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?
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.
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'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