"The skills of diplomacy are embedded all throughout from the beginning to the end... Students have the language to articulate their growth. They become agents over their growth in a new way."
PowerPlay
By: History Co:Lab
Power Play
Subject area
U.S. History
Grades
10-12
Duration
4 weeks
Content & Standards Focus
Common Core ELA Standards:
RH.9-10.1; RH.9-10.2; RH.9-10.4; RH.9-10.9; RH.11-12.1; RH.11-12.2; RH.11-12.4; RH.11-12.6; RH.11-12.9
WHST.9-10.1; WHST.9-10.2; WHST.9-10.7; WHST.11-12.1; WHST.11-12.2; WHST.11-12.7; WHST.11-12.8
RI.9-10.1; RI.9-10.9; RI.11-12.1; RI.11-12.9
SL.9-10.1; SL.11-12.1
C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards:
D1.2.9-12; D2.Civ.3.9-12; D2.Civ.14.9-12; D2.His.1.9-12; D2.His.4.9-12; D2.His.14.9-12; D2.Geo.6.9-12; D2.Geo.11.9-12; D2.Eco.15.9-12; D3.1.9-12; D3.4.9-12; D4.1.9-12; D4.4.9-12; D4.8.9-12
NCSS standards and College Board instruction recommendations:
Time, Continuity, and Change
People, Places, and Environments
Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
Power, Authority, and Governance
Production, Distribution, and Consumption
Global Connections
Civic Ideals and Practices
In this Cold War diplomacy role-play unit, students tackle real-world dilemmas, using diplomatic skills to balance national interests and values during the tense climate of 1980s Poland.
Power Play (1945–1990) invites students to explore the global stakes of Cold War diplomacy through immersive roleplay, civic analysis, and collaborative problem-solving. In this teen-centered learning experience students step into the role of U.S. diplomats during a high-stakes historical moment and practice the real-world skills of negotiation, advocacy, and strategy. With the Cold War as backdrop, students explore how fear, power, and influence shape global relationships—and how diplomacy can either sustain or destabilize peace. At the heart of this experience is Diplomacy in Action, a multiplayer, roleplaying simulation game hosted on the award-winning iThrive Sim platform. Students research a country, collaborate to brief classmates, and prepare a diplomatic portfolio before stepping into a game of diplomacy inspired by real-world events. In the roleplaying simulation game, students negotiate across competing interests, decode power dynamics, and grapple with the civic and ethical dilemmas of international leadership—all the while building critical tools to understand global affairs today.
Learning Principles
Testimonials
"Sitting there in a class every day and opening up a book, it gets very repetitive and then after a while you just zone out. But this is different. You actually have to think on the spot and it switches up every time."
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Complete the interest form and a member of the History Co:Lab team will follow up to guide you through next steps.