Farm+Game

=**Title: Farm Game**=

Objective:

 * To learn about the concept of money and how it started
 * To learn about dana

Materials:

 * Game Sheet [[file:farmgame.pdf]]
 * Resource cards (included in the Game Sheets above)
 * One die for random events

Preparation:

 * Cut out all the sheets
 * Hand out the Game Sheets to players

Method:
These are the Rules. Do **NOT** read all the rules to the students at the beginning. 1. Let the players know that the only stated objectie is "to survive". > And that the other objectives (right now) is what they make of it. > (It's very important that they come to some realization on their own). > And that your (the referee) word is final. > > Tell the players that they are simulating a farmer in the midwest > America in the late 1800s.

2. **Setup** > Give two (2) grain pieces to each player. Have them place it in the > grain square on their sheet. > > Separate out the grains, lumber, coal, equipment and gold pieces. > Give them to the banker/market person. > > On a board, draw several (10 or so) columns, each standing for each year.

3. **Game play** > The game proceeds in turns called "years". Each Year in turn is made > up of seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. > > Each Spring, take one grain chip from each player for planting. > > Each Summer, the players may choose to go harvest lumber i.e. they > get a lumber piece. They may also go to market or bank if open or trade with > each other. All trades are final. Write the trade value. (2 grain = 3 lumber) whenever a bargain is reached. > Give a time limit (5 minutes) and give a countdown (1 min, 30 secs, etc). > > Each Fall, first draw an event card (probably not in the first few years; > this is the referee's discretion). Then if able, the players receive their > harvest. > > Each Winter, the players may choose to go mine coal. They may also go to market > if open or trade with each other. After trading, take one grain as that is > the food that they eat. If a player has no food to eat, then they did not > survive and they are out (You may have them take the place of Market or the Bank). > > **Equipment** > > Each piece of equipment affects the production. > > shovel +1 grain > pick +1 coal > saw +1 lumber > horse nothing, but a prerequisite for a plow > coalcar +2 coal > plow x2 grain > > players may only have one of each piece of equipment. > > **Market** > > Two things occur at the Market: auctions and trades. > > The market has several equipment available for purchase. Unfortunately, > they are available slowly. For the first several times an item is available, > make sure to put it to auction. Note the difficulty when comparing > items. point back to the most recent trades (recorded on the board > as reference). Get group concensus on values when in dispute. Use > your judgement if necessary, but note to the players that you had > to do this.


 * Year || Season || Equipment Available (number0 ||
 * 2 || Summer || shovel (1) ||
 * 2 || Winter || saw (1) shovel (2) ||
 * 3 || Summer || pick (1) saw (2) shovel (3) ||
 * 3 || Winter || horse (1) pick (2) saw (3) shovel (4) ||
 * 4 || Summer || coal car(1) horse (2) pick (3) saw (4) shovel (*) ||
 * 4 || Winter || plow (1) coalcar (2) horse (3) pick (*) saw (*) shovel (*) ||
 * 5 || Summer || plow (2) coalcar (3) horse (*) pick (*) saw (*) shovel (*) ||

Where (*) means that any number that you see fit are available. If you like this could be by auction, or by the last bid price. Please note that one must have a horse before one can use the plow. However, the horse is useless without the plow.

Have one grain available for purchase at all market times. And always for auction.

If an event calls for an auction, randomly pick out one equipment and auction it off. The players may trade at this point as well.


 * Gold**

It is materially worthless, but introduce it as something rare. Throw it in as something to bid for in on of the years (2 or 3). Then give one to the poorest player during the next Winter (say they just found it or they mined it). Afterwards, it's available at the bank.


 * Bank**

At a certain point, (recommend year 3 or so after gold has been auctioned), Introduce an opening of a new bank. They will keep the players good for "safe-keeping" and they can exchange whatever for gold. Keep changing the value based upon the trades and auctions. Bank is always open. Wait for someone to request that they get paid lumber and coal in gold instead of actual material. Once this happens, stop and note that this is the start of the "gold" standard. If anyone gets 10 gold, issue the "gold 10" pieces, stop and explain that this is the start of money.


 * Events**

Random Events occur in the Fall. Blindly draw a event card. Note that the War card occurs for the next whole year until the next Fall with all commodity prices tripled... this is good if your selling grain/lumber/coal) terrible if you're buying equipment.

Somewhere in the game (I like Fall Year 2), I put in a "Hailstorm" which affects half of the room. This wipes out the harvest and the stored grain for half and +2 grains for the harvest for the other half. At Winter, sit back and find out what occurs. Remind the players that "survival is important, but ask who's survival" Ask "what is the objective?" and at "what cost?" You're trying to lead the "have's" to do some "dana".

4. **Winning**

If they all survive and do so in some harmonious way, then they have "won"

Evaluation:

 * Reserve at least 5 minutes for discussion of what they've learned.

Note:
Sometimes, if students "starve", it might make sense to stop the game and discuss the implications of that. At this point, start the game over (or if pressed for time, start in the year before the Hailstorm event).

Author:
Mas Nishimura, nish221@gmail.com, San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, 2007