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more photosJewell Elementary School fourth-graders Alyssa Lawrence, 10, left, and Kami Gregory, 9, right, reach for game pieces while teacher Jesse Rasmussen, 27, Hannah Lowes, 10, and Oliver Reese, 9, look on. The students are part of a club that meets Tuesdays and Thursdays to play Memoir ’44, a game based on World War II battles.
Photos by Pete Erickson / The Bulletin
WWII game gets kids hooked on history
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By Sheila G. Miller / The Bulletin
Published: February 18. 2009 4:00AM PSTEvery Tuesday and Thursday, a dozen fourth-graders at Jewell Elementary wait for the final bell, then race to Jesse Rasmussen’s third-grade classroom.
The hurry comes from their desire to learn more about World War II. Rasmussen has taught the students to play a complex board game called Memoir ’44, and with the game as impetus, the kids are learning more about that historical period than most students do in high school.
In addition to getting some extra academic time, Rasmussen said he’s seen an improvement in their decision-making, reasoning and interpersonal skills.
On Thursday, a dozen students sat in Rasmussen’s classroom as he went over the day’s battle, which would take place at Utah Beach. He discussed the historical background of the D-Day battle in June 1944.
The kids discussed different types of tanks and asked questions about the battle. Then, Rasmussen handed out books about World War II they’d chosen in the library.
The game board has two sides: one with a beach, the other with grass. It’s broken into hexagons, and depending on the battle, different tiles representing bunkers, cities, rivers and other landmarks are placed on the hexagons. Memoir ’44’s board is set up to reflect a historically accurate battle; for example, since the Germans were caught by surprise when the American troops stormed Utah Beach, the Americans had more soldiers, tanks and other advantages on the board.
Each battle has a particular setup with soldiers, tanks and sandbags. Then students draw cards, roll dice and make moves depending on which card they play. Teams win by collecting medals, given for various tasks like capturing bridges and cities or eliminating a unit.
It’s not an easy game to learn.
“It’s kind of hard to remember the rules,” said Chazmyne Stensgar, 9.
The hardest part, agreed Lindsey Petrie, 10, is figuring out the rules.
“It’s learning what the cards mean and what the dice mean,” she said. “We’re getting a lot better at it, though.”
Rasmussen’s brother-in-law hooked him on the game, and last year a student approached him while he was reading about the game and wanted to know more. “I wondered if it might work for younger kids,” he said. “It’s a passion of mine and so I tested to see if it would work for them.”
The game includes instructions to make it easier for younger players. Rasmussen taught them the basic rules, and soon his third-graders were as hooked as he is.
Rasmussen purchased the six board game sets with a mini-grant from High Desert Education Service District, which received a “Teaching American History” grant a few years ago.
In addition to starting the club, Rasmussen also keeps a blog about the Memoir ’44 club and in May will share the project with teachers around the area.
And while he was teaching students the complex rules of the game, Rasmussen started telling them what he knew about the war. This year, he worked with library staff to use some grant funds to purchase kid-friendly World War II books.
While the highlight for most students is getting to play the game, Rasmussen also slips plenty of academic work into the club. The students will be required to research a battle, then write about its historical background and create that battle on the board. Then their friends will get to play out their battle.
Rasmussen likes that the game isn’t computer-based.
“It draws them away from the TV and the computer,” he said, which isn’t always easy. “There are still some rough edges, but they do a good job. They have to shake hands at the end, and if they win they can’t gloat.”
Whatever the draw, the students are committed. Rasmussen said the only time anyone misses the voluntary after-school program is when they’re out sick.
“We’re learning about World War II, what actually happened, and I’ve learned a lot from the game,” said Dawson Cockman, 9.
And Francisco Arias, 9, said he’s learned a lot.
“I’ve learned the names of a lot of people,” he said, ticking off generals and other figures from the war. “Words like infantry, Allies.”
Rasmussen teaches his third-graders to play the game during lunch; by the time they’re in fourth grade, they’ve got the rules down and can participate in the after-school club.
The club meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m., and students are currently playing in teams. Rasmussen hopes later in the year they’ll be able to play one-on-one, but for now the game is still a little challenging for them to play on their own.
Rasmussen’s seen a lot of growth in his students since they started playing Memoir ’44.
“They’ve developed decision-making skills,” he said. “Even the low-academic students thrive because they’re passionate about it and they want to learn, so when they lose, they ask themselves, ‘What did I do wrong?’”
Students have learned the strategies.
“You just have to hope for a good card to play and do what’s best for your side,” Dawson said.
While Rasmussen was excited to introduce his students to the game, he had his concerns, too.
“I was glad to see them playing the game, but I worried they’d be like, ‘War is so cool,’” he said.
That hasn’t been the case.
“Lots of people get killed in war,” Chazmyne said.
“It’s fun to play with the soldiers,” Lindsey said. “But they’re plastic.”
“I don’t want war, because special people die,” Chazmyne said. “I feel so sad for them.”
Sheila G.
Miller
can be reached at 541-617-7831 or at smiller@bendbulletin.com.
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