Catan Studio

$38 (German version is significantly cheaper)

-12

Moderate to low

Geography, studying of colonization

2-4

Small, perhaps with designated roles within the team

30 minutes

10 minutes (but explain BEFORE setup, as setup is a definite time for strategic decisions by players)

widely variable, generally between 30-120 minutes

Great game, relationship between resources and communities, also involves probability/odds in determination of resources. Instead of Catan, could easily call the game Settlers of Jamestown for a US History class for example.