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To cite this article: Brad M. Maguth, Jonathan S. List & Matthew Wunderle (2015)
Teaching Social Studies with Video Games, The Social Studies, 106:1, 32-36, DOI:
10.1080/00377996.2014.961996
Todays youth have grown up immersed in technology and are increasingly relying on video games to solve problems, engage
socially, and nd entertainment. Yet research and vignettes of teachers actually using video games to advance student learning in
social studies is scarce (Hutchinson 2007). This article showcases how social studies teachers used the Age of Empires II: The Age of
Kings in a seventh-grade world history class. On the basis of our experiences, we believe video games provide students with a
digitally relevant world in which to explore abstract concepts and theories that are all too common in social studies. Outside of
providing strategies and advice to teachers when integrating video games in the social studies, we identity challenges and issues
inherent in their classroom use.
Keywords: video games, technology, world history, middle school
from point A to point B. Linear games are not without Vignettes on the successful use of video games in the
challenges or educative value, but games that offer open social studies classroom and their ability to promote
game play allow for adaptation to a given curriculum student learning are still scarce (Cabiness and Donovan,
(Squire 2008a). Open game play is the opposite of linear 2013; Hutchinson 2007). However, Squire, DeVane, and
game play; there are no goals or objectives specically set Durga (2008) used video games among at-risk fth and
by the game, and users are left to their own imaginations sixth graders to successfully advance student interest in
to decide what they will do and how they will do it. As social studies. Additional research in the area of video
with all dichotomies, few things fall within either extreme; games and education showcase how senior citizens who
most games either trend in one direction or the other, played Rise of Nations improved memory, reasoning,
being more linear or more open. In some instances, linear and multitasking (Basak, Book, Voss, and Kramer
game play works best for pedagogical purposes; in others, 2008), and the use of online games promoted vocabu-
an open game better serves the teachers goals. lary acquisition among third graders, which improved
student test scores and motivation (McDonald and
Hannan 2003).
Why Use Video Games?
The National Council for the Social Studies Technology Theory into Practice: Age of Empires II in Seventh-
Position Statement (2013) recommends social studies Grade World History
teachers better translate students informal, socially ori-
ented experiences into a more academic, civically oriented
I learned about this in Metal Gear Solid. It was us against
curriculum. Todays youth have grown up immersed in the Soviet Union.
technology and are increasingly relying on video games to
solve problems, engage socially, and nd entertainment. Malcolm, seventh-graders response when asked, What
In a recent study, 97 percent of all U.S. teens identied as was the Cold War?
video game players, and nearly 50 percent of those sur-
veyed had played a video game in the past 24 hours (Len- As a teacher, it is common for students to reference his-
hart, Kahne, Middaugh, Macgill, Evans, and Vitak 2008). torical facts and information picked up while watching
Access to video games is proliferate, because almost every television. However, in the past four years, weve noticed
U.S. household has a dedicated game console, computer, a growing trend for students to draw from their experien-
or smartphone. According to Bronkhorst (2012), because ces playing video games during class discussions. While
of an increase in consumer demand for video games, game the accuracy of historical facts shared varies among stu-
industry sales in 2011 overtook Hollywood movie box dents, it prompted us to think about the impact of video
ofce sales ($17 billion versus $9.42 billion). games on students historical understandings and think-
We contest that the use of video games in the social studies ing. Could the classroom use of video games be used to
classroom presents educators with an opportunity to engage engage students in historical inquiry? Furthermore,
the growing digital interests of students. Student use of video because an increasing number of students play video
games can reinforce what we know about how students games, could the integration of video games enliven the
learn. Good video games require students to problem-solve, social studies classroom and get students excited about
to adapt to new environments and conditions, and to stay doing history?
engaged for a prolonged period of time (Gee 2003; Gee After reviewing a host of different video games for
2005). Every good game presents students with a mission potential use, we decided to work together to plan the best
and problem to be solved and the opportunity to make stra- way to integrate the use of video games in Matts seventh-
tegic decisions and adaptations that have real consequences grade Ancient World History class. After a few meetings,
on the overall success or failure of the mission (Squire 2008). we decided to use the video games Age of Empires II: The
Outside of promoting inquiry, interactivity, and prob- Age of Kings. We selected this video game because of three
lem solving, video games allow students the opportunity very specic considerations:
to apply and demonstrate their learning through play.
