Beacon Lesson Plan Library

Mind Games

Geri Gautney

Description

The teacher receives a letter from the CEO of Nasbro, Inc. Nasbro is conducting a nation-wide search for new game ideas. Teams of students develop and produce a game prototype that could be mass produced and sold to every adolescent in the world.

Standards

Florida Sunshine State Standards
SC.F.1.3.1
The student understands that living things are composed of major systems that function in reproduction, growth, maintenance, and regulation.

Florida Process Standards
Information Managers
01 Florida students locate, comprehend, interpret, evaluate, maintain, and apply information, concepts, and ideas found in literature, the arts, symbols, recordings, video and other graphic displays, and computer files in order to perform tasks and/or for enjoyment.

Effective Communicators
02 Florida students communicate in English and other languages using information, concepts, prose, symbols, reports, audio and video recordings, speeches, graphic displays, and computer-based programs.

Critical and Creative Thinkers
04 Florida students use creative thinking skills to generate new ideas, make the best decision, recognize and solve problems through reasoning, interpret symbolic data, and develop efficient techniques for lifelong learning.

Systems Managers
07 Florida students integrate their knowledge and understanding of how social, organizational, informational, and technological systems work with their abilities to analyze trends, design and improve systems, and use and maintain appropriate technology.

Cooperative Workers
08 Florida students work cooperatively to successfully complete a project or activity.

Materials

-Life Science Textbooks to be used as resource
-Other texts for reference (can be checked out from school or public library
-Web resources (optional) (one computer classrooms or ideally students working on their own computers in a computer lab)
-Monopoly game/s (supplied by teacher or students)
-Index cards, 60 cards per team
-Scissors
-Markers
-Tape
-Glue
-Game making supplies (to be supplied by students OR teacher)
-Copies of downloadable documents found in Attached Files (see Teacher Preparation)

Preparations

1. Copy the letter from Nasbro, Inc. (See Attached Files.)
2. Copy the Pre/PostTest. (See Attached Files.)(2/student).
3. Copy the pre-instruction group knowledge assessment, What We Know. (See Attached Files.) (1/student)
4. Copy the Monopoly Evaluation Form. (See Attached Files.) (5 per team-1 for a guide, 4 for evaluation other teams' games).
5. Copy the Game Evaluation Rubric. (See Attached Files.)(5/ team, 1 for a guide for the team, 4 to evaluate other teams' games).
6. Gather Materials (Monopoly Game-if one is not available ask students to bring one in, scissors, glue, markers, index cards)

Procedures

1. Inform students that you have just received a letter from the CEO of Nasbro. Read the letter to the students. (See Attached Files.)

2. Administer Pre-Test (See Attached Files.)

3. Students are divided into heterogeneous groups of four.

4. Give each group a Monopoly Evaluation (see Attached Files) for the game Monopoly. Students evaluate the game Monopoly.

5. Inform students that the games they create will be evaluated in a similar manner. Give each team a copy of the rubric to be used to evaluate their games. Discuss the rubric.

6. Give each team a knowledge assessment sheet, What We Know. (See Attached Files.) Have each team assess their prior knowledge of the human body.

7. Each team shares with the class their prior knowledge of the human body.

8. Teams are given research time in class and home to research body systems. Tell students to organize their data by system, function, components and interesting facts. In class students review and condense the research onto the 60 index cards. The cards are evaluated for content.

9. The information collected by the students is used to formulate 40+ human body system questions.

10. Students bring in game making supplies from home (no game pieces can be from actual games, they must be common household objects OR made from scratch by the student/s).

11. Students are given approximately 90 minutes to construct the game. Students use the information collected through research and recorded on their index cards to formulate questions related to the body systems. As players move around the boad game, they must answer questions related to various body systems. A sample question might be -You are a doctor, one of your patients is having chest pains, you belive there may be a problem with the patient's heart, what system would include the heart?-

12. Encourage students to develop games that are fun, creative AND educational. After completion of the game, games are circulated, played and evaluated by the teacher and by students. (See Attached Files.)

13. Administer Post-test (See Attached Files.)

Assessments

Diagnostic Assessment is accomplished using the pre-test and the team prior knowledge assessment, What We Know. Formative assessment is accomplished through constant teacher observation as students create their games. Look for students to be on task, cooperative, responsible with materials, and helpful. Formative assessment of the game is accomplished using the criteria for the game in the attached file. (Game creation not linked to SSS) Summative assessment is accomplished by the Post Test.

Extensions

Crossword puzzles for each system could be used to reinforce the material.

Web Links

This is a fantastic site of short cartoon video clips of body systems and activity pages.
Body Systems

This has good basic information regarding the body systems.
Innerbody

This site provides basic information, graphics and excellent links to other good sites.
Science

This is a good place to start for an overview of the systems.
Encarta

Attached Files

Letter from Nasbro, Pre/Post Test, What We Know, Monopoly Evaluation, & Game Evaluation.     File Extension: pdf

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