A05 This War of Mine

Center for Applied Second Language Studies
5290 University of Oregon

Eugene, OR 97403-5290
541.346.5699
casls.uoregon.edu Using
info@uoregon.edu
This War of Mine
facebook.com/casls.nflrc @casls_nflrc casls_nflrc in the Language Learning Classroom
The Center for Applied Second Language Studies

University of Oregon
This War of Mine © 11 bit studios
games2teach.uoregon.edu
The U.S. Department of Education Title VI, under grant #P229A140004, supports the development of Games2Teach. Contents do not necessarily
represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education nor imply endorsement by the federal government.
This War of Mine Level: Intermediate
Learners will be able to:

This War of Mine is a computer and tablet-based game in which Ï Narrate events in the past with summary and detail
players act as members of a group trying to survive in a war- Ï Recognize and use words dealing with everyday life
“Narrative is a means torn city. Players are in charge of keeping their characters alive Ï Transcribe, analyze, and correct learner-generated output
by which we create by scavenging for food and resources, exploring the city at night, Ï Critically think about the perspectives of civilians living in a
and transmit culture. interacting with other survivors, and making difficult decisions war zone
We learn, teach, and regarding survival. Ï Recognize and record key details of a character in a game
communicate through Platforms and Cost: narrative
narratives because iOS app - $14.99 Ï Compose a letter while assuming the role of a fictional
they provide cognitive Steam - $19.99 character
frameworks for learning Android (tablet only) - $14.99 Ï Summarize and paraphrase key information from a text
new information. Amazon Apps - $14.99
Narrative-informed Activities
approaches to L2TL focus Languages: Humans of the War: Inspired by gameplay, learners will engage
on the contextualizing English, French, German, Polish, Russian, Italian, Brazilian in a roleplay of a refugee providing testimony that will be “A designer places a
power of narratives to Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Turkish transcribed and posted on a blog. designated narrative in
develop L2 literacies.” Dear Loved Ones: Learners write a letter to loved ones from the the game to contextualize
- Julie Sykes & Jonathon perspective of a character in the game. gameplay. This context-in-
Reinhardt, Language at the-game is different from
Play, p.82 This War of Mine has many classroom applications for adult Level: Advanced the context of play, which
learners of all proficiency levels. The game contains various involves where, why, how,
adult themes and profane language, thereby making it Learners will be able to: and with whom the game is
unsuitable for elementary, middle, and in some cases, high Ï Adapt spoken language to different situational contexts played.”
school students. It allows learners to take on the perspective of Ï Read for detail - Julie Sykes & Jonathon
civilians living in the middle of a war, and it provides an engaging Ï Use familiar commands and perszuasive speech in Reinhardt, Language at
way for them to think about and produce language regarding interpersonal communication Play, p.82
global situations and decision making. Here are some example Ï Use persuasive and descriptive language in order to engage
ideas for the classroom: in negotiations in the target language
“Game design makes Ï Recognize and produce vocabulary dealing with everyday life
Level: Novice Ï Use context to discern meaning while reading
a primary distinction
between game rules and
Learners will be able to: Activities
structures and game
Ï Understand and produce new vocabulary related to one’s Interacting with Fear: Learners work with authentic refugee
narratives. Designers use
everyday life through context and collaboration stories, play the game, and then plan and act out skits based on
narratives, which include
Ï Build schemata to promote long-term vocabulary retention communicating in different contexts.
characters, stories, and
Ï Categorize and discuss new vocabulary Who Gets It?: Learners will play through the game and then
images, to contextualize “Personal narratives
Ï Write general information about one’s self, including physical discuss and debate resource allocation.
game rules and structures. emerge from the context
These narrative elements and personal descriptions of play. They have
allow for goal orienting, Ï Provide meaningful feedback about another learner’s writing situational and cultural
afford interaction, Ï Engage in meaningful self-reflection about writing skills meanings that arise
and animate feedback Ï Use context to determine meaning while reading from the socially and
mechanisms.” culturally interactive
- Julie Sykes & Jonathon Activities aspects of gameplay.”
Reinhardt, Language at Vocabulary Building: Learners acquire, categorize, and discuss - Julie Sykes & Jonathon
Play, p.82 new vocabulary through gameplay. Reinhardt, Language at
Bio Poems: Learners will use context and patterns to Play, p.83
understand descriptions and characteristics of game characters.
Then, they will write bio poems about them.

