Game Design Project in Mythology Class

Melinda Newcombe teaches the Mythology class at our high school. We teamed up earlier in the month as part of the Go Beyond Challenge I raised to myself and several teachers this school year.

In this overview, I'll link to a couple games that students made in this Mythology game design project. I'll also explain what we learned and give links to resources. 

Key Challenge to Remember:  The course content has to be the goal. If the students are thinking and talking about the content, it's a win no matter how the games turn out. 

We considered this project a big success in a lot of ways. It is a unique blend of content, game creation, collaboration and technology. Students and the teachers really enjoyed it throughout. I know from experience, though, that it can be overwhelming to take on the first time. This is not just a PDF download that you print and hand out. I'll list some tips at the end for anyone considering it.

My key takeaway: Working with this class convinced me this is a great project for a group of students who are interested in making a game. While it worked very well for us with a whole class, that brings a lot of obstacles you won't want to tackle until you've gone through the process a few times.

Overview

I put a lot of information about the game design project in general on my Game Design Project Packs site. Keep that link handy in case you want to use this someday. It provides a number of simple game options that the students can redesign based on the lesson content.  

We worked on the project for six class periods.

The overall process is:

• Learn to play what I call the "base games". These are games that will be new to almost all the students. They are easy to learn and they don't require a ton of printed materials. Don't underestimate how important those things are. It took a lot of work to find good games that fit that criteria. Since the games are not about the course content, I try to make sure the students learn them and play them in just one class period.
• Students then complete some planning sheets that help them think about how they will add a theme to the base games. This is vitally important, since it's when students apply the lesson content to the game. For example, if the base game uses chips as points, the planning sheet will ask them to think about what the chips represent from the lesson content. Here's the planning sheet we used for groups that redesigned Love Letter. 
• Next, students edit the templates I provide for the cards in the various games. All templates are in Google Slides, so the tech is not a huge obstacle. Students can easily do a superficial change, by just making the cards be about their lesson content. If time allows, though, you can dig deeper into game design here, asking them to make changes to the effects of cards and the rules of the game. (Templates are found on my Project Pack site. I'll add more soon.)
• When the templates are finished, it's time to print them, cut them out and see how well they work. Through playing them with other groups, students get a good review of the lesson material. It also lets them see the importance of testing and revision in game design (or any design for that matter). If there's time, you can repeat the previous step and this one, allowing them to improve the games.
• At the end, I have students do a reflection sheet that seals the learning. I ask about what they learned from the content, how they tied it into their games, and what they learned about game design. I also get feedback from them about the project itself, so I can do better next time.

Example Games Created by Students

Here are two different games students created as part of this project. They are two of the five different styles of games we offered. I made a few edits to clean up these files, but the majority of work was from students.

• Mythology Love Letter Retheme - A light strategy game based on Love Letter. This video shows how to play the original game. (Thanks for AEG for permission to use their Love Letter game in this project.)
• Take Your Pick Mythology Version - This is a party game I designed. It's published by SimplyFun. This video from the publisher shows how to play the original game. You'd need more cards to play for very long.

What We Did Differently This Time and What I Learned

As I said, this is the first time I worked with a large class and gave them the option of choosing from several games. I presented many options for them for the first day, as they learned the base games. Among all the groups, they chose to learn four different ones. 

Teaching that many new games to six or seven groups in 40 minutes (and giving them time to play) is a huge task. I've used games in class for 25 years, so I know how to teach them quickly and effectively. You'll make your life easier if you pick one game everyone has to redesign. 

Two of the base games I taught that day--including one that got the most repeated play--are not posted online yet. I will add them to the list on my Project Packs site soon. 

I will also add a section to my site for Mythology class projects specifically. There I'll post all the planning sheets, templates and reflection sheets we used. (The ones there now are generic, so teachers can adapt them to any subject or lesson.)

Two groups decided to branch out and make a game completely different from those I presented. What they proposed fit my criteria (not much to print, easy to learn, etc.), so I encouraged it. Remember that only had about 2.5 class periods to actually make the game content. You can probably guess what happened with both of these groups' game ideas. They had fun working on them, but they didn't get far in that little time. 

In fact, feedback from many students was that they needed more time. Students could stretch a project like this out for weeks, and if you're teaching game design you would need that long. All things considered, though, the teacher and I decided the goal was met and it was time to move on.

One big change I'd make was to focus more on learning standards as I met and planned this with the teacher. It was not a loss, but I could have done better in that area. The teacher told me she was really glad to hear the review taking place as students tested their games. There was conversation throughout about various myths and personalities. Once I read over everyone's reflections, though, I realized review was the most they got from it. With more planning, we could have achieved deeper learning goals.

