Why Game Design?

My primary purpose for creating these game design activities is to give students an engaging project that will get them discussing and thinking about the course content.

Why non-digital games?

I've found many students, especially boys, are very interested in creating games. Most teachers I work with, however, can't give up the class time necessary for those students to learn to program their games on a computer. I stuck with non-digital base games so students can start redesigning them right away.

Also, many people aren't aware of this, but the popularity of tabletop (non-digital) games in general has been growing steadily over the past decade or so. This is largely because of fascinating design trends in the many new titles being released every month. See the article list below if you need to convince students non-digital games can be fun.

Besides their entertainment value, these trends offer teachers some other advantages over well known board games. Specifically, I created or chose base games for my Project Packs that have:

• Simple rules that are quick to learn
• Few components
• Short playing time

All of this adds up to mean the game related aspects of these projects do not have to overshadow your lesson content. 

What standards are involved in game design?

When students use these Project Packs to make a game about your course content, they'll be exploring it at a deep level. Here are some standards that can be addressed.

Source	Standards	How is it addressed?
ELA CCSS and ELA-History/Social Studies CCSS	CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.	Students can be required to analyze a text and practice these skills as they complete the Make and Reflect Stages. In the Make Stage they plan as a group and discuss the material. In the Reflect Stage they answer similar questions about the content on their own.
21st Century Learning Skills	"To be effective in the 21st century, citizens and workers must be able to create, evaluate, and effectively utilize information, media, and technology." "Learning and innovation skills increasingly are being recognized as the skills that separate students who are prepared for increasingly complex life and work environments in the 21st century, and those who are not." Skills: Creativity and Innovation  Critical Thinking and Problem Solving  Communication and Collaboration  Media Literacy	This is a broad list of skills that students can practice throughout all four Stages of the game design project. The critical thinking, problem solving and communication will especially come out if students are required to: Plan and document cycles of drafts and testing for their design based on feedback in the Test Stage.  Rewrite the rule document in the Make Stage so anyone can learn to play their game by reading it.
ISTE Technology Standards	Innovative Designer Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems. Students select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks. Students develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process. Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open-ended problems. Creative Communicator Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations. Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or simulations. Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.	Like the 21st Century Learning Skills above, students will reach these technology standards to the extent the teacher encourages them to fully explore the Make and Test Stages. In particular, these are some requirements to consider: Original artwork for some or all cards Other digital products such as multimedia summary of their project, a tutorial for how to play or a promo for their game Also see this post on my blog. In the Taking It to the World section I list ways the students can publish their game. All of them require more advanced tech skills.

Articles for Further Exploration

A few articles about the growing popularity of contemporary board games:

• Why board games are thriving in the digital age
• How Tabletop and Board Games Came Back Into Vogue
• Physical board games are experiencing a "golden age" 

And some about the value of game design and design in general as a learning strategy:

• Making Games - The Ultimate PBL
• How to Use Design Thinking in Schools
• Why Making Is Essential to Learning
• Constructionist Gaming - Understanding the Benefits of Making Games for Learning