- Novice Activity 1
This War of Mine
“Survival is insufficient”: Building Everyday Vocabulary Through

This War of Mine G ameplay

Image: This War of Mine by 11 bit studios
The purpose of this activity is to engage novice university (and possibly high school) learners in
schemata building for new vocabulary that pertains to their everyday lives. In order to complete this
activity, learners work in teams to play Day 1 of This War of Mine. As they play, they will build
vocabulary lists of words that they are able to understand given context and group collaboration.
After they build the lists, they will categorize the words by what they need to survive versus what
they need to feel well and fulfilled.
Objectives
Acquire new vocabulary related to everyday life through context and collaboration
Build schemata to promote long-term vocabulary retention
Comprehend vocabulary dealing with everyday life
Categorize and discuss new vocabulary
Modes: Interpretive Reading, Presentational Writing
Resources: Novice Activity 1 Vocabulary Interaction Sheet, This War of Mine app or computer game
1
- Novice Activity 1
This War of Mine
Procedure
1. Prime learners for targeted vocabulary acquisition by brainstorming words that they might
need to discuss their everyday lives. Learners should offer any words that they know in the
target language, but much of the brainstorm will happen in the first language. If the learners
struggle to offer a robust collection of words, the teacher may choose to ask them the
following questions to guide their thinking:
a. What tangible things do you need to live?
b. What intangible things do you need to live?
c. How do you get enjoyment and fulfillment out of life?
2. As you record this brainstorming session on the board, learners should record it as well on
Part A of the Novice Activity 1 Vocabulary Interaction Sheet.
3. The brainstormed words (and any additional words that the teacher would like learners to
focus on) will provide the students with targeted vocabulary words to find through gameplay
in This War of Mine. Learners will search for these words by playing Day 1 (roughly fifteen
minutes) of the game in groups of three to four members. As they play, they will document
the meaning of the targeted words and any other words that they discover by completing
Part B of the Novice Activity 1 Vocabulary Interaction Sheet.
4. After learners have completed Part B, regroup as a class to share what words were
discovered. Instruct learners to add words to the Novice Activity 1 Vocabulary Interaction
Sheet as is needed.
5. Next, learners will work individually for roughly ten minutes to categorize words in Part C of
the Novice Activity 1 Vocabulary Interaction Sheet. The categories that they use will be
“Necessary for Survival” and “Necessary for Wellness and Fulfillment.”
6. To close the activity, lead a class discussion regarding the categorization of the words that
learners completed. Do your best in this discussion to challenge learner thinking. For example,
if learners state that a bed is needed for wellness and fulfillment, argue that it is necessary
for survival since sleep is necessary for survival. Given the proficiency level of the learners,
much of this conversation and its associated schemata building will occur in the first
language. However, encourage learners to use the target language as much as possible.

2
- Novice Activity 1
This War of Mine


Eugene, OR 97403-5290
541.346.5699
casls.uoregon.edu
info@uoregon.edu

facebook.com/casls.nflrc
@casls_nflrc
casls_nflrc

The U.S. Department of Education Title VI, under grant #P229A140004, supports the development of Games2Teach. Contents do not
necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education nor imply endorsement by the federal government.
3

Novice Activity 1
his War of Mine
Vocabulary Interaction with T

Part A: The class will brainstorm words that are necessary to use to discuss everyday life. Record
that brainstorm here.

Part B: The brainstorm above has provided you with words to discover in the target language through
gameplay in This War of Mine. Record the meaning for those words and any other words that your
team can understand based on context as you play below. You will increase your ability to use the
words if you draw a small sketch or give some other word associations to indicate meaning instead of
simply writing the translation in your first language.

Word in target Word in target
Translation or sketch Translation or sketch
language language

- Novice Activity 1
This War of Mine
Part C: Work individually to categorize the words that you included in Step 2 in the table below. List
these words in the target language only.

Necessary for Survival Necessary for Wellness and Fulfillment

1
- Novice Activity 1
This War of Mine
Make any changes that you feel are necessary to the table above during the closing class discussion.
If you would prefer to rewrite the table, do so in the space below.

