Case Study: Fantasy Geopolitics
In 2008, Eric Nelson was nonplussed by the rows of uninterested students at North Lakes Academy near Minneapolis. "They just sort of looked through me." But Nelson knew that some of his students were avid gamers, and he thought he knew why, "because they can just hit the reset button.That's how a lot of life should work - you make mistakes instead of repeating the same ones over and over again." At the time, Nelson was trying to get his 9th graders interested in world affairs.
In addition to teaching social studies, Eric Nelson was a master of fantasy football. He knew his players intimately and knew the NFL system in general based on his interest. His love of the game influenced how he watched football; he had a deeper understanding of the sport. "Then it came to him: what if he wasn't swapping Cutler and Brees, but China and Brazil? ... Nelson replaced passing yards and points per game with political crises and popular uprisings." (Toppo)
The game was a hit. Students avidly read articles in the news for their countries, and snapped up new countries when they were the first to get a whiff of a newsworthy run. "It's kind of like a way to nerd out without having to do it outside of school," explained one senior, "You definitely have to research it a lot." (Toppo) When Nelson automated the game, it became a national hit within the educational sector and can be found on www.fantasygeopolitics.com. Even after the class ended, students were the ones who were updating Nelson on the news and telling their classmates as well. "I became a little obsolete by choice, which I loved," said Nelson. (Toppo)
In addition to teaching social studies, Eric Nelson was a master of fantasy football. He knew his players intimately and knew the NFL system in general based on his interest. His love of the game influenced how he watched football; he had a deeper understanding of the sport. "Then it came to him: what if he wasn't swapping Cutler and Brees, but China and Brazil? ... Nelson replaced passing yards and points per game with political crises and popular uprisings." (Toppo)
The game was a hit. Students avidly read articles in the news for their countries, and snapped up new countries when they were the first to get a whiff of a newsworthy run. "It's kind of like a way to nerd out without having to do it outside of school," explained one senior, "You definitely have to research it a lot." (Toppo) When Nelson automated the game, it became a national hit within the educational sector and can be found on www.fantasygeopolitics.com. Even after the class ended, students were the ones who were updating Nelson on the news and telling their classmates as well. "I became a little obsolete by choice, which I loved," said Nelson. (Toppo)