Halloween is behind us, and the Reacting Consortium is celebrating its Month of Giving! While you are taking part in our online workshops or checking out our exclusive swag offerings, we hope you will take the time to check out some of the new and updated games below!
NEW GAMES
Religious Debate in Chinese History: The Eve of the Huichang Persecution, 841
Set in the city of Chang’an, in the imperial court of the Tang Dynasty, this game asks students to argue the role that foreign religions, especially Buddhism, should play in the empire. Playing powerful religious and secular figures, students use oral argument and written memorials to sway the empire’s legislators—the Grand Councilors—as they draft laws regarding the presence of Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam in China. This game asks students to consider the role that governments should take in limiting religion, and what to do when foreign religions rub up against local culture.
Stupor Mundi: Frederick II and the High Court of Jerusalem
In Stupor Mundi students will take the role of members of the High Court (Haute Cour), of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and debate a series of legal cases that illuminate the social world of the Crusader States in the 13th century. The game takes place in the Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1228-1229, during what would become known as the Sixth Crusade, which serves as a backdrop for exploring contentious legal issues of the time. The game begins as Frederick II, called Stupor Mundi, or ‘Wonder of the World,’ because of his immense wealth, political power, and intellect, arrives in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Frederick holds the title of the King of Sicily, King of Germany, and Holy Roman Emperor, and had recently become King of Jerusalem through marriage. When Frederick arrives in the Kingdom, he engages in a series of legal battles with powerful nobles of the Kingdom, most notably John of Ibelin. The game uses these debates to explore contested notions of the purpose of law and the power of the monarch in the High Middle Ages, and through these deliberations, teaches students about life in the first overseas European proto-colonies.
Pardon Me: Should Ford Pardon Nixon?
Washington DC, September 1974. Some of former president Richard Nixon’s secret White House tape recordings have gone public, proving he lied repeatedly and acted to cover up Watergate crimes. Thus, 30 days ago, in the biggest humiliation of his life, Nixon resigned - the only U.S. president ever to do so. Vice President Gerald Ford has stepped up to the presidency. Ford inherits difficult national problems (12% inflation, high unemployment, Vietnam war, Cold War, etc.) and an American public that is angry and distrustful of its political leaders. Ford has ideas for solving these problems, but it is hard to move forward with his policy agenda because there is a massive national focus on whether to continue investigating Watergate, to prosecute and possibly even convict and imprison Nixon. As president, Ford has the power to pardon Nixon. Would a pardon end the “long national nightmare” of Watergate and let America re-focus on governing? Or would a pardon anger the people, ruin Ford’s election chances in the 1976 presidential election, and create unequal justice for the many other Watergate participants not receiving a pardon? And should Nixon's White House tapes be made public? Students give speeches and engage in "soft diplomacy" to influence Ford's pardon decision and decide whether the tapes should be released to the public.
Speak Swiftly: Reputation and Celebrity Political Endorsements
“Speak Swiftly” examines the braid of celebrity, identity, and political expression at a pivotal cultural moment during the 2018 US midterm elections. Taylor Swift’s October 2018 political endorsement of two Tennessee congressional candidates ignited national debate about celebrity influence in politics and performers' obligations as activists. Participants divide into six factions to consider whether performers have a moral obligation to speak about political issues, or to avoid the risk of conflating popularity with political authority. The game asks: Does celebrity political speech enhance democratic engagement? Who gets to claim political authority in a democracy? Are artists ethically obliged to demonstrate their allyship through political advocacy? Should artists risk commercial backlash by taking political stands? To what extent are artists free to speak if their livelihoods depend on pleasing a broad audience? How do gendered expectations shape public response to women’s political speech?
UPDATED GAMES
Japan's Strategic Dilemma, 1945
- Updated Instructor's Manual, clarifying game phases and decision making.
1349: Plague Comes to Norwich
- Updated IM and Role Sheets into Provisional Reacting 3.0 format.
Russian Literary Journals: Dostoevsky and Tolstoy in St. Petersburg, 1877
- Updated IM and Role Sheets.
The Oversight Board: Content Moderation vs. Political Speech on Social Media
Christine de Pizan and the Querelle des Femmes, 1413
- Updated IM, GB, and Role Sheets.
The Investiture Controversy: Church and State on the Road to Canossa, 1075-1077
- Updated IM, GB, and Role Sheets.