Necessary for Survival Necessary for Wellness and Fulfillment

2

- Novice Activity 2
This War of Mine
War-torn Personality: Descriptions of Self Determined by

Circumstance

The purpose of this activity is to engage novice university (and possibly high school) learners in critical
thinking and language output regarding how situations impact one’s perception of self. In order to
complete this activity, students will first complete a bio poem of themselves as university or high
school students. Then, learners will work in teams to play Day 1 and Day 2 of This War of Mine. They
will reflect upon their gameplay to write a new bio poem in which they demonstrate how war might
impact one’s perception of self.
Objectives
Acquire new vocabulary related to one’s everyday life through context and collaboration
Write general information about one’s self including physical and personal descriptions
Provide meaningful feedback about another learner’s writing
Engage in meaningful self-reflection about writing skills
Use context to determine meaning while reading
Modes: Presentational Writing, Interpretive Reading
Resources: Novice Activity 2 Bio Poem Template, Novice Activity 2 Brainstorming Handout, Novice
Activity 2 Exit Ticket, This War of Mine app or computer game
1
- Novice Activity 2
This War of Mine
Procedure
1. Learners will review how to write general descriptions of self by completing the Novice
Activity 2 Bio Poem Template. If necessary, review rules regarding verb and adjective
agreement with learners before they write their poems. A perfect way to review these rules is
for the teacher to model using the template for the class.
2. After learners complete their poems, allow them to work with a partner to review what they
have written. To conduct this peer review, learners will underline the verbs and circle the
adjectives that their partners used. Then, they will focus on making sure that those words
were used in accordance with the rules of the target language. After that, learners will
suggest two additional details for their partners to add to the poem.
3. Now, learners will work with a team of four to play Day 1 and Day 2 of This War of Mine. At
this proficiency level, learners will not be able to understand all of the text within the game.
They should focus on using context and recognizing cognates and linguistic patterns to
understand what is happening. As they play, learners will take notes on the Novice Activity 2
Brainstorming Handout regarding how the characters in the game feel. This information can
be found in the conversations that the characters have with one another and on the status
cards in the bottom right corner of the screen. After they play, learners will work individually
to write descriptions of how the game characters in a war-torn country might feel regarding
concepts such as family, home, and leisure. These descriptions will also be written on the
Novice Activity 2 Brainstorming Handout.
4. Next, learners will write new bio poems from the perspective of one of the game characters.
Teachers will give learners the same template that was used in in Step 1 in order to complete
this portion of the activity. Learners should be careful to remember rules regarding adjective
and verb agreement and should try to write with as much detail as possible.
5. To close the class, learners will be tasked with answering the questions below on an exit
ticket. These questions will inform instruction for subsequent classes.
a. What similarities exist between the two poems that you wrote?
b. What differences exist between the two poems that you wrote?
c. What strengths do you have when it comes to writing descriptions?
d. What do you want to improve upon when writing descriptions?

2
- Novice Activity 2
This War of Mine


Eugene, OR 97403-5290
541.346.5699
casls.uoregon.edu
info@uoregon.edu

@casls_nflrc
casls_nflrc

3

Novice Activity 2
Bio Poem Template1

_______________________________
(First name)
Is
___________________________________________________________________________
(A minimum of three adjectives that describe you)
My family is
___________________________________________________________________________
(Description including adjectives and/or a list of members)
I like
___________________________________________________________________________
(Three activities or things)
I dislike
___________________________________________________________________________
(Three activities or things)
I feel
___________________________________________________________________________
(A minimum of three adjectives)
I wish for
____________________________________________________________________________
(Three nouns or verbs)
I am a resident of
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________
(Last name)
1
Adapted from freeology.com

Novice Activity 2
War-Torn Personality Brainstorm

Play Day 1 and Day 2 of This War of Mine with your group. As you play, take notes of how the
characters feel emotionally and physically below. This information can be found in the conversations
that the characters have with one another and in the status cards at the bottom right corner of the
screen. Remember, you are not expected to understand every word that you see. Work with your
group to use context, cognates, and linguistic patterns to make inferences about meaning and to gain
a general understanding of what is happening in the game narrative.
Notes:
Answer the questions below as completely as possible as if you were one of the game characters.
a. What are you like?
b. What does “family” mean to you?
c. What do you like?

- Novice Activity 2
This War of Mine
d. What do you dislike?
e. How do you feel?
f. What do you wish for?
g. Where is your home?

1

Novice Activity 2
xit Tickets
This War of Mine E

Exit Ticket
Answer the questions below before you leave class today.