Sociocultural theorists like Vygotsky and Piaget view play Everyone felt this video game was best aligned to our
as a signicant mechanism to learn rules, to experiment states academic content standards dealing with ancient
with identify, to learn from the consequences of actions, civilizations. For instance, the game portrayed how pre-
and to help youth make sense of their world. Kurt Squire vious civilizations had an enduring impact on later civili-
(2008b) points out that . . .historically speaking, it is not zations, and it depicts the impact of exploration, trade,
the notion of learning through playing that is strange; it is conquest, and colonization and civilizations;
the notion of sitting in rows of chairs, faced forward, The game had an easy user interface;
everyone locked on to a xed speaker or content provider And the graphics, while not the best, were good enough
that is strange (3). to keep middle school students attention.
34 Maguth et al.
game play experiences, on how ones perspective of war game will be used as a method of delivering content. Mr.
and conict varies between governmental leaders and Wunderles wiki is a good example of how this can be
those warriors and their families actually entrenched in done, as he explicitly identies the state content standards
these conicts. This included students thinking about and objectives at play in each module. One easy way for
how the decisions they made affected characters, fami- teachers to discover which video games may best suit their
lies, and communities represented in the game. Finally, needs is to search the Internet for the concepts being
students were asked to describe the perspective of their taught and include the words video game. This often
enemy and to identify areas in which they were similar yields results that have linear game play and specic con-
and different. tent objectives and provides a good starting point for
In module ten, students were asked to provide a written learning about video games that might be useful in the
reection on How have you used diplomacy and war to classroom. Teachers should also not shy away for discus-
build your civilization? Has one approach been more sing potential video game titles with school/district tech-
benecial than the other in the game? How did the pre- nology coordinators and even students.
ferred approach selected compare to the approach used When looking for resources to plan and use video games
by the Monguls? in teaching social studies, we were blown away at how few
resources existed for teachers. Even though the number of
By answering these questions, students were required to video game titles, platforms, and possibilities has grown
connect their game play with concepts and issues discussed exponentially, this seemed to be an underdeveloped area
in class (i.e., Silk Road, Monguls, foreign policy, war ver- of study. Thus, we decided to create a wiki to assist teach-
sus diplomacy, trade, etc.). Outside of enjoying the oppor- ers looking to use video games in the social studies. This
tunity to game in class, students felt as if the video game wiki identies different types of video games for use in the
provided them with a concrete venue in which to think social studies. The games listed have been vetted and used
about, tinker with, apply, and evaluate content discussed by social studies teachers and in no way encompass a com-
in class. We felt as if this game served as a virtual play- prehensive list but more of a representative sample. For
ground whereby students could look for and experiment convenience, video games have been sorted on the basis of
with topics, issues, and philosophies discussed in social grade level, subject area, and type (content, Web-based,
studies class. In many regards, it brought world history, its and sandbox). To view these titles or to suggest the inclu-
issues, and people to life for students. sion of new titles, see www.socialstudiesvideogames.com.
We must note that, like when using many other forms of
nontraditional instruction, there are limitations and chal-
Conclusion lenges teachers may face when using video games to teach
the social studies. The lack of equipment, resources, and
In general, teachers can integrate video games into their training, along with a narrowing of the curriculum, may
curriculum as long as the game can be clearly related to make this difcult for teachers (Baek 2008). Teachers also
the core curriculum of the course. The teacher must clearly may have to reeducate administrators, teachers, and
outline how the game ts within the course and how the parents about the educational value of video games. Of
36 Maguth et al.
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