Secondary Level Slideshow

SECONDARY LEVEL

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LESSON 1�Design Thinking & �Problem-Solving

UNIT 5

Unit 5: Designing a Challenge

Let’s Recap…

Unit 5, Lesson 1

• Who can remind us what design thinking is? 
• What are the five phases of design thinking? 
• What does empathy mean? 
• Why do you think we begin the design process with thinking about our audience’s feelings? 

Design Thinking

Unit 5, Lesson 1

Let’s Discuss…

Unit 5, Lesson 1

Think about each of the QUEST challenges you’ve completed so far. What did they require you to do, and what was your team’s outcome?

Let’s Discuss…

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Choose one or two specific QUEST challenges to answer the below questions about.

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• What did you like about this challenge? 
• What skills did it require to complete this challenge? (For example: math, focus, communication, creativity, critical thinking, reading, balance, steadiness, research skills, etc.) 
• Was it slightly difficult, very difficult, or too difficult? 
• Was there anything frustrating about the challenge? 

Unit 5, Lesson 1

Challenge Design - Empathy Survey

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Unit 5, Lesson 1

Take a few minutes to individually write your answers to the questions on the Challenge Design-Empathy Survey (p. 47). Then, share and discuss your answers with your teammates to come up with a new problem statement related to challenges.

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Writing a Problem Statement About Challenges�

A good problem statement is general enough to leave room for creative freedom. Avoid references to specific solutions.

Here are few examples of problem statements with one or two requirements: �

• Our team wants a challenge that is medium in difficulty and involves �problem-solving 
• Our team wants a challenge with simple directions that involves physical movement. 
• Our team wants a challenge that requires us to collaborate and figure out clues. 
• Our team wants a challenge that makes us laugh while we’re working on it. 

Unit 5, Lesson 1

Storyline Problems

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Have you noticed that each challenge in QUEST �begins with a clear problem in the storyline that �needs to be solved? (For example, in S1 Ep 2. students need to �rebuild a radio tower to communicate or to reconnect �the electricity to have power.)

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Today you will work all together as a class to brainstorm some ideas for a physical challenge that connects to one story problem.

This means you will use your creativity and critical thinking to figure out ways the physical game items could represent something in the story world, just as foldable game cards could represent the floors and walls of a radio tower.

Unit 5, Lesson 1

Game Design: Design a Challenge

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Story Problem: A player needs to collect a magic fruit that has fallen from trees in the forest and store them in a basket to bring back their team.

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As a whole group, you will devise a challenge �that solves this story problem.

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You can use the following items from the Teacher Box and an

Episode Box: game counter pieces, a sand timer, dice, game board, �and blank game cards.

Unit 5, Lesson 2

Storyline Problems: Example�

Storyline Problem: �“A student needs to find their way out of a maze to rejoin their team.”

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Possible Challenge Ideas:

1. A board game where the player has to roll a dice to move the character or game piece or answer challenge questions to advance across the board. 

2. A pinball-type game with a maze drawn on a large piece of paper (with cardboard pieces to build pathways/walls). A player has to roll a plastic marble through the maze in under 3 minutes. 

3. A player has to read and interpret a set of coded directions through a maze (drawn on paper) and move their cardboard character according to the directions. 

Unit 5, Lesson 1

Let’s Discuss…�

• What is a problem statement? 

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• What do we do in the ideate phase of design thinking?

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• Why do game designers use design thinking? 

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• What do we mean when we talk about the “magic circle” of gameplay? 

Unit 5, Lesson 1

Game Mechanics

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• Game mechanics are the actions that happen �within the magic circle of gameplay. 
• Game mechanics include: the point system, how players �move or use physical materials, and different levels of difficulty.
• The central game mechanic of the board game
• Chutes and Ladders involves rolling a dice and moving up and across or “falling” down a board. 

Who can describe the central game mechanic �of your favorite board game?

Unit 5, Lesson 1

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LESSON 2

Brainstorming Deep Dive

UNIT 5

Team Challenge

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Invent a new game that combines the elements of two different existing games.

You can use the games below, or think of some games that everyone in your team has played.

Monopoly

Clue

Scrabble

Chess

Unit 5, Lesson 2

Go fish!

Pokémon

Snap

Mastermind

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Volleyball

Basketball

Baseball

Chutes & Ladders

Tic tac toe

Memory

Pictionary

Battleship

Connect Four

Guess Who?!

Operation

Jenga

Combination Card Game Example

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Here’s an example of a game that combines elements of the card games Go Fish! and Memory…

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• Each player gets a set of 10 playing cards, which they must show to their opponent.
• The other player must try to memorize their opponent’s cards.
• Both players will try to make matching pairs of cards, but they can’t ask the other player what cards they have.
• Instead, they must go from memory or choose to “fish” in the pile of unused cards. 

Unit 5, Lesson 2

Why Do We Like Games?

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In your teams, make a list of three games that you all enjoy playing. �(This can include board games, card games, video games, and sports).

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Then, write down some things you enjoy about each of these games.

