? Maybe. I don't know. Either way, sounds like a fun way to learn! 48 48points reply Load More Replies... Piet Puk Piet Puk Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago Yep, think win-win. One of Covey's 7 traits of good leadership. 6 6points reply Parmeisan Parmeisan Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago I agree. She is teaching them to examine their assumptions. 2 2points reply RMA RMA Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago I don’t think it is only ‘the system’. I think competitiveness is a great deal to do with the survival instinct and is thus innate. 8 8points reply Rissie Rissie Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago There was a (fake) price involved. Implying you could get ahead of the rest. We take that chance at every possibility. 3 3points reply Troux Troux Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 1 year ago (edited) Bingo! Came here to say the same. It's animal nature to say 'this is my clan, these are the resources, and all other clans are competition for those.' Even for our advanced species took thousands of years before we built communities that realized working together produced more resources and less competition (resulting in more free time, easier and longer lives etc.). Even now we're mostly just at the stage of being in much larger clans. But this helps to explain why backing out of multi-national unions (EU, NATO, Paris Agreement etc.) looks like "backwards" thinking. 1 1point reply John C John C Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago it still exposes our biases and teaches us to not take anything for granted and question everything (especially our own assumptions). for the next level, adults can extrapolate the exercise: why do countries silo themselves, why CAN'T we be global citizens?? these are excellent things to think about. 3 3points reply snipergun snipergun Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago That's absolutely amazing and this should be bottom level to be teacher, this creativity and willingness to think and do things to give valuable lessons to children on so many levels. I wouldn't be able to come up with this, so this teacher I like a God. Great job! 24 24points reply Load More Comments POST Caro Caro Caro Caro Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago What a great way to teach. Respect 49 49points reply Grumble O'Pug Grumble O'Pug Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago This is so true. The kids really engaged and really got it. This is so awesome. 8 8points reply Load More Replies... yeciye yeciye Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago Why did they make it a competition? Well, in most tasks at school kids get results that can they can compare, the system turns it into a competition, so naturally everyone thought that this is a similar exercise. Now maybe try making school less of a competition and then repeat the experiment. 26 26points reply Sarah Sarah Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago I agree but, I wonder too if maybe that was part of the point; to show them that the "competition" approach isn't always the best. Maybe she was trying to teach it out of them a little? Maybe. I don't know. Either way, sounds like a fun way to learn! 48 48points reply Load More Replies... Piet Puk Piet Puk Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago Yep, think win-win. One of Covey's 7 traits of good leadership. 6 6points reply Parmeisan Parmeisan Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago I agree. She is teaching them to examine their assumptions. 2 2points reply RMA RMA Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago I don’t think it is only ‘the system’. I think competitiveness is a great deal to do with the survival instinct and is thus innate. 8 8points reply Rissie Rissie Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago There was a (fake) price involved. Implying you could get ahead of the rest. We take that chance at every possibility. 3 3points reply Troux Troux Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 1 year ago (edited) Bingo! Came here to say the same. It's animal nature to say 'this is my clan, these are the resources, and all other clans are competition for those.' Even for our advanced species took thousands of years before we built communities that realized working together produced more resources and less competition (resulting in more free time, easier and longer lives etc.). Even now we're mostly just at the stage of being in much larger clans. But this helps to explain why backing out of multi-national unions (EU, NATO, Paris Agreement etc.) looks like "backwards" thinking. 1 1point reply John C John C Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago it still exposes our biases and teaches us to not take anything for granted and question everything (especially our own assumptions). for the next level, adults can extrapolate the exercise: why do countries silo themselves, why CAN'T we be global citizens?? these are excellent things to think about. 3 3points reply snipergun snipergun Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago That's absolutely amazing and this should be bottom level to be teacher, this creativity and willingness to think and do things to give valuable lessons to children on so many levels. I wouldn't be able to come up with this, so this teacher I like a God. 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