Given the Gauntlet Crew’s penchant for trying new indie and trad games I thought I might pose this question to you: Do you have RPG suggestions I might use in a one to many circumstance that would help foster engagement with school?
An explanation to unpack that question: As a middle school special education teacher I am looking for games that might encourage increased engagement that are relatively easy to conduct, require creative thinking, and may be played in a one (teacher) to many (multiple students, possibly even an entire grade level) circumstance. It occurred to me that I might use a choose your own adventure book, posting the current story passage in my classroom door along with the path choices, and have the students that want to give feedback, do so via a blog or written comment on a log posted to the side of the door.
Thank you for the consideration, Gauntlet Crew and G+ participants!
Vince
To be honest, in think your idea is solid and the best option. Its tough with a full class of kids, specially with those with special needs.
To be honest, in think your idea is solid and the best option. Its tough with a full class of kids, specially with those with special needs.
I think you may have hit on something with the CYOA idea. There is a game I am really fond of called Cheat Your Own Adventure. It supports basically any number of players and can be adapted pretty easily for a variety of themes and settings. Here are the rules: http://mcleanfamilyonline.co.uk/CYOA.pdf
mcleanfamilyonline.co.uk – mcleanfamilyonline.co.uk/CYOA.pdf
I think you may have hit on something with the CYOA idea. There is a game I am really fond of called Cheat Your Own Adventure. It supports basically any number of players and can be adapted pretty easily for a variety of themes and settings. Here are the rules: http://mcleanfamilyonline.co.uk/CYOA.pdf
mcleanfamilyonline.co.uk – mcleanfamilyonline.co.uk/CYOA.pdf
Yes, without knowing more, I’d also go with something like this, but perhaps a more appropriate, perhaps even historical theme:
lumpley.com – anyway: A Doomed Pilgrim
Yes, without knowing more, I’d also go with something like this, but perhaps a more appropriate, perhaps even historical theme:
lumpley.com – anyway: A Doomed Pilgrim
Those “Sundered Land” games have the one against many formula baked in.
Those “Sundered Land” games have the one against many formula baked in.
Warning: Long post.
For ease of play and flexibility of application, Cheat Your Own Adventure is the way to go.
I want to say I love this idea. It could be a great way to get class engagement, and for students to see each other in a different light.
Warning: below assumes you know the rules for Cheat Your Own Adventure.
I might recommend starting with a Choose Your Own Adventure book so everyone understands the concept, then doing the game at a different time. The rules of the game will suggest you let everyone give an option for the next action, but in a class full of students, I would probably ask for people to raise hands, then I would choose 3 or 4 students to share, then I would decide on the answer. I might let the class vote through raised hands for the answer they want.
I am not sure if you want to let the students stand and give the next scene, or if you want them to only give possible options. Depending on the age group, you may want to ask if they want to demonstrate the option they gave, or if they want you to go off of the answer they gave. Some younger kids are shy and only want to participate in a limited way (ie giving the option but not take on the burden of rolling out the next scene). Maybe you start with this approach and move to pushing more of them to unpacking the whole scene as they get more comfortable with it.
You might even play this in a very short, serialized form. You could let one or two scenes pass, then say we will pick up hear tomorrow. This may help some of your students who need more time to think about a good response before answering, and it may increase the engagement of the class by strategically timing the end of the game.
Warning: Long post.
For ease of play and flexibility of application, Cheat Your Own Adventure is the way to go.
I want to say I love this idea. It could be a great way to get class engagement, and for students to see each other in a different light.
Warning: below assumes you know the rules for Cheat Your Own Adventure.
I might recommend starting with a Choose Your Own Adventure book so everyone understands the concept, then doing the game at a different time. The rules of the game will suggest you let everyone give an option for the next action, but in a class full of students, I would probably ask for people to raise hands, then I would choose 3 or 4 students to share, then I would decide on the answer. I might let the class vote through raised hands for the answer they want.
I am not sure if you want to let the students stand and give the next scene, or if you want them to only give possible options. Depending on the age group, you may want to ask if they want to demonstrate the option they gave, or if they want you to go off of the answer they gave. Some younger kids are shy and only want to participate in a limited way (ie giving the option but not take on the burden of rolling out the next scene). Maybe you start with this approach and move to pushing more of them to unpacking the whole scene as they get more comfortable with it.
You might even play this in a very short, serialized form. You could let one or two scenes pass, then say we will pick up hear tomorrow. This may help some of your students who need more time to think about a good response before answering, and it may increase the engagement of the class by strategically timing the end of the game.
Thank you all for the feedback! I’m checking out the various materials that have been suggested.
Thank you all for the feedback! I’m checking out the various materials that have been suggested.