You can use the list of Game Benefits (p. 48) to help you think about why you like a game, but you can also include different ideas.

Unit 5, Lesson 2

Why Do We Like Games? 

Unit 5, Lesson 2

Optional Story Problems for �Your Team Challenge

1. A character needs to decode a letter with important information sent by their future self.
2. A character needs to find their way out of a maze to rejoin their team.
3. A character needs to travel across a field filled with obstacles to get to safety.
4. A character needs to crack a series of codes to unlock a safe filled with treasure.
5. A character needs to find a safe house in a spooky ghost town.
6. A character needs to collect gold coins from a cave to bring back to their team.
7. A character needs to outsmart an AI robot on a quiz in order to gain access to a secret room in Sarabella Falls Academy.

Unit 5, Lesson 3

Storyline Problems: Example

Storyline Problem: �“A student needs to find their way out of a maze to rejoin their team.”

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Possible Challenge Ideas:

1. A board game where the player has to roll a dice to move the character or game piece or answer challenge questions to advance across the board. 

2. A pinball-type game with a maze drawn on a large piece of paper (with cardboard pieces to build pathways/walls). A player has to roll a plastic marble through the maze in under 3 minutes. 

3. A player has to read and interpret a set of coded directions through a maze (drawn on paper) and move their cardboard character according to the directions. 

Unit 5, Lesson 3

Reminders for Designing Challenges

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• All challenges should be playable for a single player.
• Your challenge ideas should involve the challenge items included in either the Team Episode Box, the additional challenge items included in the Teacher Box, or any easily available items in your classroom or building.
• Challenges should be possible for a seven-year-old (with the help of an adult) to accomplish.
• Use your Problem Statement to help guide you.
• You can also use your list of Game Mechanics to inspire ideas.

Unit 5, Lesson 2

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LESSON 3

Ideate & Prototype

UNIT 5

Let’s Discuss…�

Why do you think people play games �(and have for thousands of years)?

Unit 5, Lesson 3

GAME DESIGN INTERVIEW VIDEO

Unit 5, Lesson 3

Let’s Recap…�

• How do the creators of QUEST approach �designing a challenge? 
• Why are games and challenges valuable �for people of any age? 
• What other ideas did they share about �the design process that you found helpful, �interesting or surprising? 

Unit 5, Lesson 3

Designing Your Episode Challenge

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Continue brainstorming ideas for a challenge in your teams.

Use the game items in your Episode Box to try to physically play the game as you develop your idea.

Consider combining two ideas from existing games or QUEST challenges to come up with a brand new game.

Use the Game Mechanics (p. 49) to help you.

Once you’ve landed on your favorite challenge idea, fill in the details on the Magic Circle of Gameplay (p. 50)

• You can choose one of the story problems from the list on the next slide OR invent a story problem that matches your favorite challenge.

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Unit 5, Lesson 3

Optional Story Problems �for Your Team Challenge

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1. A character needs to decode a letter with important information sent by their future self.
2. A character needs to find their way out of a maze to rejoin their team.
3. A character needs to travel across a field filled with obstacles to get to safety.
4. A character needs to crack a series of codes to unlock a safe filled with treasure.
5. A character needs to find a safe house in a spooky ghost town.
6. A character needs to collect gold coins from a cave to bring back to their team.
7. A character needs to outsmart an AI robot on a quiz in order to gain access to a secret room in Sarabella Falls Academy.

Unit 5, Lesson 3

Optional Team Game: Battleship*

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To begin, each player draws two 10 x 10 grids, labeled along the sides with letters and numbers.

On the left-hand grid the player draws rectangles representing their fleet of ships:

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Each player's fleet consists of the following ships:

• 1 x Aircraft carrier - 5 squares
• 1 x Battleship - 4 squares
• 1 x Cruiser - 3 squares

Each ship occupies squares on the grid that connect either across or down, not diagonally

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Destroyer

Submarine

• 2 x Destroyers - 2 squares each
• 2 x Submarines - 1 square each

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Unit 5, Lesson 3

*Play Battleship or any classic board or card game to practice gameplay mechanics.

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Optional Team Game: Battleship

During the game players take turns making a shot at the opponent, by calling out the numbers and letters of a square (eg D5).

The opponent responds with "hit" if it hits a ship or "miss" if it misses. If the player has hit the last remaining square of a ship the opponent must announce the name of the ship; "You sunk my battleship/submarine/destroyer, etc.”

Each player should record their opponent's shots on the left-hand grid, and their shots on the right-hand grid as "X" for a hit and "O" for a miss:

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The first player to lose all their ships loses the game.

My ships

My opponent’s ships

Unit 5, Lesson 3

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LESSON 4

Testing & Refining

UNIT 5

Let’s Recap…

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• Think about the game you played in the previous lesson…What did you observe about the game mechanics or directions?
• Who knows the meaning of a “growth mindset”?

Unit 5, Lesson 4

• Growth mindset: we believe we can learn and improve, no matter what challenges we face.
• Fixed mindset: we believe that all mistakes are failures we can never recover from or learn from.

