The Last Straw! is a fun and exciting board game which teaches the social determinants of health. The game has three objectives: 

• promote discussion about the social determinants of health; 
• help players build empathy with marginalized people and gain an awareness of players’ own social location; 
• encourage learning in a fun and supportive environment. 

I plan on splitting the class into two groups on two separate days and playing this game. It includes discussion questions throughout as well as some discussion questions at the end of the game. Some examples are:

• What life events or Community Cards caused your character to lose vitality chips?
• What ultimately was “the last straw” that caused your character’s death?
• According to the game, what factors influenced your character’s health?
• What other factors can you think of that influence health?

Learn more about the Last Straw here.