Exit Ticket

Exit Ticket

- Intermediate Activity 1
This War of Mine
Documenting Refugee Stories

The purpose of this activity is to allow intermediate university (and possibly high school) learners to
narrate a situation that would lead a person to leave his or her home country as a refugee. The stories
that they create will be inspired by gameplay in This War of Mine. After playing, learners will engage in
a roleplay of a Humans of New York (humansofnewyork.com) testimonial that outlines their
experience in playing the game. These testimonials will be used to form a classroom blog entitled
“Humans of the War.” This activity is designed to take place over several days in class.
Objectives
Narrate events in the past with summary and detail
Recognize and use words dealing with everyday life
Transcribe, analyze, and correct learner-generated output
Modes: Interpretive Reading, Presentational Speaking, Interpretive Listening, and Interpretive Writing
Resources: Intermediate Activity 1 Notes Handout, Intermediate Activity 1 Testimony Outline,
Intermediate Activity 1 Peer Feedback Handout, recording devices, devices with word processing
capability and internet access, a blog platform such as WordPress, Humans of New York
(humansofnewyork.com), This War of Mine app or computer game
1
This War of Mine
Procedure
1. Learners will play Day 1 of This War of Mine in groups of three to four members (about fifteen
minutes) in the target language. As they work, remind learners to use context, cognates, and
linguistic patterns to better understand the storyline. As they play, circulate throughout the
classroom to provide guidance for the learners when they become stuck or do not understand
key vocabulary. Be sure that you aid learners by leading them to reason through their various
hurdles before translating for them.
2. Regroup as a class. Tell the students that their homework1 is to play the game in the target
language through Day 4. As they play, they will document what happens to the various
characters in the game on the Intermediate Activity 1 Notes Handout. Allow the students to
have at least ten minutes in class to ask clarifying questions about the game and to make
sure that they know how to change the settings for the game to the target language.
3. The next day in class, allow students to plan a testimony in which they pretend that they
moved to New York City as a refugee from the country in which This War of Mine takes place.
They will use their notes from the Intermediate Activity 1 Notes Handout to inform the story
that they wish to tell. To provide context to the learners, introduce them to some of the
refugee testimonies on Humans of New York (humansofnewyork.com) and direct learners to
focus on how life is described in the context of war by marking the descriptions in the text of
the testimonies. Then, learners will outline their description of life during the war using the
Intermediate Activity 1 Testimony Outline. This testimony should be roughly two minutes in
length.
4. After learners complete the outline, allow them to use it to practice telling their respective
stories to a peer. The peer will provide feedback to the learner on the Intermediate Activity 1
Peer Feedback Handout.
5. Next, give learners roughly ten minutes to practice their testimonies. At the end of the ten
minutes, learners will record themselves with mobile devices, digital recorders, or computers.
Allow learners to use their outlines as a reference if needed, but take care to communicate to
the learners that they may not solely read from the sheet when speaking. Then, they will
listen to themselves, transcribe exactly what they said, and look for ways to improve their
testimonies. Common ways to improve their speaking include identifying instances in which
the learner wants to employ more advanced vocabulary, fixing grammatical errors, and
adding more detail. Learners should mark their desired improvements in a different color than
what they used to transcribe. Their homework will be to review and practice their
testimonies.
1
This gameplay could occur in class if access to technology outside of the classroom is limited.
2
This War of Mine
6. The next day, allow learners to practice their testimonies individually for the first ten minutes
of class. Circulate throughout the room and provide feedback as needed.
7. After learners have practiced, they will work with a partner to document their testimonies.
Each partner must record and transcribe (via word processing) what his or her partner said. At
this point, they must also take a photo of the partner. If the partner does not wish to be
photographed, the learner should work to come up with another way to visually represent the
partner. These representations could include photos of objects of importance to the partner’s
story or an image that captures a concept within the partner’s story.
8. Finally, learners will work to upload the stories that they transcribed along with their
associated photos to the classroom blog previously created by the teacher entitled “Humans
of the War.” While no specific blogging platform is required, teachers should look for
platforms like WordPress that allow for inviting multiple contributors to post on the same
blog.

