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Design Your Own Educational Game

Grade 5English4 days

★★★★★

5.0 (1 rating)

In the 'Design Your Own Educational Game' project, 5th-grade students embark on a creative journey as game designers to craft compelling game narratives. By focusing on key narrative elements such as character, plot, and setting, students learn to use language effectively to excite and engage players while encouraging them to make inferences and predictions. Through activities like character development, plot mapping, and setting creation, learners integrate their knowledge of inference to build immersive stories. This project emphasizes narrative skills, inferencing, and creative storytelling, aligned with educational standards like TEKS and Common Core.

Game DesignNarrative ElementsInferenceCreative StorytellingEducational Standards

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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we, as 5th-grade game designers, create a compelling and engaging game story that uses language to excite players, encourages them to make inferences and predictions, and enhances their overall experience?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.

What are the key elements of a successful game story?
How can we use language to create excitement and engagement in a game narrative?
In what ways does the inferencing skill enhance the player's experience in a game?
What techniques can be used in game design to encourage players to infer and predict outcomes?
How do game designers use plot, character, and setting to develop a compelling story?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:

Students will be able to design a compelling game story that includes key narrative elements such as character, plot, and setting.
Students will develop skills to use language creatively to enhance storytelling and engage players.
Students will apply inferencing skills to create narratives that encourage players to make predictions and draw conclusions.
Students will learn to incorporate techniques in their game design that evoke emotions and maintain player interest.

TEKS

TEKS 5.6F

Primary

Make inferences and use evidence to support understanding.Reason: The project involves creating a game story that requires students to integrate skills of inferencing and using evidence to support storylines and character development, directly aligning with this standard.

Common Core Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3

Primary

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.Reason: The project entails writing narratives for a game story, which aligns with the standard concerning developing narratives with descriptive details and clear sequences.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.1

Secondary

Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.Reason: Students will need to create and interpret texts and narratives for the game, making inferences which aligns with this standard.

ISTE Standards for Students

ISTE 4a

Supporting

Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.Reason: Designing a game story involves a deliberate creative process that aligns with the standard for innovative thinking and problem solving.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

Game Design Challenge Week

Announce a week-long game design challenge where students must develop a game narrative that incorporates inferencing. Each day introduces a new task that pushes them to interpret text and multimedia clues, similar to crafting a storyline from fragmented pieces.

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Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.

Activity 1

Inferencing Intro: The Detective's Path

This activity immerses students in the world of inferencing by having them play detective to gather clues from given texts. The goal is to help them familiarize themselves with inferencing as a key to unlocking narratives.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Introduce students to the concept of inferencing with a simple detective story. Provide a short text and ask critical thinking questions.

2. Have students work in pairs to identify clues and infer outcomes from a new short story.

3. Discuss as a class what inferencing is and how it adds depth to storytelling.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA set of inferences derived from reading short texts, demonstrating an understanding of the concept.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with TEKS 5.6F and CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.1 by making inferences and using text evidence to support understanding.

Activity 2

Conceptualizing Characters: Heroes & Villains

Students will design compelling characters by exploring their traits, personalities, and roles in a narrative. This sets the stage for in-depth story creation, honing each student's ability to craft multi-dimensional characters.v

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Discuss common character archetypes in literature and games, like heroes, villains, and sidekicks.

2. Guide students to create their own characters using character trait worksheets.

3. Students present their characters to the class, showcasing their traits and potential roles in a story.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityCharacter profiles, complete with character traits and potential story roles.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsSupports CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3 by engaging students in developing real or imagined experience characters.

Activity 3

Plot Mapping: Adventure Architect

Through this activity, students will draft outlines for their game stories, focusing on the sequence of events. The goal is to refine their narrative skills by plotting adventures that encourage inferences and predictions.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Introduce the basic elements of a plot: introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

2. Have students brainstorm game story ideas that involve these plot elements.

3. Students create a plot map or storyboard for their game narrative, emphasizing points where players might make inferences.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA detailed plot map for the game story, outlining the sequence of events with points for inference.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3 and TEKS 5.6F by structuring narratives that require inferencing at critical plot points.

Activity 4

Setting the Scene: World Builders

This activity focuses on creating engaging settings that contribute to the narrative's mood and theme, enriching the player's experience within the game story.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Discuss how settings contribute to the mood and theme of a story or game.

