It can be difficult for students to relate to the frustration of the gold diggers in the lead up to the Eureka Stockade in 1854. This game has been designed to help your students gain an understanding by experiencing the corruption of the Troopers, the difficulty of making money on the goldfields and the expensive price of licence fees.
There are several ways the game can be played, making it easy to modify for your own classroom.
Students choose a character (either from a hat or as issued by the teacher). Then they take turns to select a Chance Card and reveal a scenario—they might make money, find gold, go to gaol, or have to pay the Troopers. As they play, students record their expenses and income on the balance sheet to see if they make any money or come out poorer at the end of the game. While they are playing students will experience the frustration of paying exorbitant licensing fees and dealing with corrupt Troopers to stay out of gaol while trying to make a living.
During the game, students will develop their understanding of a historical event and practice their mental arithmetic by adding and subtracting both positive and negative numbers.
Everything you need to play the game is included in this product.
This fun and engaging activity supports the following
Australian Curriculum content descriptors:
♦ Examine different viewpoints on actions, events, issues and phenomena in the past and present (ACHASSI099)
♦ The impact of a significant development or event on an Australian colony (ACHASSK108)
♦ Work in groups to generate responses to issues and challenges (ACHASSI102)
♦ Use efficient mental and written strategies and apply appropriate digital technologies to solve problems (ACMNA291)