What is Gerrymandering?
Gerrymandering is the dividing of a state, county, or other region into election districts so as to give one political party a majority in many districts while concentrating the voting strength of the other party into as few districts as possible.
Teach Gerrymandering to Students Age 12 and Up
The Distrix board game is a fun way for middle school, high school, and university students to learn about gerrymandering, math, and strategic thinking during a 50-minute class period. The basic version of the game is easy to learn and can be started within 10 minutes of opening the box (5 min setup + 5 min learning the rules). Divide the class into two teams, with one team playing for Red and the other playing for Blue. Set a timer to 1 minute per move, with each team deciding its next move collectively within a 1-minute time limit. Games rarely exceed 40 moves, so play should last no more than 40 minutes. Remind students at the outset that the game is very challenging, so there should be no hard feelings no matter who wins. Students will be talking about their Distrix experience long after the game ends, and there will likely be interest in a sequel.
The Distrix Puzzle Book is also an excellent resource for middle school, high school, and university instructors looking for new ways to connect with math and social studies students. The puzzles are easy to understand, allowing students to get started in minutes with no prior puzzle solving experience. Most puzzles have multiple solutions, so there are opportunities for classroom discussion about different answers. Unlike most puzzles, solutions are found using a guess-and-check method. This levels the playing field, allowing weaker students to get involved and shine. Click here to place an order.
The following Distrix expansion games* are also excellent classroom tools:
* Instructions for all expansion games are contained in the Distrix Expansion Games booklet which is sold separately.
Expansion game instructions are not included in Distrix or Distrix Set B.
Discounts are available for purchases of 10 or more games + books for educational purposes. Email us at [email protected] to request an educational discount.
The Distrix Puzzle Book is also an excellent resource for middle school, high school, and university instructors looking for new ways to connect with math and social studies students. The puzzles are easy to understand, allowing students to get started in minutes with no prior puzzle solving experience. Most puzzles have multiple solutions, so there are opportunities for classroom discussion about different answers. Unlike most puzzles, solutions are found using a guess-and-check method. This levels the playing field, allowing weaker students to get involved and shine. Click here to place an order.
The following Distrix expansion games* are also excellent classroom tools:
- In the game Divide & Conquer, students compete under time constraints to see who can best gerrymander the 9 election districts in Matrixland. During the game, students see how the same region can be rigged in favor of Red or Blue. This one-hour game is for 2 or more players, each of whom has Distrix or Distrix Set B.
- In the game Fair Maps, students compete under time constraints to see who can create the fairest set of 9 election districts in Matrixland. The game shows that it's possible to make fair maps that equalize the advantage of Red and Blue. This 30-minute game is for 2 or more players, each of whom has Distrix or Distrix Set B.
* Instructions for all expansion games are contained in the Distrix Expansion Games booklet which is sold separately.
Expansion game instructions are not included in Distrix or Distrix Set B.
Discounts are available for purchases of 10 or more games + books for educational purposes. Email us at [email protected] to request an educational discount.