Summary of Tips for Success:

• Keep content the goal. Remind students of that. Games might not work as intended. Art and fonts might look terrible. Many groups won't completely finish their game. If students were talking about and thinking about the content in new ways, your goal was achieved. 
• If students feel they don't have enough time or their game isn't going as planned, remind them they can always work on it as a personal project. Here are some posts that include a lot of tips for students who are interested in making games.
• These game design projects could fit in any subject, but they work best if you just finished a story or you've studied a historical period. Language Arts and Social Studies classes are easiest to start with.
• If you care about proper use of digital resources, provide a list of sites students can use for free images. I include that on their planning sheets. (See my Love Letter Planning Sheet as an example of sites I listed.)
• Let a motivated small group go through a Project Pack first, then decide if you want to try it with more groups or a whole class.
• Choose the game they will redesign, rather than just throwing several options at them.
• Contact me if you have questions. I can provide a lot more examples and resources than what I have here or on my other site.

Go Beyond Challenge - Update #2 - Choosing to Press On

I haven't been great about posting the projects, but we are still forging ahead with the Go Beyond Challenge I started this school year. Here are a few things we're doing or that I've learned.

• I had to decide recently if it was still worth doing this challenge. What does it mean to "go beyond normal" when very little feels like it went back to normal this school year? Is it crazy? We are still dealing with the effects of COVID on a regular basis, both in current challenges and the lasting impacts of the previous year. In the past two weeks, our district was one of many that was impacted by the devastating school shooting in nearby Oxford, Michigan. It felt so insane to make these projects work that I considered telling teachers we'd just let it go. I'm very glad to say I chose to press on. The teachers I'm working with have been extremely encouraging. For the students and the district as a whole, we know this is important. 
• It took about three weeks longer than we hoped, but we finally are wrapping up our ebook project where 6th graders write books for younger students. The overall theme of the project was overcoming obstacles in life to use our gifts for others. That was very appropriate for this overall endeavor! We lost time when the teacher and several students were on quarantine, but we didn't give up. I'm converting student ebooks this weekend so the younger students can read them. I'll update this blog with examples once we finalize that last step.
• In high school Mythology, we kicked off a game design project. I'm friends with another educator and game designer from a different Michigan school. We put several game design "Project Packs" together a few years ago that allow students to make unique card games that tie into classroom content. You can see most examples here.  I added two other original games in the mix this time and so far it is going very well. Finished games will be published on a website for other teachers to use with students. I'm also going to put some resources up so a teacher could duplicate the entire project.
• I worked with a 6th grade science teacher to bring some technology into a paper roller coaster project he found. I helped with some prep on the project, then we're also asking students to document their work through a short video. I showed students how to use the camera on an iPad, plus the iMovie app, to zero in on how long it took the marble to go through their coaster. That will allow them to do some required calculations they have to include in the video.
• Finally, here's a first grade project I'm really excited about. The teacher wants to have the students make number story problems, then record their thinking as they solve them. I thought it would be good if we could team up with a class from another district to share problems and solutions. We connected with a teacher in Dearborn, Michigan, who is very interested. Our class has already been working on their stories. We will share with the other school after we return from break in January. Resources we used for that project will be posted when we finish up.
• Besides projects, I had a great opportunity to connect with two innovative leaders who gave us amazing direction. Dr. Sonny Magana and Dr. Scott McLeod were kind enough to connect with me and some district administrators to discuss our next steps. The time and advice they gave us was appreciated. Ongoing discussion about it is helping us sharpen our vision.

In conclusion, these projects transformed some low valleys into insightful pinnacles for me. I can see they were positive for the teachers and the students too. Each time we try a new activity, it gives us something to look forward to. As the class works, we can make observations and have discussion that is beneficial. Even when things don't work, our reflection can help us glean the useful aspects and do better next time. 

Go Beyond Challenge - Update #1

 

Photo by Nextvoyage from Pexels

Last month I wrote about the Go Beyond Challenge that I raised to several teachers in the district. Things have been going well. Here are some updates.

