Gamify Life
                                                                      By:  Shawn McMaster

Project at a Glance :

This project is for a Middle School technology course, which includes web design and video game design.  Students will be using their knowledge  of computer science to create an app or game with one of the following goals: Recreate a classic game with a unique twist, or a game based on “Then and Now” (based on an interview with someone who is a generation older than your parents/guardians) to create a feeling of nostalgia, or create a game that will make  challenging-concepts more engaging.
       
 
Driving Question:

How can we use Video Game design to serve a meaningful purpose for others?    

Standards:

• CSTA K - 12 Computer Science standards
• 2 - AP - 11, 13, and 19
• Skills4Success - Techonology Literacy and Critical thinking Skills

Team / Culture Building:

• Creative DNA protocol

Entry Event:

• Classic Arcade Game Day - Emulators or retro games can be used to study basic video game design and create understanding of basic principles and Survey students academic interest areas and divide into groups of common types.

Stakeholders:
Level 1: Retro Video Games: Local Students for showcase

• Students
• Friend or family member of student who is at least 40 years older than student.
• Teachers

Empathy Building:

• Stakeholder Map
• Pains and Gains 
• Empathy Map

Inquiry / Need to Knows:

•  Modified version of AEIOU
• Level 1: What games are users interested in
• Level 2: Retro-based questioning, picking a task/chore and reflecting on it
• Level 3: Challenging concept interview
• Conduct Interviews ​

Incubation:

• Anti-Problem​​​

• Brain-Writing
• New and Novel

Checking in:

•  Check in will happen at the end or revisiting of each stage with deliberate journal questions or  reflective rubric and identifying work via decomposition (making a map of the big task and breaking in down into small, manageable pieces--this might look different for each student.).
• Start:Stop:Continue
• Check In/Check Out

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Solution Building:

• Story Boarding
  
• Name your Idea
  
• Dot Voting

Critique and Revision: 

• Seeking Skeptics
• Check In/Check Out
• SWOT analysis

Authentic Audience:

• Students
• Teachers

Final Presentation:

• Students will use  a digital platform that provides javascript language on designing the video games.

Click here for teacher's full plan.

​Reflection and Feedback:

•  Surveys
• Self-Guiding rubrics
• Reflective journaling
• Single Point rubric, students fill out and share.
• Questionnaire for audience feedback​

Chick here for the teacher's Journey through PBL on Padlet . . .

Meet the Educator:

Shawn McMaster is a teacher at Allendale Middle School, focusing on Computer Science and Gifted/Talented PBL projects.

     "Giving students opportunities to learn with meaningful, real-world experiences causes more excitement and appreciation for the content covered and drives a higher level of interest for learning."