Experiential Learning in the Classroom:
Reacting to the Past Games
Tony Crider
Elon University
What is
Reacting to the Past?
Game Elements
• Reading Classic Texts from Pivotal
Moments in History
• Debating and Writing Arguments
• Role-Playing to “Win” by
Completion of Victory Objectives
REACTING TO THE PAST
403 BC
1529
1587
1616
1637
1791
1945
Democracy in Athens
Henry VIII
Succession Crisis of the Wanli Emperor
The Trial of Galileo
The Trial of Anne Hutchinson
Revolution in France
Independence of India
GAMES IN DEVELOPMENT
44 BC
Rome
325
Council of Nicaea
1148
1592
The War Council of Acre
Shakespeare
1756
The Colonial Frontier
1775
American Revolution
1862
1913
Charles Darwin
Greenwich Village
1926
The Trial of Antonio Gramsci
1963
1993
Civil Rights
The Collapse of Apartheid
1999
Evolution or Creationism: Kansas
Introduction to Astronomy
100-level Science Survey Course
BEFORE
AFTER
What are the
science games?
Collaborative Research: Reacting to the Past
Pedagogy for Science Education
David Henderson (Trinity College)
Tony Crider (Elon University)
Taz Daughtrey (James Madison University)
Mark Carnes (Barnard College)
$500,000
$200,000
• long games
• short games
• assessment
• conference support
What is
The Pluto Debate?
The Pluto Debate: The International
Astronomical Union Defines a Planet
Tony Crider (Elon)
The USDA Food Pyramid
Susan Henderson (Quinnipiac)
& David Henderson (Trinity)
Ways and Means, 1935: Debating the Social
Security Act through Math
Andrew Ross, Mark Higbee,
& John Curran (Eastern Michigan)
London 1854: Cesspits, Cholera, and Conflict
over the Broad Street Pump
Marshall Hayes & Eric Nelson (Cornell)
a Planet
nal Astronomical Union Defines
The Pluto Debate: The Internatio
always been considSince its discovery in 1930, Pluto has
the Earth’s Moon. Its
ered an odd planet. It is smaller than
outside of the orbital plane
orbit is highly eccentric and is tilted
mid-1990’s, however, asof the other eight planets. In the
like Pluto, with similar
tronomers began to find other objects
d whether or not these
sizes and orbits. Astronomers pondere
The fact that they
new objects should also be called planets.
was used as justification for
were all slightly smaller than Pluto
y.
keeping them out of the planet categor
construction of a new
The debate intensified during the
an Museum of Natural
Scales of the Universe exhibit at the Americ
deGrasse Tyson opted to
History. Planetarium director Neil
g the relative sizes of the
exclude Pluto from this display depictin
topic, on May 24, 1999
planets. To encourage debate on the
astronomy experts includTyson hosted a panel debate between
Luu, and Alan Stern.
ing Michael A’Hearn, David Levy, Jane
was further challenged
Pluto’s precarious title as a planet
(officially called “2003
when Mike Brown discovered “Xena”
an object larger than
UB-313” and later renamed “Eris”),
nity to finally settle on
Pluto. This forced the astronomy commu
ed term planet.
the meaning of the previously undefin
on Committee
On August 16, 2006, the Planet Definiti
mical Union (IAU), and
established by the International Astrono
status as a
Pluto’s
composed largely of plutophiles favoring
n for the term planet.
planet, released its first draft definitio
sufficient mass for its selfA planet is a celestial body that (a) has
it assumes a hydrostatic equilibgravity to overcome rigid body forces so that
around a star, and is neither
rium (nearly round) shape, and (b) is in orbit
a star nor a satellite of a planet.
that the new sub-class
The same committee also proposed
Pluto’s be called plutons.
of planets with sizes and orbits like
definitions for ignoring the
Several astronomers protested these
a compromise, the Planet
dynamics of solar system bodies. As
proposal into four distinct
Definition Committee revised their
6B.
resolutions: 5A, 5B, 6A, and
astronomers arguIn this game, students will play
ng of the word planet.
ing over Pluto and the meani
the 1999 debate at the
They will begin by re-staging
History. They will then
American Museum of Natural
using data collected
write and circulate short papers
that Pluto is or is
from 2000 to 2006 to convince others
debate and vote on the
not a planet. Finally, they will
and 6B; listed on the
four IAU Resolutions (5A, 5B, 6A,
next page).
