This excited exclamation came from Emma after our St. Augustine simulation's most dramatic turn. My fourth graders had spent a week reading newspaper warnings about Sir Francis Drake raiding Spanish cities in the Caribbean, debating whether to prepare defenses or focus on other colony needs—and then the event card revealed the attack was happening RIGHT NOW.

The surprise transformed their decision-making from abstract planning into urgent response. They weren't just playing a game—they were experiencing what colonial leaders felt when threats became reality.

But here's what I almost did wrong: I almost told them Drake was coming.