3
This War of Mine


Eugene, OR 97403-5290
541.346.5699
casls.uoregon.edu
info@uoregon.edu

@casls_nflrc
casls_nflrc

4

Intermediate Activity 1
Notes Handout

As you play This War of Mine (Days 1-4 at a minimum), take notes on what happens to the characters
in the story. These notes will inform your testimony in which you explain your life in a war-torn
country and your ultimate decision to immigrate to New York City.
You will note that your experiences are more robust if you pick multiple places to explore and
scavenge or steal from at night. You will also add color to your experience by interacting with as many
people outside of the house as possible.
Day 1

Instances of
Misfortune (e.g.,
Feelings and
Name Wants/Needs Actions Taken Getting Robbed,
Wellbeing
Attacked, Injured,
or Killed)

This War of Mine
Day 2

Instances of
Misfortune (e.g.,
Feelings and
Wellbeing
Attacked, Injured,
or Killed)

Day 3

Instances of
Misfortune (e.g.,
Feelings and
Wellbeing
Attacked, Injured,
or Killed)

1
This War of Mine
Day 4

Instances of
Misfortune (e.g.,
Feelings and
Wellbeing
Attacked, Injured,
or Killed)

Day 5 (optional)

Instances of
Misfortune (e.g.,
Feelings and
Wellbeing
Attacked, Injured,
or Killed)

2
This War of Mine
Day 6 (optional)

Instances of
Misfortune (e.g.,
Feelings and
Wellbeing
Attacked, Injured,
or Killed)

You may continue adding notes in the space below for any additional days that you play.

3

estimony Outline
This War of Mine T

Your gameplay in This War of Mine exposed you to a simulated reality faced by many refugees around
the world. You are tasked with pretending that you are a refugee from a war-torn country who is
giving his or her testimony for “Humans of the War,” a sister blog to “Humans of New York.” Your
task is simple; you are to use the experiences of the various characters in This War of Mine that you
documented on your notes sheet to answer the question, “Why did you move to New York City?”
You will eventually perform this answer, and you must speak for roughly two minutes. Outline your
response below.
I. Reason that you moved ____________________________________________________
A. Event 1: __________________________________________________________
B. Event 2: __________________________________________________________
C. Event 3 (optional): __________________________________________________
II. Event 1 Synopsis _________________________________________________________
A. Feelings and wellbeing _______________________________________________
B. Needs that resulted _________________________________________________
III. Event 2 Synopsis _________________________________________________________
IV. Event 3 Synopsis (optional) _________________________________________________
V. How the war changed you __________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Peer Review
Your partner will practice his or her testimony for you. Complete the thoughts below to provide
feedback to your partner.
1. I thought that you described ______________________________________ really well.

For example,
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________.
2. I think that you can add more detail to the part about _____________________________.

I want to know more about _________________________________________________.
3. I think that one of your strengths regarding grammar and vocabulary in the target language
is ____________________________________________________________________
because you ____________________________________________________________.
4. When it comes to grammar and vocabulary, I think that you should try to improve
__________________________.
One instance where I noticed an error was
______________________________________________________________________.
Write any additional details or notes below.

Name: __________________________________________
This War of Mine: Worksheet

A. After reading/watching __________________, answer the following questions. Use
complete sentences and explain your thinking.
a. What would be some of the challenges of living in a country at war?
b. Do you think a person could still be themselves in a country at war? Why or why not?
c. What are some things that people take advantage of in a country not at war?
d. If you were put in the same situation, how would you handle it differently? Or would
you handle it the same way? Explain your reasoning.

This War of Mine
B. While you play This War of Mine, fill out the following information about the character you are
following in the game. There may be some information that is not obvious in the game, and
you may have to infer answers.
Name: _____________________________________
Job before the war: _____________________________________________________________
Character Strengths: ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
What your character did in the game: ________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Now come up with a backstory for your character based on what you have played:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
1
This War of Mine
C. After you have finished playing, decide as a group on one character that you experienced in
the game to go into more detail about. You and your group members will each write a letter
to that character’s loved ones from the perspective of that character.
Your group’s character: _____________________________________
You and your group members will each write the letter from one of three points in time:
a. Right before the war
b. After Day 2 of the war
c. After one month of the war
Base your letters off of the notes you have of the character as well as their summary card that can be
accessed in the bottom-right section of the game screen. Be as detailed and creative as you like, but
be sure to stay in character as much as possible!
Your time frame: _____________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2

- Advanced Activity 1
This War of Mine
Interactions Shaped by Fear

The purpose of this activity is to engage advanced university (and perhaps high school) learners in
critical thinking and diversified language output regarding how everyday encounters change given the
context of war within a country. In order to engage in this activity, learners will experience a
simulation civilian life in a war-torn country by playing This War of Mine. Then, students will engage in
a roleplay of various daily interactions to reflect how ubiquitous violence and fear change
communication.
Objectives
Adapt spoken language to different situational contexts
Read for detail
Use familiar commands and persuasive speech in interpersonal communication
Modes: Interpretive Reading, Interpretive Listening, Interpersonal Communication
Resources: Advanced Activity 1 Thinking Handout, short video about refugees, Advanced Activity 1
Encounter Handout, Advanced Activity 1 Planning Handout, This War of Mine app or computer game

1
This War of Mine
Procedure
1. Introduce students to current events that involve refugees with a short (three to five minute)
target language audio text (e.g., YouTube video or news report) in which refugees describe
their lives living in their former countries. As the learners listen to the text, they should fill out
the questions on the Advanced Activity 1 Thinking Handout. Teachers may find it necessary to
play the audio text multiple times to increase learner comprehension.

