The Ancient World of Greece and Rome
Reflection
My participation in the Reacting to the Past: The Council of Nicaea role-playing activity in the Classical World of Greece and Rome proved to be a profound experience. Preparing for the debates within the Christian hierarchy at the Council of Nicaea had me examine texts, both primary and secondary, that immersed me in the material that drove my character development. Even though my character was a fictional composite, I was still able to look at Christian writings and the Nicene Creed as primary historical texts and combine that with secondary source research on the Arian and Alexandrian factions to better understand the nuances of the debate and the very real consequences that the resolution of that Council entailed. Combining these sources to make public statements and pleas to the other players regarding my character’s goals and the oppositional preparation for the attacks my “team” might be subject to engaged me in a history whose significance I was only superficially aware of. Additionally, in researching the educational value of games in classrooms, both secondary and collegiate, allowed me to become more aware of the current educational literature on the use of such strategies. Tempered by my classroom experience, I’ve begun adapting another RTTP game on the Constitutional Convention for my classroom use. It’s a significant process to make these adaptations, but I can’t help but believe that my students will find it as enriching as I did when I’ve completed the work.