2. Students brainstorm settings that complement their characters and plot.

3. Guide students in sketching or writing detailed descriptions of their settings.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityDetailed setting descriptions or illustrations that enhance storytelling elements.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsSupports CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3 by using descriptive details to develop settings that impact the story.

Activity 5

Narrative Synthesis: The Game Master's Script

Students synthesize previous activities to write a polished game narrative, incorporating elements of character, plot, and setting to create a cohesive story.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Review character profiles, plot maps, and settings created in earlier activities.

2. Begin drafting the full game narrative by combining the elements prepared.

3. Refine and edit the narrative, focusing on integrating inferencing opportunities for players.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA complete, polished game story narrative that uses inference to engage players.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3 and TEKS 5.6F, encompassing the synthesis of narrative elements and inferencing applications.

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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Game Design Narrative Rubric

Category 1

Narrative Elements and Structure

Evaluates students' ability to incorporate key narrative elements like character, plot, and setting in their game story, ensuring a cohesive structure.

Criterion 1

Character Development

Assesses the creation of well-rounded characters with distinct traits and potential roles within the story.

Exemplary

4 Points

Characters are fully developed with unique traits and roles that significantly enhance the narrative's depth and player engagement.

Proficient

3 Points

Characters are well-defined with clear traits and roles that contribute effectively to the story.

Developing

2 Points

Characters have basic traits and roles with limited contribution to narrative depth.

Beginning

1 Points

Characters are minimally developed, lacking distinct traits and contribution to the narrative.

Criterion 2

Plot Construction

Assesses the ability to create a well-structured plot that involves introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, with opportunities for player inference.

Exemplary

4 Points

Plot is expertly crafted with seamless transitions and numerous opportunities for player inference, maintaining strong engagement throughout.

Proficient

3 Points

Plot is well-structured with clear points for player inference and consistent engagement.

Developing

2 Points

Plot includes basic elements with some opportunity for player inference, but is inconsistently engaging.

Beginning

1 Points

Plot lacks clear structure and opportunities for inference, resulting in limited engagement.

Criterion 3

Setting Description

Evaluates how well students use descriptive details to create immersive and mood-enhancing settings.

Exemplary

4 Points

Settings are vividly described, enhancing the mood and theme significantly and engaging the player's senses.

Proficient

3 Points

Settings are well-described with clear contributions to the story's mood and theme.

Developing

2 Points

Settings have basic descriptions with limited impact on mood and theme.

Beginning

1 Points

Settings are poorly described with minimal contribution to the narrative's mood.

Category 2

Use of Language and Inferencing

Assesses the use of language to create exciting narratives and the incorporation of inferencing opportunities.

Criterion 1

Language Use

Evaluates the creativity and effectiveness of language to engage players and enhance storytelling.

Exemplary

4 Points

Language is used creatively and effectively, engaging the player deeply and enhancing the overall storytelling experience.

Proficient

3 Points

Language is used effectively to engage players and complements the storytelling well.

Developing

2 Points

Language shows some creativity but inconsistently engages the player.

Beginning

1 Points

Language use is minimal and does not significantly engage or enhance the story.

Criterion 2

Integration of Inferencing

Assesses how well inferencing opportunities are integrated into the game narrative to encourage player predictions and conclusions.

Exemplary

4 Points

Integration of inferencing is seamless and invites frequent player engagement through predictions and conclusions.

Proficient

3 Points

Inferencing is well-integrated and consistently provides opportunities for player engagement.

Developing

2 Points

Inferencing is present but offers limited opportunities for player engagement.

Beginning

1 Points

Inferencing opportunities are minimal or lacking, resulting in limited player engagement.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning

Question 1

Reflect on how your understanding of inferencing has grown through the game design project and how you applied it in creating your game story.

Text

Required

Question 2

How effectively were you able to use language to create excitement and engagement in your game narrative?

Scale

Required

Question 3

Which narrative element (characters, plot, setting) do you feel you mastered the most in your game design and why?

Multiple choice

Required

Options

Characters

Plot

Setting

Question 4

What challenges did you encounter while integrating inferencing opportunities into your game story, and how did you overcome them?

Text

Optional

Question 5

On a scale of 1 to 5, how confident are you in your ability to design a compelling game story that incorporates all key narrative elements?

Scale

Required