-Dr. Fred Goodman
A Game Design Project Pack is a free collection of resources for creating non-digital games based on a classroom lesson. They are activity templates that can easily be adapted to fit your needs.
For example, students might use the resources to create games based on a book they read in class or a historic event they recently studied.
While the games lend themselves to lessons in language arts or social studies, creative students and teachers will find ways to use them in many other subjects.
Here's a video that sums them up in less than two minutes.
The Usual Lesson Outline
Teachers or students can choose one of the base games to work on in their project. No matter which one they pick, each one has these four stages.
Click any stage to see what that part of the activity entails. Each Pack will refer back to the general directions in them.
Click any stage to see what that part of the activity entails. Each Pack will refer back to the general directions in them.
Redesign the Base Game - Using a Game Design Planning Sheet, students will make connections between key aspects of the class content and their version of the base game.
Playtest the Games - Students play their own games and the games of others. They can exchange feedback and, if time allows, further develop their designs.
Reflection - A reflection sheet requires students to think back over the project. It asks their opinions and for justification of their design decisions with respect to the class content.
And here are some of my goals as I created the Packs:
Other Details about These Projects
If you want more detail, here is a revised introduction to a presentation I gave in early 2017.And here are some of my goals as I created the Packs:
- Free - Right now all my resources are free. I currently have no plans to charge for any of it.
- Non-Digital Games - The final products are card games rather than digital games because most teachers can't devote several class periods to computer programming.
- Deep Learning - The heart of the lesson is the focus on connecting the game theme to the course content. Students will discuss elements of the course content during planning and design stages. They will reflect on it after the activity.
- Flexibility - The teacher can decide just how much time she wants to devote to the game design aspects. Aspects of design and playtesting can get a little or a lot of attention in and out of class as the teacher decides is appropriate.
- Simple Rules - All the base games you'll find in these Packs are very easy to learn. I include videos so everyone can usually learn and play the game in less than 30 minutes.
- Few Components - I try to keep the number of cards around 20. Small games like this are easier to print and faster to redesign.
- New Games - Most game projects I've seen end up being new versions of Monopoly, Risk or simple trivia games. I wanted to create activities that introduce students to fascinating trends in modern games.
- Accessible Resources - All my resources are created in Google Apps, which makes them simple to modify and share.
