Each student is given a list of ten items they own and a list of ten items they need to get. In each transaction, they may exchange one item with one other item. Students are also given a list on which to record every transaction they make. The time limit is about twenty minutes and they get extra points for each item on their wish list that they end up with.
Initial situation/list of items:
1 Apple, Bottle, Checkerboard, Desk, Glove, Lock, Organ, Radio, Socks, Turkey
2 Backpack, Bread, Cheese, Dog, Guitar, Magazine, Pen, Raisins, Soda, TV
3 Bag, Citizen, Chicken, Door, Hammer, Card, Pencil, Rake, Spoons, Umbrella
4 Banana, Cake, Jacket, Drum, Hat, Matches, Pepper, Rope, Straws, Vase
5 Baseball, Candles, Coffee, Fish, Honey, Milk, Telephone, Rug, Sugar, Violin
6 Basketball, Candy, Comb, Flute, Ice, Mirror, Piano, Ruler, Syrup, Vitamins
7 Bed, Car, Compass, Map, Iron, Mustard, Cake, Salt, Table, Covered Wagon
8 Beer, Carrot, Computer, Football, Jam, Napkins, Pillow, Screwdriver, Tape, Wallet
9 Belt, Cat, Corn, Forks, Juice, Newspaper, Plates, Shirt, Tea, Watch
10 Bicycle, Cereal, Chair, Fries, Ketchup, Notepad, Popcorn, Shoes, Toothbrush, Wine
11 Mixer, Chain, Crackers, Frisbee, Knives, Nuts, Printer, Shorts, Towel, Socket wrench
12 Book, Chair, Cups, Glasses, Light Bulbs, Oranges, Puzzle, Shovel, Trumpet, Yogurt
Final Situation/Wish List
1 Bag, Hamburger, Chicken, Fries, Ketchup, Notepad, Plates, Shirt, Tea, TV
2 Banana, Pie, Jacket, Frisbee, Knives, Nuts, Popcorn, Shoes, Toothbrush, Turkey
3 Baseball, Candles, Coffee, Glasses, Light Bulbs, Oranges, Printer, Shorts, Towel, Vase
4 Basketball, Candy, Comb, Desk, Glove, Lock, Puzzle, Shovel, Trumpet, Umbrella
5 Bed, Car, Compass, Dog, Guitar, Magazine, Organ, Radio, Socks, Vitamins
6 Beer, Carrot, Computer, Door, Hammer, Card, Pen, Raisin, Soda, Violin
7 Belt, Cat, Corn, Drums, Hat, Matches, Pencil, Rake, Spoons, Wallet
8 Bicycle, Grain, Bench, Fish, Honey, Milk, Pepper, Rope, Straws, Covered Wagon
9 Mixer, Chain, Crackers, Flute, Ice cream, Mirror, Telephone, Rug, Sugar, Wine
10 Book, Chair, Cups, Folder, Iron, Mustard, Piano, Ruler, Syrup, Watch
11 Apple, Bottle, Checkerboard, Football, Jam, Napkins, Cake, Salt, Table, Yogurt
12 Backpack, Bread, Cheese, Forks, Juice, Newspaper, Pillow, Screwdriver, Tape, Wrench
The lists above first show the items they own at the beginning of the game and then the items they need to get. What each player has and should get is something else.
The game is intended for twelve players. Should there be more than twelve students, there is no choice but to hand out player sheets, some of which are already in use. Those students are likely to be in competition with each other and thus may have a harder time than others. So originally the game was set up for twelve players, all of whom should in theory be able to trade whatever is on their wish list.
In the real world, if you had to rely on barter, you would probably have to do several transactions before you got what you wanted (such as trading item A to get item B, then trading item B to get C, and finally trading item C to get item D). Therefore, the game is designed so that it is difficult to get some of the goods on your wish list (which required several transactions), while others require fewer transactions to get them.
For example, using the information from the list, player #1 can perform the following transactions
- Apple for mixer with player #11
- Mixer for belt with player #9
- Belt for bed with player #7
- Bed for baseball with player #5
- Baseball for bag with player #3
Bag is on the wish list of player #1. This takes five steps and is therefore a lot of work. One problem with setting up these lists is that you have to make sure that some other items that each player has or wants cannot be used.
For example in the case above, what if player #3 wanted a bottle, he could trade bag to player #1 for the bottle and only one transaction needs to take place – this would make the game too easy.
In this example, player #1 must perform five transactions. But the other players don’t just make an exchange, they get an item they want from player #1.
So some transactions are easy and some are more difficult. Students need to walk around and find people to trade with. It doesn’t take long for them to realize that they need to form small groups and discuss what everyone has and wants.
Then someone starts saying things like “if you trade A for me for my B, then you can trade B to get C from that other person on your list.” This often happens spontaneously, without the teacher telling them to do it. What at first glance seems like it would be very disorganized or chaotic goes fairly smoothly with a little cooperation. Often when someone says, “I need A,” another student will say “Pete over there has item A” or “do you have item C? that girl over there needs it.” Again, this is done voluntarily, without any instructions from the teacher. So an orderly process emerges without needing to be directed.
In the beginning, you can tell them that they often have to do several transactions to get what they want, but that’s it. Then you simply call out “start acting” and give them a five-minute warning before the time runs out. You can remind them during the game that if they trade in the item for another item, then they also have this item and can trade it for something they want.