THE PLUTOPHILE FACTION
Pluto retain its
The plutophiles would like to see
status as a planet.
Richard Binzel
David Levy
Alan Stern
THE POPULIST FACTION
one of a large
The populists see Pluto as just
the Sun.
population of icy bodies orbiting
Julio Fernández
Jane Luu
Neil deGrasse Tyson
INDETERMINATE VOTERS
undecided.
The indeterminate astronomers are
Michael A’Hearn
Mike Brown
Ronald Ekers
sics
partment of Phy
n University • De
ony Crider • Elo
Created by Anth
YOU ARE NEIL DEGRASSE TYS
ON.
1999 DEBATE IN NEW YORK CITY
On May 24, 1999, Neil deGrasse Tyson hosted an event entitled, Pluto’s
Last Stand: A Panel of Experts Discuss
and Debate the Classification of the Solar System’s Smallest Planet. Panelists included
Michael A’Hearn, David Levy,
Jane Luu, and Alan Stern. In class, the student(s) playing Tyson will welcome
students playing the panelists
(seated at the front of the room). Next, the panelists will each make a short
(2-5 minutes) statement arguing
their positions. Finally, students in the audience will be allowed to ask questions
to the panelists. At the end of
the debate, the student(s) playing Tyson will conduct a straw poll to determine
if the panelists and the audience feel that Pluto should or should not be classified as a planet. For this
vote, all students (even those
sharing a character) vote by a show of hands.
V O TES
F OR
“PL ANET”
V O TES
F OR
“N O T”
2000 to 2005 DISCOVERIES OF ADDITIONAL TRANS-NEPTUNIA
N OBJECTS
After re-staging the 1999 debate in class, students may distribute one-page
papers with plots of objects in the solar system, including
those discovered between 2000 and 2005. These papers should support
their argument that Pluto is a planet or that Pluto is merely
another trans-Neptunian object. Graphs can be constructed using the
Planet Data Plotter on each character’s Online Resources web
page. These plots and papers may later be cited during the 2006 debate
that follows.
2006 VOTE IN PRAGUE
On August 24th, 2006, the IAU Planet Definition Committee presented
its revised proposal for defining a planet. It was a compromise
between their original draft and the definition put forward by Julio Fernández,
leader of the “populist” faction. Student(s) playing
Ronald Ekers will preside over the session. This will begin with a presentation
by Richard Binzel describing the Planet Definition
Committee’s final four resolutions. The audience is encouraged to ask
questions during Binzel’s talk. Once the discussion is over, the
student(s) playing Ekers will conduct a vote on each resolution. If Resolution
5A does not pass, there is no need to vote on Resolution
5B. Likewise, if Resolution 6A does not pass, then there is no reason to
vote on Resolution 6B. For these votes, one and only one
student playing each character will vote by raising voting sheets
provided by Ekers.
RESOLUTION 5A
Accept the definition put forward by the Julio Fernández.
A “planet” is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass
for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body
forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared
the neighborhood around its orbit.
RESOLUTION 5B
Make “planet” an umbrella term for “classical” and “dwarf ”
planets.
Insert the word "classical" before the word "planet" in Resolution 5A, thus reading: A
classical "planet"
F OR
AGAINS T
When constructing the planetarium’s
new Scales of the Universe exhibit, you
opted not to include Pluto as a planet.
ran a scathing article about your decision
The New York Times
and several schoolchildren wrote to
you in protest. However, scientists are
port your visionary move. In an essay
now poised to supon the subject, you made Pluto’s demotio
n sound upbeat.
“As professor Tyson, I must vote--with a heavy
heart--for demotion. Pluto was always an
enigma to teach. But I'd bet Pluto is happy
the runt of the planets to the undisputed King
now. It went from being
of the Kuiper belt. Pluto is now the ‘big man’
on a celestial campus that occupies a larger
system than that spanned by the eight planets.”
tract of the (outer) solar
1999 DEBATE IN NEW YORK CITY
When your classes re-stages the debate
between four experts on Pluto and
the trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs)
Museum of National History on May
held at the American
24, 1999, you will act as a moderator.
While it is customary for moderators
can use humor to poke fun at the “plutop
to be neutral, you
hiles” that believe Pluto should continu
e to be a planet. You should also
the asteroids Ceres, Pallas, Juno,
point out that
and Vesta were considered planet
s for 70 years until being demot
the debate, you will conduct a straw
ed. At the end of
poll by asking everyone, “Who would
be perfectly happy to kick Pluto out
of the planet club?”
