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What trading games do you use to effectively teach students about the spread of disease, and what outcomes have you observed in their understanding of the topic?

Amber Llewellyn

In the first year I taught, I had my students play a trading game in which they traded goods between Native Americans and European trading partners. The game was fast-paced, and my students thought they were building trading empires until they discovered their exposure to smallpox and silently spreading that disease around the room. The result was that almost everyone caught smallpox and died. This game helped my students understand how trading assisted in spreading disease, and it made a lasting impression because those students graduated seven years ago. The other day, in the grocery store, one stopped me and asked if I remembered giving them all smallpox and the whole class dying. Games can make a significant impression on students and help them connect to and remember the material. What trading games do you use to effectively teach students about the spread of disease, and what outcomes have you observed in their understanding of the topic?

  • I do this with a Silk Road game for my AP kids, and use Contagion for my regular world kiddos.  Both seem to enjoy it.  The AP kids get very competitive, because they know they have to sneak the disease into their trade.  My regular kiddos think they are just trying to build up as much money, food, or status during the Middle Ages, only to discover that most of them caught the Black Death and died.  It is fun watching them try to barter to make deals, only to discover they are going to die because of disease.  

  • in reply to Rebecca Sloat

    I echo this.  I used an earlier version of the Contagion game, but love the OER version with the twist at the end.  It's awesome to see the look of shock on their faces when you reveal there's a patient 0.  Here's the link to anyone who is interested: https://www.oerproject.com/OER-Materials/OER-Media/PDFs/AP-World-History/Unit2/Contagion?Id=3034&share=link

  • in reply to Melissa Nowotarski

    That activity is great, I can't wait to use it!   

    In the past I've set kids up in groups in a long line like 10 yards apart, this works great in large classes of 30+.   Two or three kids in a group.   I give each group some resources and send one person right, another left and someone stays home. As they move through the line, they try to trade resources with each new group.

    I've always thought it showed how trading hubs (especially in the middle)  do well and acquire resources.   At the very end, after we tally who has the most stuff, I often say, " Who talked to Sam for more than 30 seconds?"  And six kids will stand up.   Then, "Who talked to those people for more than 30 seconds?"  and so on.  Congrats, you caught a disease!