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Games for Teaching and Learning
Games for Teaching and Learning
October 26, 2023

Students enjoy playing games, and games are a good way to make abstract concepts sticky. There are numerous TRAILS resources that adapt games students are already familiar with (e.g., Monopoly, Life) and games that were created for the classroom. 

The scrabble board game with the words school and learn highlighted
A pile of Pokemon cards
Edward Smith
Teaching Durkheim’s Sociology of Religion through Pokémon
October 24, 2024
Subject Area(s):
Introduction to Sociology/Social Problems, Religion, Teaching and Learning in Sociology, Theory
Resource Type(s):
Class Activity, Lecture, PowerPoint
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:

The purpose of this paper is to examine Emile Durkheim’s structural framework from his book on Elementary Forms of Religious Life to explore Pokémon Platinum and its religious elements present within the game. Using Durkheim's theoretical framework from...

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A student using virtual reality at a whiteboard
David Shulman, Willa Goodman, Anna Marinovich
An Exercise to Introduce Virtual Reality to Sociology Undergraduates
December 9, 2023
Subject Area(s):
Communication and Information Technologies, Mass Communication/Public Opinion, Social Organization
Resource Type(s):
Class Activity
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:

Current virtual reality (VR) headsets like the Oculus Quest 2 offer an unprecedented depth of active immersion into digital environments, and instructors can curate virtual experiences for students that integrate and illustrate sociological concepts. The exercise...

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A shiba inu cartoon dog on a coin
Allison Gorga
WHAT DO YOU MEME? Classroom Activity on Meaning-Making Through Memes
September 4, 2023
Subject Area(s):
Introduction to Sociology/Social Problems, Theory
Resource Type(s):
Class Activity
Class Level(s):
College 100, High School
Class Size(s):
Medium, Small
Abstract:

This activity introduces students to symbolic interactionism by playing the game, What do You Meme? After a lecture on symbolic interactionism, students take turns judging meme and caption card pairings made by their classmates. While playing, students...

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TRAILS Logo
Michael Briscoe
Introduction to Sociology: Understanding Society Through Games
May 26, 2023
Subject Area(s):
Introduction to Sociology/Social Problems
Resource Type(s):
Syllabus
Class Level(s):
College 100
Class Size(s):
Medium, Small
Abstract:

Sociology is the study of groups, society, and social interaction. It addresses issues like race, class, gender, and much more. One of the best ways to learn about these concepts and practice using your sociological imagination is through stories. Games allow us...

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Bean bag toss equipment
Jerrod Yarosh
Bean Bag Inequality Toss: Making the Abstract Concrete
May 26, 2023
Subject Area(s):
Introduction to Sociology/Social Problems, Stratification/Mobility
Resource Type(s):
Assignment, Class Activity
Class Level(s):
College 100, College 200, High School
Class Size(s):
Medium, Small
Abstract:

This teaching technique introduces students to inequality and related terms.  Students are given different colored beanbags and then all stand equally around a target (i.e., sheet with a bullseye). Students are asked to predict how close they will get to the...

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Monopoly board with game pieces ready for play
Brianna Turgeon, Sarah Donley
Intersectional Monopoly
May 9, 2023
Subject Area(s):
Race, Class and Gender, Stratification/Mobility
Resource Type(s):
Class Activity
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:

Monopoly simulations are widely used in sociology classrooms to illustrate social inequality. These simulations have been critiqued as being one-dimensional and focusing too much on social class. Alternatively, scholars have developed Monopoly simulations that...

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A discussion group
Hannah Espy
The Class Discussion Bingo Card: A Teaching Tool for Supporting Effective Discussions in the College Classroom
February 3, 2023
Subject Area(s):
Teaching and Learning in Sociology
Resource Type(s):
Assessment, Class Activity
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Medium, Small
Abstract:

The class discussion bingo card (hereafter “bingo card”) supports discussion-based learning by pairing a first day class activity with an ongoing, student-led assessment tool that teaches and motivates good discussion practices in the college classroom....

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Gold, silver, and bronze medals on stands made of styrofoam blocks.
Judith Linneman
A Class Activity Illustrating Levels of Measurement: The Fruit Cup Competition
May 2, 2022
Subject Area(s):
Quantitative Methodology, Research Methods, Statistics
Resource Type(s):
Class Activity
Class Level(s):
College 100, College 200, College 300
Class Size(s):
Medium, Small
Abstract:

This unusual and engaging class activity uses a mock athletic event to introduce and examine the four levels of measurement in research methods and statistics courses. Using inexpensive and readily available items such as common types of fruit and disposable...

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TRAILS Logo
Nicholas Baxter, Christopher Conner
Teaching Symbolic Interactionist Theory Through Werewolf
September 9, 2021
Subject Area(s):
Theory
Resource Type(s):
Class Activity
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:
Engaging with symbolic interaction theory can be a powerful experience for students, due to its potential to challenge taken-for-granted assumptions and analyze students’ everyday life. However, some students may have difficulty grasping the significance of the...
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Jeanne Holcomb
Using "The Game of Life" as an End-of-Semester Assessment
September 26, 2016
Subject Area(s):
Family
Resource Type(s):
Assignment
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:
This activity uses of the "The Game of Life" as an end-of-semester assessment in a Marriages and Families course. Students play the board game "The Game of Life," produced by Milton Bradley, and respond to prompts asking them to analyze assumptions that the game...
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