2000 TO 2005 DISCOVERIES OF
ADDITIONAL TRANS-NEPTUNIAN
OBJECTS
If others distribute plots suggesting
Pluto should be classified as a planet,
you should carefully examine their
the exact same plot could be used
plots and ask if
to show that Pluto is just a large
TNO.
2006 VOTE IN PRAGUE
While you are not scheduled to speak
in Prague, you will be in the audienc
e and voting. You
will attempt to convince the other astrono
mers there that this reclassification makes
sense. You
would like to go a step further and have
the TNOs named “plutonian objects”
to appropriately
honor Pluto’s special place in history.
Thus, you must argue strongly
for Resolution 6B
when the time comes.
REQUIRED READING: The Hunt
for Planet X, Chapters 2 & 26
ONLINE RESOURCES: http://www.e
lon.edu/acrider/pluto/tyson.html
F OR
is a celestial body...
RESOLUTION 6A
Declare Pluto is a prototype of a class of trans-Neptunian objects.
The IAU further resolves: Pluto is a "dwarf planet" by the above definition and is recognized
as the prototype of a new category
of trans-Neptunian objects.
RESOLUTION 6B
Agree that the trans-Neptunian objects will be called “plutonian
objects.”
The following sentence is added to Resolution 6A: This category is to be called "plutonian
objects."
As director of the Hayden Planetariu
m in New York City, you realize that
Pluto is
special to the public. However, as a
scientist, you are convinced that it
shou
ld no
longer be considered a planet.
AGAINS T
F OR
AGAINS T
YOU ARE IN THE “POPULIST” FACTI
ON.
You and the other Populists see
Pluto as part of the TNO populat
ion and not as a planet.
The Plutophiles want Pluto to continu
e to be called a planet.
The Indeterminate voters have not
yet decided if Pluto should be called
a planet.
Your faction, the Populists, will vote
for 5A and 6A and against 5B.
SECRET OBJECTIVE
To win, you must also complete your secret objective:
have the IAU vote in favor
of Resolution 6B.
F OR
AGAINS T
Created by Anth
ony Crider • Elo
n University • De
partment of Phy
sics
Created by Anthony Crider • El
on University • Department of P
hysics
INSTRUCTIONS
ROLE
’s precarious
title as a planet was further challenged
as
further challenged
our
IAU Resolutions
(5A, 5B,
6A, and
6B;“2003
listed on the
ke
Brown
discovered
“Xena”
(officially
called
fficially called “2003
ext page).
laterlarger
renamed
nand
object
than“Eris”), an object larger than
isityforced
the astronomy
to finally
settle on community to finally settle on
ng ofplanet.
the previously undefined term planet.
erm
THE PLUTOPHILE FACTION
The 16,
plutophiles
to see Committee
Pluto retain its
August
2006, thewould
Planet like
Definition
efinition
Committee
dcal
byUnion
the International
status
as
a planet.
(IAU),
and Astronomical Union (IAU), and
plutophiles
g largely
Pluto’s ofstatus
as a favoring Pluto’s status as a
eased
its first
draft definition for the term planet.
the
term
planet.
Richard Binzel
THE POPULIST FACTION
The populists see Pluto as just one of a large
population of icy bodies orbiting the Sun.
Levy mass for its selfnet is a celestial body that David
(a) has sufficient
fficient mass for its selfvercome rigid body forces so that
it assumes a hydrostatic equilibmes a hydrostatic equilib- Alan Stern
y round) shape, and (b) is in orbit around a star, and is neither
und a star, and is neither
satellite of a planet.
Julio Fernández
Jane Luu
Neil deGrasse Tyson
same committee also proposed that the new sub-class
hat the new sub-class
INDETERMINATE
VOTERS
s with sizes and orbits like Pluto’s be called
plutons.
to’s be called plutons.
tronomers protested these definitions
ignoring the astronomers are undecided.
Theforindeterminate
tions for ignoring the
of solar system bodies. As a compromise, the Planet
mpromise,
the Planet
Committee revised their proposal into four distinct
Michael A’Hearn
osal
into
four
distinct
s: 5A, 5B, 6A, and 6B.
