Unit 1: The Basics of Games in the Classroom

Unit Overview and Learning Objectives

This unit will show you how games can be applicable to classroom instruction. The learning objective is to for you to see how games that you may already know and play would be useful in the classroom and as part of your instruction.
You will need to complete all of the assignments listed below before you should move on to the next unit.

Preparation

First, before we even start the lesson, you will need to complete a preparatory task. You will play a game that they have played before. This can really be any (non-video) game like Monopoly, Shoots and Ladders, Connect Four, even solitaire. The only restriction is that it should be a game that you have played before. The focus for this is not on learning the rules or discovering a new game, but on seeing what knowledge and or skills are necessary to play this game.

Lecture

Read the following white paper on using games in education: Treher, E.N. (2011). Learning with Boardgames: Tools for Learning and Retention. Retrieved from www.thelearningkey.com/pdf/Board_Games_TLKWhitePaper_May16_2011.pdf

Pay particular attention to the following sections: Learning via Board Games (pg 3), Research on Board Games (pg 4), Improving Learning (pg 5), Example from Education (pg 7), Conclusion (pg 9).

Discussion

Think and reflect on the game that you played in preparation for this unit. What knowledge and/or skills were necessary to play it successfully, no matter how basic it might seem? Maybe be as generic as pattern recognition, arithmetic, fine motor skills or as specific as geography of Europe, creative writing, or human anatomy.

Write a discussion post that provides a brief description of the game, and discusses which knowledge and skills are needed to play it. Make sure to provide direct explanations of which game mechanics or what content leads direct to what skill or area of knowledge.

Be sure to respond to at least one other classmate's discussion post with a skill or knowledge that is needed for their game and had been overlooked.

Activity

Create a lesson plan or class activity using the game they played in the beginning of this lesson.

Continue on to Unit 2: A Look at Specialty Games

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