I know about the great Silk Road Simulation that is from the OER Project, but I’ve never used it for AP World (10th graders) because we already do a more in-depth Silk Roads activity when my students are in 9th grade. Has anyone ever created or seen a Trans-Saharan Road activity? I usually have my students explore this wonderful interactive map created by Howard University: thegoldroad.org/map.aspx I would love to have students engage in something more tactile and interactive, similar to the Silk Road Simulation. Has anyone created something?
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Oh, how did you know that this is my topic later this week? I have this activity from our very own Janet Mann and have more successfully used it with my on-level students than my AP students.
Good luck, Angela Lee Let us know if this works for your students.
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Great timing, Gwen! I had a copy of Janet's slide deck saved in my Google Drive but I haven't been able to try it yet.
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Ooh, my students last year really enjoyed it., Anne Koschmider We worked as table teams, and most students made choices that we would typically expect (and resulted in some challenges in the crossing of the desert). I add in some reflection / discussion questions about what they would do differently if we were to redo the activity, what the items showcased about the values and needs in the Saharan region, etc.
Using a short video like this one can help students visualize what the Sahara is like.
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I love this simulation! Absolutely going to be doing it!
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Angela Lee I used this simulation a couple of years ago but it does take some time to play. I like the version that Janet Mann shared with the community and that Gwen Duralek implemented. Gwen Duralek I would love to know how long does it usually take to play this game? Did students find the directions easy to follow? From what I've read it and it seems quite straightfoward.
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Hi Laura Massa I play the game in a 56 minute period, but I have everything prepped and have a tight grip on timing and transition. Debrief is done the next day. Worth the time though! Students enjoy and also "get" the main ideas of the activity!
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Thank you Janet Mann It is very likely that I will be traveling with students to Southern Spain and Morocco during Spring Break, and we will spend one day and night in the Sahara Desert. After going through your activity and the video, I thought it would be meaningful to do it before the trip. I am sure students will have a fun time playing this simulation and learning about this region of the world.
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Laura Massa How fantastic!! Travel is "education for life!" and having the simulation experience will be extremely valuable!
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Janet Mann I couldn't agree more. As I tell my students, travel is the best teacher.