Smart people play Catan. Is it because smart people choose to play Settlers of Catan, or is it that playing Settlers of Catan makes you smarter? This PDF might convince you of a little of both! It outlines some of the skills that you gain as you play Catan and that will require refining to be successful in Settling Catan when faced with advanced opponents. Games can have a place in the classroom, and while this document outlines skills relevant to Settlers of Catan, a variety of skills that help students be successful can be found by playing a host of different games. Check out an awesome talk given by Jason King at our Library Game Day, part of our Graphic Novel Symposium, that talks about gaming in the classroom for some inspiration to spice up your future lessons.
http://www.mayfairgames.com/tzone/pdf/catan_in_the_classroom.pdf
http://ext.morainevalley.edu/librarynews/?p=2104