Elijah and the Widow
Northern Kingdom Farming Game
See who can run the best farm in the northern kingdom. Print out one set of game pieces for each player. You need at least two players.
Education Goals: Learn about how weather makes a huge difference in food production. Understand why the drought Elijah lived in was difficult.
Preparation
Print out one set of game pieces per player. You will also need one deck of standard playing cards.
Play as a Cooperative Game - Levels 1 & 2
You can also play a version of this game where there is only 1 farm and everyone makes decisions together to try to make the farm succeed. In this version you all lose if you can't pay your workers. You win if you own all the coins.
Takes 6 coins, 2 workers, 2 crops, and 1 silo. Put the rest of the pieces in the middle for everyone to use.
Go through the card deck and pull out one #3 and put it to the side. Shuffle the rest of the deck. Put the #3 you pulled out on top of the deck so it will be the first card chosen.
Since the game is cooperative, you are always the First Player in this version of the game.
Play as a Competitive Game - Levels 3 & 4
Each player takes 6 coins, 2 workers, 2 crops, and 1 silo. Put the rest of the pieces in the middle for everyone to use.
Go through the card deck and pull out one #3 and put it to the side. Shuffle the rest of the deck. Put the #3 you pulled out on top of the deck so it will be the first card chosen.
The youngest player is the First Player and goes first. Then each person takes a turn going clockwise until the money runs out. The player with the most money wins.
Turn
When it's your turn you can tell each of your workers to do one thing. (So if you have three workers, you can do three things.) Here's what a worker can do:
- Hire another worker: If you pay one coin, a worker can go get another worker to work for your farm. That new worker will start working for you next turn.
- Plant a crop: Your worker can take one crop.
- Harvest a crop: Your worker can take one crop and put it in a silo. Each silo can hold one crop.
- Sell a crop at the market: Your worker can take one crop from a silo and sell it for the market price this turn.
- Build a silo: If you pay one coin, your worker can buy another silo.
Paying Workers. After all your workers have done one thing, you must pay them. Pay one coin for each worker you have. Each worker you can't pay leaves.
Competitive Game: If you ever start a turn with no worker, take two new workers and keep playing. Pay two coins for the two new workers (if you can).
Weather/Events
Whenever it is the First Player's turn, before the turn starts, flip over a playing card and then do the following depending on what you draw. (Whatever you draw applies to every player's turn this round until you get back to the First Player.)
Ace - Perfect weather. Everyone doubles their crops that are not in a silo. If you don't have any crops, take a crop for free. Crops are worth 1 coin.
2 - Drought weather. Everyone must give up all their crops not in a silo. No one can plant a crop this turn. Crops are worth 5 coins.
3 - Low rainfall. Crops are worth 4 coins. Everyone can only plant one crop. Everyone can only harvest one crop.
4 - Locusts. Crops are worth 4 coins. Everyone can move one crop to a silo free right now if you have room in a silo. Then everyone loses all crops not in a silo.
5 - Mice. Crops are worth 3 coins. Everyone get rid of one crop in a silo (if you can). The mice thank you!
6 - Good weather. Crops are worth 2 coins. Everyone take one free crop right now.
7 - Immigrants. Crops are worth 3. There's a war and workers are coming from another nation. Everyone take one worker.
8 - Rainy weather. Crops are worth 1. There's just too many crops on the market. Everyone take 2 crops for free right now.
9 - Dust storms. Crops are worth 3. Lose two crops that are not in a silo. Everyone cannot harvest crops.
10 - Rivers Flood. Crops are worth 2 coins. Everyone cannot plant crops.
Jack - Nearby War. Crops are worth 4 coins. Everyone may not hire new workers.
Queen - Harvest Festival. Every player may take their own crops and put as many as they into empty silos right now. Crops are worth 3 coins.
King - Taxes. The king taxes all the farmers. Everyone give up five coins if you can. Crops are worth 2 coins.
Joker - Local government helps farmers. Everyone gets a free silo. Crops are worth 5 coins.
Strategy Hints
Discussion
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