The American Dream

The American Dream is a single or two player game that requires only the downloadable page itself and a pair of 6-sided dice. The object of the game is to improve the socioeconomic status of your family over the course of your lifetime. You face a series of choices and chances that will simulate the challenges faced by those born into poverty, or those lucky enough to be born into the middle or upper classes. The game intends to teach players that it is incredibly difficult, even with the best of intentions, to overcome the accidents of birth that position you in life, for better or worse. Even if you make all the right choices, if you are born poor, the odds are stacked against you. This game is quick to play, and test audiences seem to enjoy playing it several times over to see if they can beat the odds. I am particularly interested in encouraging teachers to use this game in their classrooms to teach about poverty and socioeconomic status in the United States and to look critically at the so-called "American Dream."