Novgorod War Game: Lake Peipus (Russia) Battle Created by Ruth Paget

Novgorod War Game: Lake Peipus (Russia) Battle (1242) Created by Ruth Paget

Adversaries:

Russia under the command of Prince Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod

Versus

Combined allied forces of:

-Danish Knights

-Dorphat (Estonia) Militia

-Teutonic Knights

-Estonian enlisted soldiers

Under the command of Bishop Hermann of Dorphat

Outcome:

Russia Victorious

Novgorod’s position as the leading Russian state was confirmed and the rule of the tsars was established.

Novgorod Game Objectives:

Main Objective:

Analyze Lake Peipus battle conditions and evaluate if the outcome would have been the same in 2020 as it was in 1242.

Secondary Objectives:

Learn about the cultures of Russia, Germany, Denmark, and Estonia

Novgorad contains 20 Levels

Level 1: Icebreaker Social Event

-Locate Russia, Germany, Denmark, and Estonia on a map

-Locate Lake Peipus on a map

-Watch the film Alexander Nevsky directed by Sergei Eisenstein and Dmitri Vasilyev

-Discuss the number of troops on each side in the battle after the film

-Have there been instances in military history where much larger forces were defeated by smaller ones?  If so, how were they able to do it?

Level 2: Do Background Work on Lake Peipus Battle

-Look up this battle on several online websites and compare facts and evaluations of the battle.  Note the sources.

-Read Lake Peipus 1242: Battle of the Ice by David Nicolle

-Read The Teutonic Knights by William Urban

-List at least 10 characteristics of the Lake Peipus Battle in 1242

Level 3: Role of Language in Warfare

-Hostile nations often speak different languages with some troops who can speak several languages.

-Allied forces can have the problem of speaking many languages as well, making communications difficult.

-How is a common language chosen among allies?

-Research the Russian language and note characteristics.

-Research the German language and note characteristics.

-Research the Danish language and note characteristics.

-Research the Estonian language and note characteristics.

-What role do translators and interpreters have in warfare?

-Silent language and gestures vary according to culture.  Read The Silent Language by Edward T. Hall for information on this aspect of language.

Level 4: Role of Culture in Warfare

-Speaking a foreign language does not mean that you instantly know the culture

-Allied nations from different cultures can have cultural misunderstandings within their ranks and with civilian populations

There are several books by Edward T. Hall that I recommend to identify what often causes culture shock when dealing with people from other cultures than your own:

-The Hidden Dimension by Edward T. Hall

-Then Dance of Life: The Other Dimension of Time by Edward T. Hall

-Beyone Culture by Edward T. Hall

-Understanding Cultural Differences: Germans, French, and Americans by Edward T. Hall

Books about the very interesting Edward T. Hall follow:

-West of the Thirties by Edward T. Hall

-An Anthropology of Everyday Life by Edward T. Hall

Levels 5 – 8 Note:

Food supplies are always important in warfare.  If troops do not have food, the historical precedent has been for them to pillage the countryside to feed themselves until supplies become available.

In the next four levels, I would like you to examine the ingredients and cooking methods of Russian, German, Danish, and Estonian cuisines to see how it might have been prepared at Lake Peipus, if at all.

I will also ask what the ingredients tell us about the geography and climate of Russia, Germany, Denmark, and Estonia.

Level 5: Analyze Russian Food

-What do the following cookbooks tell you about Russian geography and agriculture?

-What do the ingredients tell you about Russian climate?

-What ingredients did not exist in Russian cuisine until the Americas were explored by Europe beginning in 1492?

-The cookbooks follow:

-Babushka: Russian Recipes from a Real Russian Grandma by Anastasia Petrov

-Beyond the North Wind: Russia in Recipes and Lore by Darra Goldstein

-Classic Russian Cooking: A Gift to Housewives by Elena Molokhovets

-The Food and Cooking of Russia by Lesley Chamberlain

-Kachka: A Return to Russian Cooking by Bonnie Framkin Morales

-Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook by Anya von Bremzen

-Russian Cuisine: Traditional and Contemporary Russian Home Cooking by Maria Dopenweiler

-Russian, German, and Polish Food and Cooking with over 185 Traditional Recipes by Lesley Chamberlain

-The Russian Heritage Cookbook: A Culinary Tradition in over 400 Recipes by Lynn Visson

-The Russian Tea Room Cookbook by Faith Stewart-Gordon

-A Taste of Russia: A Cookbook of Russian Hospitality by Darra Goldstein

Level 6: Analyze German Food

-What do the following cookbooks tell you about Russian geography and agriculture?

-What do the ingredients tell you about German climate?

-What ingredients did not exist in German cuisine before the Americas were explored by Europe in 1492?

