This game schedule was designed for a 300-level class on the History of Illness and Medicine. The game, “After a Long Battle: Congressional Response to the AIDS Epidemic” took place during 8 weeks of class, with meetings twice a week for 75 minutes. See the syllabus here. Your schedule will depend on your class format and how much time you wish to devote to the game.
| Session | Lead | Class Assignments | Individual Assignments | Instructor Tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-game prep | N/A | Read entire game book | • Prepare and distribute game schedule • Assign and distribute role sheets | |
| Overview | Dr. G | Gamebook quiz | • Prepare/give background lecture(s) | |
| Waxman Hearing (8/13/1982) | Waxman | • Come in character • For each game session, list any other assignments you have added for the entire class. | • Each game session—list assignments that each character must complete. • For split sessions, you can assign all students to complete their assignment the 1st day or divide them up. | • Each game session list: —handouts to bring —tools to bring —music to play before class —material characters have asked you to distribute —any additional materials you prepped —any responsibilities you have during the game session |
| Lobbying Session 1 (3/25/1983) | O’Neil | |||
| Lobbying Session 2 / election (3/25/1984) | O’Neil / Dr. G | |||
| Congressional Session (2/8/1985) | O’Neil | |||
| Lobbying Session 3 (7/19/1985) | O’Neil | |||
| Lobby Session 4 / Final Vote (7/25/1985) | O’Neil / Dr. G | |||
| Debrief | Dr. G | • Consider creating a brief activity for students to retire their character and go back to their role as students. • Lecture on the actual history (as distinct from the game outcomes). • Discussion about the gap between the game outcome and real life. | ||
| One week later | N/A | Reflection essay |
For a how-to discussion of historical games in history classes, see Elizabeth Georgian’s accompanying article, “Reacting to the Past: Using Historical Games in College Classrooms.”
For the syllabus that used the above game schedule, see “History of Illness and Medicine in America: Pandemics.”
Featured Image: National Institutes of Health, “The NAMES Project AIDS quilt.”
Clio and the Contemporary 
