What if your next economics lesson didn’t start with a textbook, but with a dice roll? When a local teacher reached out asking if I had any lessons related to economics for a class of high school students, I saw this as a perfect opportunity to make history relevant and engaging for young people. Thus was born a project combining state history, economic theory, and game-based learning into a hands-on classroom experience. The result was a game exploring the agriculture and oil booms and busts of northwestern North Dakota between 1975 and 1985.

Why then? The late 1970s and early 1980s were a time of dramatic economic swings in our region. High oil prices and strong wheat markets brought prosperity to many communities, followed by sharp downturns that left lasting impacts. These cycles of boom and bust offer a powerful lens for teaching key economic concepts like supply and demand, market speculation, and resource dependency.

Career cards describe each community member’s job role and salary. Play money is used for transactions in the game.

In this economics game, students assume jobs in the community such as teacher, rancher, or oil worker. Then they roll the dice to advance the game and determine the fate of that group. Each game square represents an event inspired by real newspaper clippings from McKenzie County. Each round is a year between 1975 and 1985. Players must make decisions about investing in oil rigs, expanding farms, buying insurance, and building infrastructure, while navigating unpredictable market shifts, weather events, and policy changes.

Game squares contain a newspaper clipping and detail the impact the report has on careers in the game.

By the end of the game, students have gained an understanding of how history and economics intersect in their own backyard and grappled with the challenges of economic decision-making under uncertainty.

Through this game, students don’t just learn about economics, they live it. By stepping into the shoes of real community members and navigating the volatility of boom-and-bust economies, they gain a deeper appreciation for how market forces shape lives, towns, and futures. It’s a powerful reminder that history isn’t just something we read about, it’s something we can simulate, question, and learn from. In doing so, we help students connect classroom concepts to real-world stories rooted right here in North Dakota.

Many North Dakotans will soon be ringing in the New Year with a toast. Here are some conversation starters from the state collections for your New Year’s parties.

1. Turtle Mountain Brewery Barrel Branding Iron

Local breweries were a thriving business in northern Dakota Territory. The Turtle Mountain Brewery served the Rolette County area from around 1886 until 1889 when North Dakota joined the union as a dry state. Carl Stofft, a German immigrant, founded the Dunseith-based business. Stofft worked with Francis Higgins, a cooper who constructed the vats and barrels likely marked with this brand.

The “TURTLE MT. BR.Y” brand. SHSND 2018.95.1

2. Prohibition Beer

When the 18th Amendment took effect in 1920, not much changed for North Dakotans. Many had been ignoring the dry state’s prohibition laws since 1889. On Oct. 8, 1930, undercover Prohibition agent Leo St. Martin bought this bottle of homemade beer for 45 cents from Lance Zimmer at a Bismarck residence. The bottle was labeled as evidence in the liquor trafficking case against Zimmer. Zimmer pled guilty to the charge.

Beer bottle with evidence label from the U.S. Prohibition Service. SHSND 14227

3. Woman’s Christian Temperance Union Ruler

Here’s one for the teetotalers. The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) promoted social reform by encouraging abstinence from alcohol. Members were loud proponents of both Prohibition and woman suffrage. Viola Leissman, a member of Bismarck’s WCTU chapter, collected this ruler.

WCTU ruler (front and back). The initials “EL” on the back are from Viola’s son, Emerson. SHSND 2011.30.19

4. Dakota Beer Six-Pack

In 1932, North Dakotans voted to repeal the state’s ban on alcohol with federal Prohibition ending the following year. Around this same time, the state also legalized the manufacture, sale, and distribution of beer. But it took decades for the brewing industry in North Dakota to revive. Dakota Malting and Brewing Company was North Dakota’s first post-Prohibition brewery. The Bismarck-based company produced its first batch of Dakota Beer in 1961 but closed its doors a few years later in 1965.

“Dakota Beer: Brewed in the heart of barley country.” SHSND 1978.41.1

5. Bismarck Distillery Canned Cocktail

While beer regained its legal status in the state in 1933, liquor had to wait three more years. Nowadays, craft breweries and distilleries are successful businesses. A North Dakotan bought this Bismarck Distillery apple pie-flavored vodka cocktail while visiting Send It! 24/7 Cornhole in Mandan.

A ready-to-drink cocktail from Bismarck Distillery. SHSND 2024.1.1

I hope your New Year’s is made brighter by these fun facts from the past. Cheers!