Watch Your Footprint! The Game
An environmental education game
About
Building a Sustainable Future
As summers grow hotter and ice caps continue to melt, the environmental crisis becomes increasingly more apparent. It is crucial that we educate the next generations on the impacts of human activity within the environment. Young students should not only learn to find a connection within nature, but they should also be exposed to topics like climate change and environmental justice. Education is the first step to taking action. Current students should have a strong sense of awareness on the environmental crisis so that they feel motivated to search for solutions. Watch Your Footprint! aims to engage students in environmental conversations while finding ways to relate it to their lives. If students find a personal connection to environmental issues, they are more likely to find passion within the topic. WYF is a story-based game that provides an initial stepping-stone for climate education. This game teaches students about the basic aspects of environmental degradation, allowing for educators to introduce this topic to their classrooms in a different and fun way!
This game was designed for 6th graders, however it can also work with other grade levels. It successfully meets the 6th grade science standards MS-ESS3-3 and MS-ESS3-5, but could apply to more! It is a question-based, story game that puts students into the perspective of condors who must find solutions to local environmental issues. Instructors should feel free to alter the game's storyline/point system as they deem fit for their classroom. Access to a projector/TV is recommended to display questions for students.
The Game and the Story
This journal acts as a resource to the students throughout the game. It includes evidence related to each question that will aid the students in forming detailed answers. Either print out copies of this resource or provide it to each student in PDF form.
This document contains the instructions and storyline for the game. If you find the story too long or unnecessary, the game can be played by only reading the first prompt. The answers to each prompt are located here, however they can also be up to the instructor's interpretation. This document should be used to guide the game.
This a slideshow that is meant to be displayed in front of the students. It contains the questions for each round. It is divided by questions for Team A and Team B. If you do not have access to a method of display, it may work to print two copies of questions and hand them to the teams as the rounds progress.
The map is optional for this game. It helps the students visualize how far into the game they are and gives them a better perspective of the local area. However, the game is not affected if it is not used. Print out one copy to place in front of the students and provide them with small objects to act as their characters. Print out two copies if teams of students must be separated.
Some students who loved it!
Instructors have had a positive reaction to gameplay. They appreciated how the storyline and context encouraged students to further their environmental knowledge. Hope Elementary students (pictured to the left) had a tight game!
Students have said that they enjoyed the competitive aspect of the game and they liked to learn about the environment this way! Kellogg Elementary sixth-graders (pictured to the right) had a great time playing in their classroom.
