Occupied Paris

Session presented results from two pilot tests of Paris Occupé, a role-playing game created in ARIS where students complete tasks and make choices in three “chapters” tied to different aspects of Parisian life during Nazi Occupation (WorldWar II). The complexity of the period with its multiple governments, difficult living conditions and moral/ethical choices make it both interesting and challenging to teach. Typically, students minimize the complexity of the time and simply claim “I would have resisted,” as if it were an easy choice. Role-play personalizes the experience for students while giving them both mandatory tasks and free choices (all historically accurate). Individual student game play was supported by class activities to build historical understanding. Results of pilot tests show growth in language production, complexity of reasoning and empathy with the past.