Traveling the Silk Roads: Notes on How This Lesson “Played Out” in my 6th Grade Class
After reading the regular textbook chapter on Ancient China, I was left with the feeling that my students needed something more. I showed my class three short videos(less than 10 min each), starting with a TEDed video. We had discussions and I had them take some notes about the positive and negative impacts of globalization on civilization using a T-chart. I still felt like they needed more, so I decided to have them turn these notes from their learning into a game. Now I had their attention! Suddenly my students cared about the topic and were highly engaged in learning.
We often glorify the positive exchanges along the Silk Road, but can you think of a possible negative impact of global trade on society in either the ancient or modern world?
The positives and negatives from their notes were to be used in a game that they would create as good moves/cards and bad moves/cards.
After the students were settled into their teams for this project, I gave them a text set that contained 4 sections and instructed them to divide up the reading and have each person in their group do their assigned reading and come up with 10 questions based on what they have discovered- questions that will be used somehow in their game. I also did a mini-lesson on how to write a question. I have now included all of these elements in a hyperdoc and saved myself from standing over the copying machine in the teacher work room.
After the students were settled into their teams for this project, I gave them a text set that contained 4 sections and instructed them to divide up the reading and have each person in their group do their assigned reading and come up with 10 questions based on what they have discovered- questions that will be used somehow in their game. I also did a mini-lesson on how to write a question. I have now included all of these elements in a hyperdoc and saved myself from standing over the copying machine in the teacher work room.
Students brought in games from home for inspiration, and to study procedures and instructions.
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Once they had gone through the steps of creating their own game about the silk roads, they played it focusing on the elements of game mechanics. This allowed them to make sure that their game would work as they had planned before it was played by their classmates. If something wasn't working out properly, then they made adjustments to their game and the directions.
I made a rubric and the project was graded by the groups of people that played the games. My plan was to have the students rotate through each game playing every game made by the other teams in both of my classes, but it took way too long. I revised that goal to have groups of students play at least three games made by other groups.
We worked on this project in the last periods of the day after some long mornings of SBAC testing, and I have to say a little game playing was a much needed element in our day.
I made a rubric and the project was graded by the groups of people that played the games. My plan was to have the students rotate through each game playing every game made by the other teams in both of my classes, but it took way too long. I revised that goal to have groups of students play at least three games made by other groups.
We worked on this project in the last periods of the day after some long mornings of SBAC testing, and I have to say a little game playing was a much needed element in our day.
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There were so many different and creative versions of the Silk Roads game. The one pictured above left (with the cups) had a Mancala theme. There was another game that involved the exchanging of beans as goods traded along the journey. There was also a game with a trivial pursuit element to it where the players had to answer questions to collect objects. The objects represented themes of things that were exchanged through travels along the silk road (religion, ideas, goods, technology/inventions, etc).
I'd like to apply this format to have my class create games for the hero's journey/monomyth or for a review of a Mythology unit. We have created games for Buddhism and the Eightfold path to Enlightenment, and we made a Pokemon style game out of Pharaoh cards which we called Pharaoh-mon Gotta Catch ‘Em All!
Up next, games for "Histories Mysteries"-I'm thinking "What Happened to the Mayans?" or "Who Killed Julius Caesar?" with a "Clue" spin to it. Within any study of a civilization there is an opportunity to make a game related to the social class structure. The Caste system in Ancient India is a good example.
In short, I love games. My students love and remember our games. Any time a learning experience can involve gaming, I'm game! #GSPD
I'd like to apply this format to have my class create games for the hero's journey/monomyth or for a review of a Mythology unit. We have created games for Buddhism and the Eightfold path to Enlightenment, and we made a Pokemon style game out of Pharaoh cards which we called Pharaoh-mon Gotta Catch ‘Em All!
Up next, games for "Histories Mysteries"-I'm thinking "What Happened to the Mayans?" or "Who Killed Julius Caesar?" with a "Clue" spin to it. Within any study of a civilization there is an opportunity to make a game related to the social class structure. The Caste system in Ancient India is a good example.
In short, I love games. My students love and remember our games. Any time a learning experience can involve gaming, I'm game! #GSPD
My Silk Roads Hyperdoc
If you would like to use this lesson, click on the link above. Then click on "file" and "make a copy". You will need to make your own copy of the Google forms in the same manner, otherwise your students will be turning their work in to me. Check out @TsGiveTs on twitter as well as #give1take1 to find more hyperdoc lessons like this one. For more info on hyperdoc creation go to Lisa Highfill's Google Teacher Academy page.
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