The Social Studies course of study dictates the students study the regions and people of the Eastern Hemisphere. There is a geography piece and a government piece. The World Games came out of a desire to combine these curricular objectives. Each student took over an existing country and established a new government: dictatorship, monarchy, theocracy, or democracy. Each student researched the country they took over using their iPad. The students helped develop the Rubric for the research through using their social studies journal, which is also on their iPad, Google Docs. Each student also created a new flag for the country with the new meaning behind the new government.
The next piece of the project was the World Games. Each student came dressed as the new government leader of their country. The room was rearranged geographically as the Eastern Hemisphere. As a world leader they had to answer questions about their country so they could receive resource beds that would later be used in battle. Battles were fought with the roll of the dice (similar to the game of Risk).
The discussions about current world events were woven into the games. The curriculum course of study was carefully followed so the students learned the content but through the use of a different pedagogy. The technology facilitated such a change in pedagogy.
The World Games is not over yet as Mr. Dave Evans continues to lead students in several discussions yet this week.
Thank you to Mr. Dave Evans for this information and some of these photos.