Examples of Role Play in the Classroom
Thinking Outside The Box
"I’ve used this method (role playing) in a business course. The course went over all the steps required to set up a new equine enterprise – developing a business plan and an advertising/marketing program, a financial prospectus, a management plan, accounting for insurance and legal requirements, etc. At the end, the students took on the role of a potential small business owner requesting a loan from the bank (myself and the rest of the class). This required the presenters to be confident of their numbers and the information they were presenting and also to be enthusiastic and persuasive in order to convince the “bank” to give them the loan. The “bankers” had to think like lenders – how solid was this business plan? Had they developed what they needed to justify the loan? How risky was this loan? In the end, the “loan” was a part of their final grade as each student assigned a grade to the presenters. It was of interest to me to note that the students graded each other harder than I did, and I often got comments on the course evaluation about how they valued that particular experience. Granted, this isn’t an example of a fantasy setting, but it’s certainly an example of how role-playing can teach a variety of experiences."[1]
Science:
Below: Students in an Earth Science classroom are given pieces of fauna that they have studied, and must play the "role" of the types of plants they are assigned when the teacher "sets the scene" by describing weather and environmental conditions.
Social Studies lend themselves particularly well to the use of Role Playing in the classroom:
- An American History teacher might give students dossiers on members of the Second Continental Congress and then hold actual sessions where they debate their issues.
- A World History teacher could use role playing to teach the concept of feudalism and vassalage in the Middle Ages.
- An Economics teacher could easily have a role playing excersize to demonstrate the workings of a commodities or stock market.
- A Political Science teacher could use role playing to teach how different systems of government worked by having students take part in mock proceedings.
- Foreign Language teachers also can create scenarios for students to role play in, to practice their language skills.
Mathematics:
Below: Japanese Geometry students are presented the idea that they are Samurai Daimyo (Samurai Lords) who have territories and castles that must be properly garrisoned or provisioned, and they must use Geometry in order to ascertain exactly how much area they have to work with.