-The cookbooks follow:

-The Berghoff Café Cookbook by Carlyn Berghoff

-Classic German Baking:  The Very Best Recipes for Traditional Favorites by Luisa Weiss

-The Cuisines of Germany:  Regional Specialties and Traditional Home Cooking by Horst Scharfenberg

-The German Cookbook by Alfons Schuhbeck

-The German Cookbook: A Complete Guide to Mastering Authentic German Cooking by Mimi Sheraton

-German Family Cookbook: More than Hundred Traditional Recipes by Hannelore Dittmer-Ilgen

-German Meals at Oma’s: Traditional Dishes for the Home Cook by Gerhild Fulson

-Grandma’s German Cookbook by Lina Schmidt

-The New German Cookbook by Jean Anderson

Level 7: Analyze Danish Food

-What do the following cookbooks tell you about Danish geography and agriculture?

-What do the ingredients tell you about Danish climate?

-What ingredients did not exist in Danish cuisine before the Americas were explored by Europe in 1492?

The cookbooks follow:

-150 Ebelskiver Recipes by Camille Saulsburg

-Cooking Danish: A Taste of Denmark by Stig Hansen

-Danish Cooking and Baking Traditions by Arthur Meyer

-The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas

-Open Sandwiches: 70 Smorrebrod Ideas for Morning, Noon, and Night by Trine Hanemann

-Scandinavian Gatherings: From Afternoon Fika to Midsummer Feast by Melissa Bahen

-Wonderful, Wonderful Danish Cooking: A Double Cookbook of 500 Danish Recipes by Ingeborg Dahl Jensen

Level 8: Analyze Estonian Food

-What do the following cookbooks tell you about Estonian geography and agriculture?

-What do the ingredients in Estonian cooking tell you about the climate?

-What ingredients did not exist in Estonian cuisine before the Americas were explored by Europe in 1492?

The cookbooks follow:

-Baltic: New and Old Recipes from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania by Simon Bajada

-The Estonian Cookbook by Margrit Arthurs

-Estonian Tastes and Traditions by Karin Annus Kärner

-Traditional Estonian Cooking by Margrit Mikk-Sokk

Level 9: Why is Novgorod Important?

Novgorod was part of a Middle Ages trading union called the Hanseatic League.

Do some research on the Hanseatic League to discuss Novgorod’s past and present importance to Russia.

The following books may be of some assistance:

-The Baltic: A History by Michael North

-Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Saved the World by Mark Kurlansky

-Forces of the Hanseatic League: 13^th to 15^th Centuries by David Nicolle

-The Hansa Towns and the Hanseatic League by Helen Zimmern

-Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky

-Research the role of herring in the Hanseatic League

-Watch the film The Herring Belt directed by Julius Kohanyi to learn about herring

-What goods did Novgorod trade for other Hanseatic League products?

-What trade links does Novgorod have today?

Level 10:  Gender Inclusive Armies

-Would gender-inclusive armies have had an impact on the outcome of the Lake Peipus Battle?

-Are there differences in the way that genders communicate among themselves and with one another?

-Read You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation by Deborah Tannen for a discussion on this topic.

Level 11: Modern Technology Considerations

Would modern technology have changed the outcome of this battle?

Here I would like you to specifically think about:

-mobile phones

-satellites

-computers

-weather information

-translation software

-video game skills

-transportation

Level 12:  Geographical Change Over Time

-Were there forests and swamps around Lake Peipus in 1242 that no longer exist?

-What is the transportation infrastructure around Novgorod like today?  Would that have affected the battle outcome?

-What is the food system like in Russia, Denmark, Germany, and Estonia?

Level 13: Medical Services

-What medical advances would have made a difference in this battle?

-What public health advances would have made a difference in this battle?

Level 14: Role of Modern Media

-Would TV, radio, newspaper, and social media coverage have made a change to this battle’s outcome?

Level 15:  Russian Culture

-List at least 10 things you have learned about Russian culture from playing Novgorod

Level 16:  German Culture

-List at least 10 things you have learned about German culture from playing Novgorod

Level 17:  Danish Culture

-List at 10 things you have learned about Danish culture from playing Novgorod

Level 18:  Estonian Culture

-List at least 10 things you have learned about Estonian culture from playing Novgorod

Level 19: Make a Food Preference List

-Go through the foods of Russia, Denmark, Germany, and Estonia and list 5 to 10 items for the items below:

-Foods to I would like to try

-Food that seem okay to me

-Foods I would definitely not like

Level 20:  Wrap-Up Celebration

-Drink tea and eat baked goods with jams and butter and discuss each level

-Have a secretary take notes and type them up or put them in a personal journal if playing alone.

Novogorad War Game Created by Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Tagalog: U.S. - Philippines Conflict Resolution Game for AP Students Created by Ruth Paget

Tagalog: U.S. - Philippines Conflict Resolution Game for AP Students Created by Ruth Paget

Objective:

As of May 7, 2023, the Philippines has a new president and is carrying out military operations with the United States.

