Gameplay

Households
The game takes place during the morning of Monday, December 23, 1940, in the aftermath of the bombings. There are five households in the game:

1. The Hendersons
2. The Empeys
3. The Engels
4. The Sklars
5. The Baileys

All of these households live in Cheetham Hill, a neighbourhood located approximately 2.3 kilometers (1.4 miles) north of central Manchester. Each household has a wireless (i.e., a radio) and can hear broadcasts from the BBC Home Service. During the war, BBC Home Service would air each day from 7.00 a.m. until 12.15 a.m., with the main news bulletins airing at 7.00 a.m., 8.00 a.m., 1.00 p.m., 6.00 p.m., 9.00 p.m. and midnight. Families listen to the news and also popular radio shows such as Sincerely Yours and Band Waggon.

Most families do not have a telephone. The families have spent the night in air raid shelters–either at home or at the old Assembly Halls in Cheetham Hill.

Four other community member roles share information:

1. Ernest (“Ernie”) Fletcher, a teenage amateur radio operator from Ontario, Canada, now living in Liverpool with his grandparents.
2. Dr. Garfield Williams, the dean of Manchester Cathedral
3. Mr. Leonard Johnson, a West African boxer, and air raid warden.
4. Mr. and Mrs. Khan, Cheetham Hill locals who are customers at Greenep’s Tobacco and Sweet Shop.

Roles: households

• Moderator
  • Distribute maps (Manchester and air raid shelters)
  • Encourage household members to:
    • read their assigned documents;
    • evaluate information using the criteria of currency, authority, and truthfulness;
    • record information on the Warden’s Report Form and the War Report Form;
    • open the digital game and guide your households through each round.
  • Facilitate the final conversation to arrive at the ultimate decision: based on the evaluation of the information gathered, does your household stay at home or go to the community air raid shelter in the event of another bombing?
• Notetaker
  • Record information on the household Warden’s Report Form and the War Report Form.
  • Take additional notes as needed. 

Responsibilities: all players

Each household must answer the following questions:

• Will there be another bombardment and, if so, when?
• Should we move back to the community air raid shelter or stay in our own homes another night?

To answer these questions:

• Gather information that you believe is current (which includes relevant), authoritative, truthful (which includes being accurate).
• Assess the bias that any information might reflect.
• Share information to be recorded throughout the game.
• Keep your own Warden’s Report Form and War Report Form to submit to the game master at the end of the game.

Use the Warden’s Report Form and the War Report Form to record the information you gather throughout the game. This information will include facts about the war and the risks of bombardment as well as conditions in Manchester on December 23, 1940.

Use the Warden’s Report Form to record information such as:

• Location of fallen bombs
• Number of casualties and fatalities
• Disruptions to communication and transportation systems

Use the War Report Form to record information such as:

• Conditions in the community shelter
• Access to food (with ration coupons) and other supplies?
• Safety measures (e.g., air raid shelters)

Questions to answer

1. Based on this information, what do you predict about the threat of a bombing shortly?

2. Do you need more information? If so, what information do you need?

This is a “high stakes” decision: it’s a matter of life or death.

Rounds timing

The game is divided into five rounds and a debrief.

In the first four rounds, you will be given evidence that will increase your understanding of the current situation and make the final decision as to where to take shelter.

You will discuss the information that you have in each round in your household (i.e., your small group). At the end of Rounds 2 and 4, you will meet with the other households as a large group to share your thinking.

You must evaluate all the information that you have to determine it is authoritative, current, and unbiased. This evaluation is critical to the decision you make at the end of the last round.

In the fifth round, you learn the fate of your household: live or die?

Rounds are typically played over two classes and are 25 minutes long. There is a 10-minute break between rounds. A link to the digital game (instructions) will be provided in class. The game will take approximately three hours to play.

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