This is Jennifer Gonzalez welcoming you to Episode 125 of the Cult of Pedagogy podcast.

In this episode, we're going to talk about why you should think twice before doing another

historical simulation in your classroom.

What better way is there to learn about something than to actually live it?

That's the thinking behind classroom simulations where teachers attempt to recreate an event

and have students act as participants.

Once they've walked in the shoes of the people who are actually part of a given situation,

students should, in theory, reach new levels of understanding about that situation.

And for many academic topics, this holds true.

Students will understand our legal system better if they participate in a mock trial.

They'll gain a deeper appreciation for what led to the Boston Tea Party after playing out

the roles of colonists being taxed.

Virtual simulations offer even more possibilities.

Digital chemistry lab, for example, will allow students to mix many more chemicals and see

their results far more easily than if they try to gather and mix the same chemicals in

real life.

But when it comes to certain events, those related to slavery, the Holocaust, war crimes,

or any other event where people experienced violence or trauma, simulations can do more

harm than good.

Although teachers who conduct these activities do so because they want students to develop

deeper empathy for the people involved, they end up putting students in a position to inflict

pain on each other and experience real trauma, all without much educational benefit at all.

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