I'm a teacher, so I thought I would design a contest that mixes gaming and teaching in a fun way.
Free $25 game to the best entry to this contest. Contest ends in two hours.
Here's the scenario. You are a teacher and your students love video games. You want to teach them something that incorporates their interests into your instruction.
To make this appropriately challenging, let's stick with K-12. That's all the grades before college. If you're from a country aside from the US, just translate these grades into however your school system is structured.
This project must
- -Have several elements of choice on the part of the student
- -Give students the chance to interact socially in some way, either through groups or as a whole.
- -Have at least three steps so it takes students more than one day to complete
- -Integrate video games in some way, while still teaching the required content.
- -Teach some concept in one or more of the following areas: English-Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, Physical Education, Art, and/or Music. Classes such as Biology, Algebra, Economics, etc. fall into these categories.
- -Have a way to test to see if the students learned what you taught them This does not have to be a written exam. Just describe what they'll do.
***I don't want a lesson plan.*** You are most likely not a teacher. I want you to tell me how you would make video games relevant to what the students are learning.
Bear in mind that I have successfully taught game-related lessons in Math and Social Studies so I know such a project can be done.
Your entries will be judged on the basis of thoughtful response and creativity. If you are unfamiliar with state or Common Core standards, just consult a website. However, I'm more interested in how you design the project. I just want a description of what you'll do.
Project Bridge
Subject: Engineering (Sciences, if Engineering does not have its own dedicated course)
Target Age Group: Middle Schoolers (7th and 8th Graders), though changes to lesson depth can be made to adjust to older or slightly younger students.
Goal: The goal of this project is to introduce students to basic structural engineering by teaching them some of the aspects involved in the structure of a bridge.
Synopsis:Students will foster an interest in structural engineering by using video game programs to help them create and simulate realistic bridges. They will gain knowledge from lessons to help them understand basic aspects of bridge structure. Using the knowledge they gain from the video game program, as well as the lessons they learn from the instructor, they will form groups to build their own miniature bridges using tools provided to them,
Video Game Program: Bridge Project (there are multiple alternatives available, though one using realistic physics and structures is required)
Outline:
Part 1
Students will be introduced to structural engineering with the video game program, and instructed to experiment building different kinds of bridges. This step is to ease the students into the lesson, so as not to intimidate them with any difficult topics; rather, to create an interest in how to build bridges.
Part 2
The instructor will take a more important role here by teaching students about aspects of bridges and common bridge structures found around the world. From this lesson, students will be able to use the knowledge they gain and apply it to the video game program and even to real-life situations.
Part 3
Students will now form groups of 3-4 students to build a miniature bridge (roughly 3 feet) using a certain amount of tools provided by the instructor to each group. Using the limited tools they have, each group will attempt to create a bridge that can withstand the most weight. This lesson will require them to use critical thinking and group work, and will allow them to use the knowledge they have gained so far.
Test: In order to ensure students have gained the appropriate amount of knowledge from this project, they can be asked to write a short explanation on why they chose to build the bridge the way they did, what aspects of structural engineering did they use, and what they would have done differently if they had more time and tools.
