Semester 1 Week 3

 Credit: JJ Learner

This is a simulation that I created to go with Week 4, The Stamp Act and Unalienable Rights. I pass a slip of paper out and a baggie with 5 pennies in it to each student at the beginning of class. All but one student are regular citizens. One student is the tax collector. I tell them that they get to keep any pennies that they don't pay as taxes. All throughout pass-offs, turning in opinion papers, presentations, etc. I wear a crown (I'm the king, of course) and the tax collector collects taxes on things as they come up. Then I take the crown off and we debrief. The debrief is a great transition into the lecture on unalienable rights because the students have just experienced what it feels like to have their rights in our class infringed upon.

You are a colonist.

You now have to have a stamp on any official document you receive or give to your king.  This requires a tax of one penny, to be paid to the king's official representative.  

Other taxes will be collected in the following ways:

1.       If you speak to your neighbor without permission

2.       If you speak to the king without permission or raising your hand

3.       If you didn’t bring any necessary tools (writing implement, binder, paper, etc.)

4.       If you participate in any way in class

5.       If you need to get a ribbon for your key

 

You are a colonist.

You now have to have a stamp on any official document you receive or give to your king.  This requires a tax of one penny, to be paid to the king's official representative.  

Other taxes will be collected in the following ways:

1.       If you speak to your neighbor without permission

2.       If you speak to the king without permission or raising your hand

3.       If you didn’t bring any necessary tools (writing implement, binder, paper, etc.)

4.       If you participate in any way in class

5.       If you need to get a ribbon for your key

You are a colonist.

You now have to have a stamp on any official document you receive or give to your king.  This requires a tax of one penny, to be paid to the king's official representative.  

Other taxes will be collected in the following ways:

1.       If you speak to your neighbor without permission

2.       If you speak to the king without permission or raising your hand

3.       If you didn’t bring any necessary tools (writing implement, binder, paper, etc.)

4.       If you participate in any way in class

5.       If you need to get a ribbon for your key

You are the tax collector.

You are the king’s representative.   Every colonist must have a stamp on any official document he/she receives from or gives to the king.  You must collect a tax of one penny from the colonists before you can put a stamp on their documents.  

You will collect additional taxes in the following ways:

1.       If colonists speak to their neighbors without permission

2.       If colonists speak to the king without permission or raising their hands

3.       If colonists didn’t bring any necessary tools (writing implement, binder, paper, etc.)

4.       If colonists participate in any way in class (Devotional)

5.       If colonists need to get a ribbon for their keys

 Credit: Holli Craig Blankenbiller

We have a money simulation for our class where they earn KOL dollars they can spend in the store. For this lecture, we had the stamp act enacted at the beginning of class and all papers had to have a stamp which cost $1! Half way through class we had some scholars come in and take over some of our kids’ seats (quartering of soldiers) and they left with our class treat! And by the end of class, the sugar act was enacted and all sugary items in the store now cost double. We were trying to build the frustration the colonists wild have felt as next week we will do our Declaration of Independence simulation.

Credit : Marisa Corless

 

I've done similarly. I will charge a penny for receiving papers, turning in papers, etc. Once my tax collector was a real stickler. My son notoriously didn't put his name on papers. He turned his paper in, received it back for a name, and turned it in again and my tax collector charged him 3 pennies! This has always been a favorite simulation.