2. After the learners complete the handout, have them share their answers in small groups of
three to four members. Then, call on groups to share some of the answers as a class.

3. Next, have the learner groups play through at least Day 6 of This War of Mine1 in the target
language. As they play, learners will take notes about the various encounters that occur
between the game’s characters on the Advanced Activity 1 Encounter Handout. To ensure
that the learners can experience encounters outside of those which occur among the main
characters, instruct them to search for resources at a variety of locations at night.

4. After that, learners will explore how interactions change between situations of normalcy and
situations of fear and violence. In order to conduct this exploration, learners will prepare and
perform skits in which they present the same situation in the two aforementioned contexts.
They will plan these skits and brainstorm the appropriate language to use in their interactions
on the Advanced Activity 1 Planning Handout. Possible situations to assign that work well
with the game include talking with your roommates, bumping into someone at the
supermarket, and going to neighbor’s house to borrow some food.

5. After learners present the aforementioned skits, the class will discuss the following thinking
questions from the Advanced Activity 1 Planning Handout projected on the board:
a. What verb forms seemed most appropriate to use in order to be persuasive? Did
those change from context to context? How so?
b. Is it beneficial or harmful to use language that is intimidating in everyday life? In a
war-stricken reality?
c. How does the content of what you discuss change between situations of normalcy
and situations of fear? When might it be harmful to divulge too much information in
both situations? When might it be harmful to divulge too little information?
1
Each day takes roughly ten to fifteen minutes to play. Thus, this step of the activity will need to be split over two class
periods. Alternatively, learners may work individually to complete the required gameplay for homework.
2
This War of Mine
d. What are ways that you can change language to convey a certain tone? Provide at
least one example to support your claim(s).

3
This War of Mine


Eugene, OR 97403-5290
541.346.5699
casls.uoregon.edu
info@uoregon.edu

@casls_nflrc
casls_nflrc

4

Advanced Activity 1
The Past Lives of Refugees
You are about to watch a short clip to give you insight into the life experienced by refugees before
escaping their war-torn country. As you watch the video, answer the following questions:
1. What conflict fomented the desire within citizens to flee their countries?
2. When the citizens were surrounded by war, how were they able to attend to their daily
needs?
3. What difficult decisions did the citizens have to make? For example, did they ever have to
forgo food to ensure that their children were nourished? Did they ever have to leave a sick
family member behind in order to survive?
4. What tragedies did the citizens witness?

Advanced Activity 1
ncounters
This War of Mine E
As you play This War of Mine, take note of the various encounters that occur among characters in the
game. Pay specific attention to what information is communicated and the tone (e.g. formal, informal,
clipped, humorous, ominous) that is employed by the interlocutors. Consider what linguistic features
are common to implementing the desired tone.
Day 1

Verb Forms and Other
Interlocutors in
Content Tone Linguistic
Interaction
Observations

Day 2

Interlocutors in
Interaction
Observations

This War of Mine
Day 3

Interlocutors in
Interaction
Observations

Day 4

Interlocutors in
Interaction
Observations

1
This War of Mine
Day 5

Interlocutors in
Interaction
Observations

Day 6

Interlocutors in
Interaction
Observations

If you play any additional days, feel free to include notes about the interaction below in the space
below.
2

Advanced Activity 1
lanning Handout
This War of Mine P
Your group is tasked with presenting a skit of an interaction in two different contexts: a situation of
normalcy and a situation of ubiquitous fear and violence.
Your group’s assigned situation is:
____________________________________________________________________________
Before you plan the scene, spend some time thinking about the questions below. Write notes to
indicate your answers.
a. What verb forms seem most appropriate to use in order to be persuasive? Does the context
of the conversation determine that answer? How so?
b. Is it beneficial or harmful to use language that is intimidating in everyday life? In a
war-stricken reality? Why? What verb forms are most common when one uses intimidating
language? How else might intimidating language be characterized?