Mike Brown
Ronald Ekers
1999 DEBATE IN NEW YORK CITY
On May 24, 1999, Neil deGrasse Tyson hosted an event entitled, Pluto’s Last Stand: A Panel of Experts Discuss
and Debate the Classification of the Solar System’s Smallest Planet. Panelists included Michael A’Hearn, David Levy,
Jane Luu, and Alan Stern. In class, the student(s) playing Tyson will welcome students playing the panelists
(seated at the front of the room). Next, the panelists will each make a short (2-5 minutes) statement arguing
their positions. Finally, students in the audience will be allowed to ask questions to the panelists. At the end of
the debate, the student(s) playing Tyson will conduct a straw poll to determine if the panelists and the audience feel that Pluto should or should not be classified as a planet. For this vote, all students (even those
sharing a character) vote by a show of hands.
V O TES
F OR
“PL ANET”
V O TES
F OR
“N O T”
2000 to 2005 DISCOVERIES OF ADDITIONAL TRANS-NEPTUNIAN OBJECTS
After re-staging the 1999 debate in class, students may distribute one-page papers with plots of objects in the solar system, including
those discovered between 2000 and 2005. These papers should support their argument that Pluto is a planet or that Pluto is merely
another trans-Neptunian object. Graphs can be constructed using the Planet Data Plotter on each character’s Online Resources web
page. These plots and papers may later be cited during the 2006 debate that follows.
2006 VOTE IN PRAGUE
On August 24th, 2006, the IAU Planet Definition Committee presented its revised proposal for defining a planet. It was a compromise
between their original draft and the definition put forward by Julio Fernández, leader of the “populist” faction. Student(s) playing
Ronald Ekers will preside over the session. This will begin with a presentation by Richard Binzel describing the Planet Definition
Committee’s final four resolutions. The audience is encouraged to ask questions during Binzel’s talk. Once the discussion is over, the
student(s) playing Ekers will conduct a vote on each resolution. If Resolution 5A does not pass, there is no need to vote on Resolution
5B. Likewise, if Resolution 6A does not pass, then there is no reason to vote on Resolution 6B. For these votes, one and only one
student playing each character will vote by raising voting sheets provided by Ekers.
1999 Debate in NYC
What happens
in the Intermission
and in Act II?
1999 DEBATE IN NEW YORK CITY
On May 24, 1999, Neil deGrasse Tyson hosted an event entitled, Pluto’s Last Stand: A Panel of Experts Discuss
and Debate the Classification of the Solar System’s Smallest Planet. Panelists included Michael A’Hearn, David Levy,
Jane Luu, and Alan Stern. In class, the student(s) playing Tyson will welcome students playing the panelists
(seated at the front of the room). Next, the panelists will each make a short (2-5 minutes) statement arguing
their positions. Finally, students in the audience will be allowed to ask questions to the panelists. At the end of
the debate, the student(s) playing Tyson will conduct a straw poll to determine if the panelists and the audience feel that Pluto should or should not be classified as a planet. For this vote, all students (even those
sharing a character) vote by a show of hands.
V O TES
F OR
“PL ANET”
V O TES
F OR
“N O T”
2000 to 2005 DISCOVERIES OF ADDITIONAL TRANS-NEPTUNIAN OBJECTS
After re-staging the 1999 debate in class, students may distribute one-page papers with plots of objects in the solar system, including
those discovered between 2000 and 2005. These papers should support their argument that Pluto is a planet or that Pluto is merely
another trans-Neptunian object. Graphs can be constructed using the Planet Data Plotter on each character’s Online Resources web
page. These plots and papers may later be cited during the 2006 debate that follows.
2006 VOTE IN PRAGUE
On August 24th, 2006, the IAU Planet Definition Committee presented its revised proposal for defining a planet. It was a compromise
between their original draft and the definition put forward by Julio Fernández, leader of the “populist” faction. Student(s) playing
Ronald Ekers will preside over the session. This will begin with a presentation by Richard Binzel describing the Planet Definition
Committee’s final four resolutions. The audience is encouraged to ask questions during Binzel’s talk. Once the discussion is over, the
student(s) playing Ekers will conduct a vote on each resolution. If Resolution 5A does not pass, there is no need to vote on Resolution
5B. Likewise, if Resolution 6A does not pass, then there is no reason to vote on Resolution 6B. For these votes, one and only one
student playing each character will vote by raising voting sheets provided by Ekers.
