I created BRAVE games because I believe school should be playful and rigorous in equal measure. If so, children will become the backbone of communities that evolve into stronger, smarter, more resilient places. That said, after conducting R&D of 4 board games, I've learned the real value of the BRAVE series: creating space for children to be children.
Gameplay results in a mathematical model of the past, prompting a wide range of emotions and cognitive responses that players identify, monitor, organize & evaluate. This inquiry-led approach might look loose, but the result is a classroom of interdependent learners who are on a mission to best themselves! Enthusiasm, anticipation, authenticity, determination, courage, commitment, honesty, humility, forgiveness, generosity. Passersby might peek into the classroom and see chaos! Perhaps. But at the half-way mark, students break from first-person to gather around the board game surface. Next, the same students, now scientists, sauce out who, where, what, why. And, most importantly, "how can we take history and work from strength to strength in our time?"
Lucky for children, they seem to have a much easier time moving from recognition to action after after they've identified and named emotions.
Word of mouth. Once teachers give this method a chance, after they've experienced the dividends of using a inquiry-led learning, there's no looking back!
Call me! BRAVE is for K4-5 classrooms of 18+ students. Teachers appreciate guidance as they transition from "teacher" to "facilitator." Plus, historical content is wide ranging and comprehensive. If schools buy games--easy to ship--I'll train/advise until everyone feels comfortable leading sessions. That said, teachers adapt in a flash and outpace me in their facilitation skills in no time.
