Game List by Subject
ELA
Civilization V( Map Builder)
Make a map of the region described in a book. Write a short story and build a map of your story’s setting.
Minecraft
Same map building capabilities as Civ V but with more control and versatility. Can build houses, farms, cities, anything really.
Limbo
Great for tone. Can be used as a standalone game or with a brighter game for comparison. Super Mario Galaxy and Little Big Planet are a couple of good games to use for comparison.
Portal 2
Influence of setting on characters. Lesson plan available at www.teachwithportals.com
ELA is perfect for a game-based curriculum. Any lesson where students were asked to read a book can be altered to use a story based video game instead. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, Bioshock, The Last of Us, and most games by Bioware are good examples games with solid stories.
MATH
Minecraft
Perimiter, Volume, Area, using simple blocks. The sky is the limit with this software package and there is a great deal of support and premade content available for free online.
The Math Mage
Mobile App - Use addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to cast spells which defeat monsters and save your village.
Wuzzit Trouble
Mobile App - Build children's number sense, problem solving and creative and critical thinking skills.
Kerbal Space Program
Lots of calculations introduced with harsh learning curve. Great for Pre-cal or Calculus. I suggest playing first and seeing what you can use from it.
Portal 2
Calculations, geometry, graphing, etc. Ready to use lesson plans are available at www.teachwithportals.com
SCIENCE
Civilization V (Map Builder)
Build a biome or map of a region
Kerbal Space Program
Use physics to launch rockets into space!
Universe Sandbox
Great for modeling astronomy. Can alter gravity, switch stars and planets around, view accurate models of solar systems and galaxies, or even create your own.
Spore
Create a creature in the creature builder. Great for sections on evolution, adaptation, and natural selection.
Minecraft
Build and label cells or chemical compounds
Minechem mod
Science Experiments in a Virtual World : http://theeducationscientist.blogspot.com/2014/10/minecraft-scientists-STEM-education-ep1.html
Portal 2
Great physics engine built into the game. Map builder is excellent and you can set up experiments by manipulating different variables. Ready to use lesson plans are available at www.teachwithportals.com
Also check out this blog for more ideas and lesson plans: https://physicswithportals.com/
Foldit
Protien folding puzzle game. Its surprisingly fun and the data you generate is actually used for solving real proteins’ crystal structures.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Civilization V (Map Builder)
Create a historically accurate map of a region.
Civilization V/Rise of Nations/Age of Empires III
Great project ideas here: http://worldhistoryconnected.press.illinois.edu/4.2/whelchel.html
Minecraft
Build maps
Virtual tours: Pyramids of Giza, Temple of Artemis, Laxmi Vilas Palace, and Kyoto’s Nijo Castle to name a few. These are ALREADY built. Don’t worry about having to try to build these yourself (people most likely put hundreds of hours into making these).
Assassin’s Creed
https://www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/may-2014/the-assassins-perspective
OTHER CONTENT AREAS
Minecraft
Check the sites on this page for examples and ideas for using minecraft in your classrooms. They are organized by subject: http://services.minecraftedu.com/wiki/Examples_by_Subject. Can also be a great way to make digital art.
Virtual tours of colleges (Mount St. Joseph’s and Auburn) are also available.
Civilization V (Map Builder)
Create a historically accurate map of country (foreign language courses).
Limbo/Super Mario Galaxy
Use of color palettes in art courses
Share with your friends: |