2006 VOTE IN PRAGUE
On August 24th, 2006, the IAU Planet Definition Committee presented its revised proposal for defining a planet. It was a compromise
between their original draft and the definition put forward by Julio Fernández, leader of the “populist” faction. Student(s) playing
Ronald Ekers will preside over the session. This will begin with a presentation by Richard Binzel describing the Planet Definition
Committee’s final four resolutions. The audience is encouraged to ask questions during Binzel’s talk. Once the discussion is over, the
student(s) playing Ekers will conduct a vote on each resolution. If Resolution 5A does not pass, there is no need to vote on Resolution
5B. Likewise, if Resolution 6A does not pass, then there is no reason to vote on Resolution 6B. For these votes, one and only one
student playing each character will vote by raising voting sheets provided by Ekers.
RESOLUTION 5A
Accept the definition put forward by the Julio Fernández.
A “planet” is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body
forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.
RESOLUTION 5B
Make “planet” an umbrella term for “classical” and “dwarf ” planets.
Insert the word "classical" before the word "planet" in Resolution 5A, thus reading: A classical "planet" is a celestial body...
RESOLUTION 6A
Declare Pluto is a prototype of a class of trans-Neptunian objects.
The IAU further resolves: Pluto is a "dwarf planet" by the above definition and is recognized as the prototype of a new category
of trans-Neptunian objects.
RESOLUTION 6B
Agree that the trans-Neptunian objects will be called “plutonian objects.”
The following sentence is added to Resolution 6A: This category is to be called "plutonian objects."
F OR
AGAINS T
F OR
AGAINS T
F OR
AGAINS T
F OR
AGAINS T
Created by Anthony Crider • Elon University • Department of Physics
How are we assessing
the games?
I have never been so involved
(obsessed) with a class before.
I also never really speak up in
class and I was really talkative
in this class.
Overall I spent way more time
on this game than I did in
every other class I'm in this
semester. It pretty much
consumed me. That's why I
was IM'ing you every night!
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+<3+%<3>6%D2,65+E0%+-%D-%C2+<%5-.+6.+%=,-/%+<6%F3E2E6-%43/6G%+C-%+<3+%<3>6%2.D2,65+E0%+-%D-%
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18.The diagram below shows the Earth and Sun as well as five different possible positions for the Moon.
Which position of the Moon would cause it to appear like the picture at right when viewed from Earth?
Answer
A
B
C
D (correct)
E
Astronomy
from 2002 to 2007
PrePost(N=393)
(N=342)
31±2%
23±2%
17±2%
14±2%
4±1%
4±1%
30±2%
44±3%
18±2%
16±2%
Astronomy
with Trial of Galileo
PrePost(N=47)
(N=47)
26±6%
15±5%
34±7%
28±7%
2±2%
9±4%
26±6%
45±7%
13±5%
4±3%
General Studies
with Trial of Galileo
PrePost(N=49)
(N=47)
(N=109)
(N=117)
33±7%
23±6%
34±4%
24±4%
22±6%
28±7%
18±4%
20±4%
6±3%
4±3%
4±2%
3±2%
16±5%
30±5%
22±4%
41±5%
22±6%
11±6%
22±4%
9±3%
;6%D2*5->6,%2.%9:6*+2-.%@I%3J->6%+<3+%5E3**6*%E63,.2.4%3J-:+%B<3*6*%>23%!"#$!%&'($)*$+'(&(#)%
*<-C%3.%2/B,->6D%E6>6E%-=%:.D6,*+3.D2.4%5-.*2*+6.+%C2+<%3*+,-.-/0%5E3**6*H%
16. According to modern ideas and observations, what can be said about the location of the center of the Universe?
A. The Earth is at the center.
B. The Sun is at the center.
2011 Assessment
• Students take pre- and post-tests at Elon,
Trinity, Eastern Michigan, and James
Madison.
• Forty-question Science Attitude Inventory
(SAI II; Moore & Foy, 1997) gauges student
perceptions of scientific debate.
• Ten open-ended content questions are
used to create valid distractors for
2011-2012 multiple-choice questions.
student
Negotiation
Application
Sharing
of Definition
of Definition
Information
Exploration of
Testing of
Dissonance
Definition
time since start of class in minutes
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to download the games.
Experiential Learning in the Classroom:
Reacting to the Past Games
Tony Crider
Elon University