How to make a revolutionary war board game

Discuss the different goals of each game and how the goals are achieved. Explain that playing games is one way of learning something that your society wants you to learn. In this case, the game will teach you about the American Revolution.

Next, discuss ways in which a board game might be able to teach information about the Revolution. Use the following questions, as well as any knowledge students already have about the Revolution to generate discussion:. Divide the class into five groups. First, each group should spend some time on the websites listed below under "The American Revolution", noting major events in the Revolutionary War. Then, assign to each group the task of researching a different perspective on those events, also using the websites listed below.

Suggested groups are:. In each case, ask students to find out what the names of some people in each group were, what the group believed about the Revolution, what events were important to them, what they did or did not do in terms of participating in the war.

Each group should use the Research Work Sheet to record their findings. Next, challenge each group to develop a board game that reflects what they've learned about the War from the perspective they've taken. Remember that the final goal of the game may change, depending upon the perspective of the group being studied.

For example, independence might very well not be the goal from the point of view of the British. When the games are completed, have the groups "trade around" so that that each group is playing another group's game. After several rounds of play, engage students in a discussion of what they've learned.

The following questions may serve to keep the discussion going:. Hibbert, Christopher. Avon Books, Feb. Schanzer, Rosalyn. George v. National Geographic Library, The American Revolution. Determine with unit types.

For a simple game, you could have one type of infantry unit, and one type of artillery. For a more complicated game, you can have archers, cannons, flying critters, horsemen and however many other kinds of combatants you want. Create rules for each unit. Decide how many spaces it can move, how far away it can attack, how much damage it can do every round and how much damage it can take without being destroyed.

You will probably want to base everything on 6-sided dice rolls, since this is the most common way to decide things in a game. A hypothetical unit of archers might be able to do 1d6 1 roll of the 6-sided die points of damage per round to any unit within three squares of it. It could move two squares per round, and could take 15 points of damage before being killed. Draw a map. The easiest sort of map to use is a hex board.

A hex board is a board made of hexagonal tiles. Movement is measured in the number of tiles a character can move each turn. Print out hex paper using the link below, then draw terrain on it. You can create solid walls that units can't move through or shoot through, rivers and other impassible obstacles, and other sorts of terrain. Create rules for each kind of terrain.

When you have your map completed, mount it on a piece of poster board. Come up with any other rules you need. You might have resupply rules which tell how many new units a player gets each turn, bonuses which give a player special advantages if he captures a certain part of the map and requirements for victory. Get some miniatures to play your game with. You can use coins, game markers, or scraps of paper to test the game out.

However, eventually you are going to want miniatures to make your game more realistic. Go down to your local hobby shop and find figurines that are the right size for your game. Feel free to rewrite your rules as you test the game.

If something doesn't work, don't feel like you have to play through to the end. Play lots of war board games.