• I am formally working with seven teachers, ranging from 1st grade through 12th grade. Some of the other new things I'm doing within the scope of the challenge involve many other teachers. We're a small district, so this has already involved 20% of our staff.
• I wrote a post on my Teaching Like an Artist blog that summed up my goal when I'm working with students during this challenge. I'm looking for opportunities to encourage their talents and also to encourage them to press through their areas of weakness. I want them to see school as intensely personal, revealing what they're great at and giving them a chance to get better at everything else. That should come in handy no matter where they find themselves in the years ahead.
• For actual projects, I've worked with a high school Cold War History class, where students made podcasts and websites so far. That work will continue throughout the semester. I also am in the middle of a writing project at the 6th grade level. There students are writing stories for younger students. It's an improved approach to this project from a few years ago. 
• With the other teachers, we've been planning. Topics so far are game design, creating video tutorials, virtual debates and informational videos for our community.
• I'm happy to say my proposal to speak about the Challenge at the MACUL Conference was accepted. I look forward to reporting how our efforts have moved the teachers and students forward in a big way this year, including helping them to see their own potential as leaders among their peers.
• Lastly, I was thrilled to come across Dr. Sonny Magana's book, Disruptive Classroom Technologies, last week. How had I not heard of this before? I'm including his T3 Framework in all project planning moving forward. I was focusing on Triple E and the 4Shifts Protocol previously. From what I've seen of T3 so far, it is exactly what I have been looking for. Some of us from the district will meet with Dr. Magana this week to discuss how T3 can help our district.

Here's a tweet I posted about the book today, along with the quote from his book.

Enjoying Disruptive Classroom Technologies by @sonnymagana This is why I’m not excited when I hear about how some new tool really hooked the class. There could never be enough money to keep thrilling them with new tools. pic.twitter.com/CWMDSIjKuS

— Mike Petty (@mpetty39) November 7, 2021

Two Free Math Games for Elementary Students

It's been a long time since I've posted any games on this blog. I'm glad to get back to its early origins (not to mention its name). Here are two simple games I've been playing with elementary students.

Both of these games have some graphics to print and they need a few other items to play. The rule documents explain everything you need to know, but I'll offer some summaries below.

I use games like these in math to let students get comfortable with numbers, not to necessarily teach a concept. For example, I've seen younger students play and have fun with games using negative numbers long before they studied integers. I wouldn't give them an integer quiz after playing or even claim that they knew how to do basic operations. I'm happy to see them getting a general feel for how numbers work.

Watch Your Step

This game (pictured above) lets students move on a short number line with the roll of a die. Variations are described so that it can be enjoyed by students from at least 2nd - 5th grade. It works best with three players in each group. Each group needs a die, some pawns and the game board (which can be printed on a sheet of paper). They also need paper to keep score.

Here are the rules and the printable boards. I use this Jamboard to teach the game to the class. It has a scoring summary on the second slide. Be sure to change it so it matches the variation you are using. When teaching the game, I emphasize these two rules:

• Players can keep rolling on their turn. (Students think they roll once and pass the die.)
• Don't score the round until each player has taken a turn. (They like to write down points as soon as they move.)

Smash the Bugs (or Flip the Cards)

This game uses counting or addition at most, so younger players can enjoy it. It is based on the classic game of Shut the Box. Using cards allows students to count objects if they aren't very fast with their addition. It's also cheaper to make several sets, and it's easier to store.

Players play in pairs. You need to print and cut out a copy of the 10 cards for each pair of students. One set is provided with pictures of bugs on them. You can print blank cards too, and have the students decorate them with objects that they choose. You also need two dice for each pair of students and paper and pencil, if they keep score.

Here are the rules and cards for the game.

Simple Podcasts or Audio Recordings on Chromebooks

I’m highlighting some projects I’m supporting as part of the Go Beyond Challenge I started in our district. The ultimate goal is to encourage and share student talent by intentionally stretching in a few specific ways. You can read about the challenge here. 

Last week Dan Huggler, one of our high school social studies teachers took some new steps with a podcast project. I've shared the template for that on my blog before, but it's been updated. Resources and examples you can use are below. 

We called it a podcast, but it’s basically an audio recording of an essay or script the students write. In this case, the teacher gave them two days to research, one day to write their script and one day to record and edit.

Here’s a sample one-minute recording made by two students. Elizabeth grew up in our small mid-Michigan community. Emma is an exchange student from Venice, Italy. I appreciated the conversational tone of their recording. 

Here is the direction template I shared with the teacher. In it, I recommend using TwistedWave* for recording and editing, since it is free (for under 5 minutes) and it works great on Chromebooks. Files are stored in Google Drive, for easy submissions. Steps for the process are listed and a video recording is also provided. 

Make a copy of the template, so you can edit it for your needs. Your main focus on the directions will be the list of requirements. That's where you can make sure students are accomplishing the learning goals you have for them. 

I added some suggestions and questions in the requirement section to get you started. Notice one asks students to explain why they picked the topic. That brief reflection piece is to remind the teacher and students that what they are learning should always connect to their lives or interests in some way. That's one important part of our Go Beyond Challenge.

The example recording embedded in the template is from a senior project we did in another class. 

I also recommend requiring students submit their written script or essay in Google Classroom. You can use the originality report feature to be sure they are submitting their own work.

*The students in the example provided in this blog post used a voice memo app on their phone to create their recording.