ABSTRACT

Enquiry is a major part of the fundamental syntactic structures of history, but since so much historical evidence is incomplete, humans tend to ‘fill in the gaps’ by re-creating past events and periods through imaginative reconstructions of the past. This can be a powerful teaching tool as well as a genuine aspect of history. This chapter deals with simulations and games as particular forms of imaginative reconstruction. They are examples of enactive representations of historical situations, and as such are immensely valuable in making even quite complex situations accessible to children of differing educational needs and attainment. Through simulations and games, as in drama and role-play children can understand historical situations ‘from the inside’. They have something in common with drama and play, to which they are closely related. In both simulation and drama children can take on the roles of characters from the past and face the same problems, struggle with making the same kinds of decisions, and deal with the consequences of their actions. Like drama, simulation can engage the emotions and stimulate the imagination. It is, however, more controlled than drama. In a simulation the teacher preparing the material adheres much more closely to the historical situation, whereas in drama there is more freedom for the children to take the story or situation where they want it to go. For beginning teachers, simulations are probably easier than drama to handle. They can be done often with children safely in their seats, although in a simulation involving message sending, there may be some movement around the classroom, but this can be easily controlled. This chapter presents: an example of a simulation; ideas for devising your own and accessing those already written; examples of how to use games in history; and historical computer games in children's learning.