This War of Mine
c. How does the content of what you discuss change between situations of normalcy and
situations of fear? When might it be harmful to divulge too much information in both
situations? When might it be harmful to divulge too little information?
d. What are ways that you can change language to convey a certain tone? Provide at least one
example to support your claim(s).
Now, plan your skits below. The purpose of the planning is to give you a map for the conversation. It
is not to write a script that you read aloud.
The italicized words provide an example of what you might write in the boxes for interactions among
roommates.
1
This War of Mine
Situation of Normalcy

Communication
Group Member Name Role Goal to be Achieved
Strategy
Marko Roommate Get food by going out to Use humor to persuade

eat roommates to join

Situation of Fear and Violence

Communication
Group Member Name Role Goal to be Achieved
Strategy
Marko Roommate Get food when it’s Use intimidation to

someone else’s turn to persuade roommates to
scavenge at night get you food

2

This War of Mine
Resource Distribution in Situations of Scarcity

The purpose of this activity is to encourage learners to negotiate in the target language using
persuasive and descriptive language. In this activity, learners will play through Day 4 of This War of
Mine with the goal of keeping everyone in their house alive given the context of scarce resources. At
the end of game play, they will act as one of the game characters and discuss the allocation of
resources in the house with their group members.
Objectives
Use persuasive and descriptive language in order to engage in negotiations in the target
language
Recognize and produce vocabulary dealing with everyday life
Use context to discern meaning while reading
Modes: Interpretive Reading, Interpretive Writing, Interpersonal Communication
Resources: Advanced Activity 2 Resource Allocation Handout, Advanced Activity 2 Status Card,
Advanced Activity 2 Situation Documentation Sheet, This War of Mine app or computer game

1
This War of Mine
Procedure
1. Learners will play This War of Mine individually through Day 4. As they play, they must take
notes of what resources the main characters need and justify their resource allocation on the
Advanced Activity 2 Resource Allocation Handout.

2. Once learners are finished playing, they will form groups of three to four members to discuss
the decisions that they made regarding resource allocation. Allow five to ten minutes for this
discussion and ask the class to share some of their ideas. Then, allow for a ten-minute debate
about the following question: Is it more important that you meet the needs of one person in
the house well to ensure that at least one person is healthy and strong, or is it more
important to meet everyone’s needs equally and have a situation in which no one is
completely healthy or strong? It will be beneficial to learners to have the question written on
the board, and teachers may want to require that learners take a specific side during the
debate. Remember to require students to defend their responses as they speak.

3. Next, learners will return to their groups and engage in various roleplays in which they pose
as assigned game characters and discuss who should get to consume their limited resources.
The Advanced Activity 2 Status Cards and the Advanced Activity 2 Situation Documentation
Sheet will be used to guide these discussions. For each situation on the Advanced Activity 2
Situation Documentation Sheet, learners will use a status card for an assigned character that
indicates health and wellbeing to inform their discussion. They will use a different status card
for each situation. The order of the status cards is unimportant. What is important, however,
is that learners do not show their status cards to one another. All communication should be
verbal.

4. To close the activity, have learners complete a short journal entry on their own sheet of paper
in which they answer the question used in the class debate in Step 2. Make sure to remind
students to defend their answers with as much detail as possible by drawing on the
experience that they had roleplaying the assigned situations in Step 3 of this activity.

2
This War of Mine


Eugene, OR 97403-5290
541.346.5699
casls.uoregon.edu
info@uoregon.edu

@casls_nflrc
casls_nflrc

3

Advanced Activity 2
Resource Allocation
Play This War of Mine through Day 4. Every time that a character consumes a resource, make note of
who consumed it and why you decided to allocate the resources that way.
Day 1
Resource Person Justification

Day 2

Day 3

This War of Mine
Day 4

Now, answer the questions below in a short paragraph:
When you were scavenging for resources, what did you have to leave behind? What did you refuse to
leave behind? How did you make that decision?
1

Advanced Activity 2
Status Cards
Instructions to teacher: Print and cut apart these cards before distributing to groups. Learners will
use one card for their assigned character per situation. The order in which they use the cards is
unimportant.
Note: Groups of three will play with Katia, Bruno, and Pavle. Groups of four will include Marko.