Find out who the president is and set up a timeline for how relations were restored since 2018.

Prior Game:

Re-establish ally status with the Philippines on a firmer basis than prior agreements to contain nuclear weapons transit to the Western Pacific by China (PRC).

Historical Background:

According to the New York Times (October 16, 2018 – Malcolm Cook), the government of China has nuclear-armed submarines in operation in the South China Sea.

If these nuclear-armed submarines travel through the Luzon Strait between the Philippines and Taiwan to the West Pacific, missiles on these submarines could be within striking distance of the continental United States.

(For Mr. Cook’s article, click the following:  https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2016/10/18/can-the-us-philippine-alliance-survive-duterte/the-us-needs-the-philippines-for-its-strategic-location)

A U.S. Department of State Bilateral Fact Sheet on the Philippines dated January 31, 2020 lists many long-standing trade, diplomatic, and military agreements between our two countries yet tensions remain.

(For the U.S. Department of State Fact Sheet, click the following:

https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-the-philippines/  )

To think of ways to improve relations between our two countries, go through the levels below until you reach the conflict resolution games.

Divide your group into two groups

Group 1 will do Tasks 1 - 4

Group 2 will do Tasks 5 - 8

Groups 1 and Group 2 will meet separately to do Task 9.

Groups will meet together to do Task 10.

Task 1: Country Profile

-Locate the Philippines on a map and note surrounding countries and seas.

-What is the name of the capital city?

-What is the name of the president of the Philippines?

-How many islands make up the Philippines?

-What is the dominant religion of the Philippines?

-What is the major religion of Mindanao Island?  How did Mindanao come to practice this religion?

Task 2: National Language: Tagalog

-What are the characteristics of Tagalog?

-Does Tagalog have dialects on the different islands of the Philippines?

Task 3: Ethnic Groups

-What are the major ethnic groups that make up the Philippines?  Resources for answers might include encyclopedias and the online CIA Factbook.

Task 4: Colonial Status

-What ruler was the Philippines named for?

-What countries have been colonizers of the Philippines?

-When did the Philippines gain its independence?

Task 5: Filipino Food

-Learn about Filipino food to identify foreign and indigenous influences as well as to learn about the country’s food system:

Suggested cookbooks:

-7000 Islands:  A Food Portrait of the Philippines by Yasmin Newman

-The Philippines Cookbook by Alejandro Reynaldo

-Is the Philippines self-sufficient in food?

-What efforts have been made towards self-sufficiency in food by the Philippines?

Task 6:  Glimpses into Filipino Culture

-Watch the film The Debut by Gene Cajayon about Filipino-American youth culture.

-Watch Parts Unknown: Philippines by Anthony Bourdain

Task 7: Possible Improvements for Filipino Quality of Life

-What material resources do Filipinos need to improve their quality of life?  Ask Filipinos, if possible.

-Could the U.S. provide these resources to the Philippines?

Task 8: Possible Improvements to American Quality of Life

-Are there resources in the Philippines that Americans could buy to improve our quality of life?

Task 9:  Try Some Filipino Food

-Go to a Filipino restaurant in your neighborhood and try chicken or pork adobo (stew made with vinegar) and halo-halo (a Filipino sundae)

-Try making these items at home if you do not have Filipino restaurants in your neighborhood

-Discuss what you have learned in tasks 1 - 8.  Make notes and a formal record if you would like.

Task 10: Do a Mock Conflict Resolution Game

-Round 1

Group 1 will represent the Philippines and Group 2 will represent the United States.  

Even if you do not want to represent the country your group is in, try to learn another point of view in Round 1 to help you in Round 2.

Design a conflict resolution sheet that covers:

-U.S. view of the conflict (use State Department resources and media sources that other participants can look up via hyperlinks)

-Filipino view of the conflict (use Filipino governmental resources and media sources that other participants can look up via hyperlinks)

-U.S. needs for products and services

-Filipino needs for products and services

Relations between the United States and the Philippines are at an impasse as of March 3, 2020.  Trade between our two countries may create an atmosphere for friendly diplomatic relations to resume.

Both of our countries have rural areas that need the following services that could be used to re-establish friendly diplomatic relations:

-medical services

-dental services

-pharmacies

-bookstores and libraries

-bookmobiles

-delivery services

-recycling centers

-public health workers

-cultural event workers

-teachers

List areas where the two countries have products and services the other might need and come up with two areas where exchanges could happen to help promote the well-being of citizens in both countries.

-Round 2

Have the groups represent the country the country they did not represent in round 1 and redo this exercise to try and find two different areas of cooperation between the U.S. and the Philippines.

(Note:  The Philippines trains many nurses that work for international clients.)

Homework: Do the tasks that were not assigned to your group.

Tagalog Game Created by Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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