As a staff, we identified that students were facing increasingly harmful levels of time in front of a screen, whether it be a computer, phone, or television. We wanted to find a way to reach students that forced them to interact with one another. A website can be an incredible resource, but it does not help to develop the social skills that students must develop prior to exiting high school. Board games allow for this interaction between students as students will be pushed to collaborate and discuss options with their peers and even compete against one another in a safe, learning environment. This helps to build valuable connections between the peers and between the students and their learning. Students will be taking the valuable role of an active learner instead of passively learning from a lecture or reading.
Each game is utilized to reach different standards, such as influences of culture and geography on ancient civilizations in a history classroom. For instance, 7 Wonders helps students to reach the standards SS.6-8.EWC.12 and SS.6-8.EWC.14. This is due to the connections being built between ancient cultures and their influences on today. Students can research about these civilizations and investigate the accuracy of their use within the game.
Also, students will create content based on the games. In our Advisory period, students are able pursue their own interests. As such, we will be creating reviews and "How to Play" videos using the digital camera to not only assist future students in how to learn the games, but also to act as a safe place for them to share their opinions of the games and their use within the classroom. I hope to push students to set up a catalog of reviews and instructional videos in the future.
About my class
As a staff, we identified that students were facing increasingly harmful levels of time in front of a screen, whether it be a computer, phone, or television. We wanted to find a way to reach students that forced them to interact with one another. A website can be an incredible resource, but it does not help to develop the social skills that students must develop prior to exiting high school. Board games allow for this interaction between students as students will be pushed to collaborate and discuss options with their peers and even compete against one another in a safe, learning environment. This helps to build valuable connections between the peers and between the students and their learning. Students will be taking the valuable role of an active learner instead of passively learning from a lecture or reading.
Each game is utilized to reach different standards, such as influences of culture and geography on ancient civilizations in a history classroom. For instance, 7 Wonders helps students to reach the standards SS.6-8.EWC.12 and SS.6-8.EWC.14. This is due to the connections being built between ancient cultures and their influences on today. Students can research about these civilizations and investigate the accuracy of their use within the game.
Also, students will create content based on the games. In our Advisory period, students are able pursue their own interests. As such, we will be creating reviews and "How to Play" videos using the digital camera to not only assist future students in how to learn the games, but also to act as a safe place for them to share their opinions of the games and their use within the classroom. I hope to push students to set up a catalog of reviews and instructional videos in the future.