---
Name: Katia Name: Bruno Name: Pavle

Name: Marko
Bargaining skills Good cook Runs fast
Good scavenger
Tired Slept poorly Exhausted
Lightly wound
Gravely wound Sad Depressed
Hungry
Starving Starving Starving
Name: Marko
Name: Katia Name: Bruno Name: Pavle
Good scavenger
Bargaining skills Good cook Runs fast
Exhausted
Lightly wound Tired Slept poorly
Depressed
Hungry Gravely wound Sad
Starving
Name: Katia Name: Bruno Name: Pavle Name: Marko

Bargaining skills Good cook Runs rast Good scavenger
Exhausted Lightly wound Tired Slept poorly
Depressed Hungry Gravely wound Sad
Name: Katia Name: Bruno Name: Pavle Name: Marko

Bargaining skills Good cook Runs fast Good scavenger
Slept poorly Exhausted Lightly wound Tired
Sad Depressed Hungry Gravely wound

Advanced Activity 2
Situation Documentation Sheet
Resource allocation in This War of Mine
You and your group members are all roommates trying to survive as civilians in This War of Mine. You
have already experienced gameplay in which you have had to allocate scarce resources, sometimes
unevenly, to the people living in the house. Now, you will roleplay the conversations between the
roommates that determine how those resources get allocated.
For each situation, you will use a status card to inform your participation in the discussions. Do not
show the other group members your card. Instead, explain your situation with as many relevant
details as possible. Remember, you must decide if advocating for yourself is more important than
advocating for the general well being of the entire group.
Note: Groups of three will play with Katia, Bruno, and Pavle. Groups of four will include Marko.
Situation 1: No one has eaten for two days. Katia returns with enough food for all but one of you.
Who gets the food? _____________________________________________________________
Why? _______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Situation 2: Marko and Pavle (groups of four) or Bruno and Pavle (groups of tree) are each in equal
need of medicine for an illness. Katia returns with enough medicine for one person.
Who gets the medicine? __________________________________________________________
Why? _______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

This War of Mine
Situation 3: Bruno truly desires to sleep in a real bed. He is sick, and his situation is worsening
exponentially. Everyone else is reasonably healthy, but the cold is becoming unbearable. You only
have enough materials to construct either a bed or a radiator.
What do you build? _____________________________________________________________
Why? _______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Situation 4: The only place left in the city to scavenge for resources is dangerous, and you have heard
that many people have been shot by snipers in the area. It is Bruno’s turn to search for resources at
night.
Does Bruno scavenge for the resources? ____________________________________________
Why? _______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
1

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Center for Applied Second Language Studies

5290 University of Oregon

The Center for Applied Second Language Studies

Learners will be able to:

“Survival is insufficient”: Building Everyday Vocabulary Through

War-torn Personality: Descriptions of Self Determined by

Documenting Refugee Stories

IV. Event 3 Synopsis (optional) _________________________________________________

1. I thought that you described ______________________________________ really well.

Interactions Shaped by Fear

Marko Roommate Get food by going out to Use humor to persuade

Marko Roommate Get food when it’s Use intimidation to

Resource Distribution in Situations of Scarcity

Name: Katia Name: Bruno Name: Pavle

Name: Katia Name: Bruno Name: Pavle Name: Marko

Name: Katia Name: Bruno Name: Pavle Name: Marko

Você também pode gostar

A05 This War of Mine

Enviado por

Dados do documento

Título original

Direitos autorais

Formatos disponíveis

Compartilhar este documento

Compartilhar ou incorporar documento

Opções de compartilhamento

Você considera este documento útil?

Este conteúdo é inapropriado?

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A05 This War of Mine

Enviado por

Direitos autorais:

Formatos disponíveis

Center for Applied Second Language Studies

5290 University of Oregon

The Center for Applied Second Language Studies

Learners will be able to:

“Survival is insufficient”: Building Everyday Vocabulary Through

War-torn Personality: Descriptions of Self Determined by

Documenting Refugee Stories

IV. Event 3 Synopsis (optional​) _________________________________________________

1. I thought that you described​ ______________________________________ ​really well.

Interactions Shaped by Fear

Marko Roommate Get food by going out to Use humor to persuade

Marko Roommate Get food when it’s Use intimidation to

Resource Distribution in Situations of Scarcity

Name: Katia Name: Bruno Name: Pavle

Name: Katia Name: Bruno Name: Pavle Name: Marko

Name: Katia Name: Bruno Name: Pavle Name: Marko

Você também pode gostar

IV. Event 3 Synopsis (optional) _________________________________________________

1. I thought that you described ______________________________________ really well.