Title: Gee, This Is Too Much Fun!

Background: games can be an effective way of teaching and learning if they are "brains on" and not just "hands on", i.e., if they require thought and not just reflexes, like many video games. A central part of creating the following game is grouping a body of information into four topic areas. It is necessary to understand the information so you can organize it into the topic areas. Why is making these topic areas important? One feature of an interesting game is the look - the shapes and colors - and, the visuals for this project are all based on your four topic headings. Think about making cover pages for labs or projects: all you're doing is presenting the theme through pictures rather than words. The same here except there are four themes to display through your pictures.

Process: 1. Look at the selected information and decide how to divide it into four topic areas. Give each topic area a short name (up to four words).

2. Now, with these four topics in mind design the playing surface. What will be its shape and color(s)?

3. The trail along which the game pieces move will have 25 spaces, 26 including the "start". The last space is the "finish". Keeping the four topic areas in mind, decide on the path the trail takes.

4. Each topic will have six spaces on the trail, randomly arranged. Create spaces with colors and shapes that represent the four topics. The "finish" space will be multicolored.

5. Choose random locations for four "wild zones" in the trail. Each wild zone will be the same shape (you decide what it will be) and show all four colors.

6. There will be one side trail that skips three spaces and rejoins the 4^th space up ahead. This branch will contain just one space, multicolored.

7. Create four game pieces whose shapes and colors represent the topic areas. The game pieces can lay flat or stand up.

8. Create six Q & A cards for each topic area. Four of the cards will test fact recall; two will test the player's ability to analyse. Note: 24 cards in all are needed. Each set of six cards will have the same shape and color(s). So, you need to design four shapes and choose four color schemes. Also, make a set of four fact recall Q & A cards for the wild spots, a set of four for the space in the shortcut and a final set of four "finish" cards. Number the cards in each of these three "special sets" 1 through 4.

Note: creating the questions is a key part of this game. The fact recall questions for the regular trail spaces will be the easiest. Use simple direct language so that each question will lead to a clear answer. To make an analysis question, choose a situation in the notes and change one thing about it. Think through to the answer, one that you feel is clear cut and that any prepared student could also think of.

Making the fact recall questions for the three sets of "special" cards is easier than the analysis questions: just ask a clearly worded question that is detailed and picky.

9. Get a die and cover over the 5 and 6.

10. Print the list of rules:

a) the players roll to start the game, lowest wins

b) roll to move the number of spaces; a space can hold more than one game piece

c) the correct roll is needed to land on the "finish"

d) a wrong answer means a lost turn and moving back two spaces

e) the Q & A card for a wild spot or the space in the shortcut is chosen by rolling the die.

Evaluation: playing surface shape and colors = 2

trail shape and color, shapes and colors of spaces = 3

regular trail cards (24) shapes, colors, questions = 4

special cards (12) shapes, colors, questions = 3

game pieces (4) shapes, colors = 1