Think about some times you needed to have a growth mindset while playing QUEST… Share some examples!

Unit 5, Lesson 4

Challenge Direction (p.51)

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• Use your best handwriting to write down each of the steps required to complete your challenge.
• Write as clearly as possible using simple language.
• Remember: this is just a first draft so if you need to make changes or edits later on, you still can!
• If you need some practice writing directions, try the Disgusting Directions (p. 85) activity!

Unit 5, Lesson 4

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Games of all kinds encourage us to adopt a growth mindset.

We can’t always guarantee that we’ll win or succeed at any given game, but usually the more we play it, the better we get.

However, if we have a fixed mindset, we believe we cannot �improve or grow.

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Why it might be important to have �a growth mindset as a game designer?

Unit 5, Lesson 4

Design Thinking: Testing�You have made it to the fifth phase of the design process – testing!

• In the testing phase you will share the prototype of your challenge with potential end users to gather feedback about their experience.
• The testing phase is vital for game designers to ensure their game is fun, user-friendly, and actually works. Adopting a growth mindset approach to game design means being open to improving your design to make the best game possible. 
• Today you will test each other’s challenges so that you can make improvements/adjustments before you finalize your team’s challenge and design your materials. 

Unit 5, Lesson 4

Challenge Testing

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• Each team should swap challenges with another team.
• Give the other team all of the game pieces (it’s OK if you haven’t designed them yet) required to complete the challenge, as well as your Challenge Directions.
• Observe the other team as they attempt your challenge and write down your observations on Challenge Design Testing Notes (p.52).
• Next, take the other team’s challenge items and follow their directions to complete the challenge.

Unit 5, Lesson 4

Let’s Discuss…

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• What surprised you when you observed the other team trying your challenge?
• Do you have ideas for improvements to make to your challenge based on what you saw today?
• Do you think it’s easy or difficult to adopt a growth mindset? Share why.
• Share something that impressed you about another team’s challenge.

Unit 5, Lesson 4

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LESSON 5

Building the Challenge & Writing Directions

UNIT 5

Challenge Design

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• It’s time to make changes/improvements to your challenge based on results from the testing phase.
• If you feel as if your challenge was accomplished too easily, you might revise it to increase the difficulty. Alternatively, you may decide to rewrite your challenge directions in a way that is simpler or easier to understand. 
• Once you have finished your improvements, you will write a final draft of your challenge directions in your best handwriting onto the Challenge Scroll from your team episode box. Write lightly in pencil onto the scroll first, before you write the final version in pen. 

Unit 5, Lesson 5

Choosing a Challenge Points Systems

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The maximum number of points that can be won for an episode is 10 points. �Since 3 points are awarded in the map phase and 2 in the encounter phase, your team challenge should result in a maximum of 5 points.

You can decide if your challenge is win/lose only (meaning the player gets zero points if they don’t successfully complete the challenge and 5 points if they do), or if you will award points (fewer than 5 points) for partial success.

Some challenges should be an automatic win or lose (particularly challenges that rely on a timer) while others (especially board game style challenges) might allow players to gain points incrementally.

Unit 5, Lesson 5

Finalizing Your Challenge

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• Once you have finalized your point system, practice playing your challenge to make sure each element of it works and to see if you have any final enhancements.
• Next, you can begin to design the physical items for your team challenge!
• As always, keep in mind the mood of your overall episode, as well as any other designed pieces (including your episode box). Try to remain cohesive in your designs and decorations so that all of the pieces of your episode feel as if they belong together.
• Divide up the tasks in your team to make the most of each person’s strengths!

Unit 5, Lesson 5

QUEST Creators Showcase – Episode Presentation

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1. A student reads your Story Introduction aloud
2. A student presents the setting and main character drawing (optionally reading your descriptions aloud or allowing the audience/player to read the descriptions).
3. A student introduces the encounter character and reads the encounter set-up. After their player makes an encounter choice, the student reads the encounter outcome.
4. A student reads the sentence that introduces the challenge and associated story problem.
5. The player engages with the challenge, then a student tells them their point score.
6. Finally, a student reads the closing sentence of the episode aloud.

Unit 5, Lesson 5

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LESSON 6: Challenge, Reflection �& Journaling

UNIT 5

Team Vocabulary Challenge: Hot Seat

�For today’s challenge, the student in the hot seat can ask their teammates only questions that have a YES or NO answer.

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Here are some examples of yes/no questions for this game: �

• Is it a noun/verb/adjective?
• Does it have fewer than 10 letters?
• Does it have more than two syllables?
• Is the letter “e” found in the word?

Unit 5, Lesson 6

• Would this word be found in the first half of the dictionary?
• Is this word a character trait?
• Is this word a type of biome?

Let’s Discuss…

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• What adjectives would you use to describe the experience of �designing a challenge? �(E.g. easy, fun, difficult, surprising, etc.)
• How has your perspective on the challenges you’ve done in QUEST changed now that you’ve designed your own challenge? �“I used to think… But now I think…”
• Do you think you would ever like to design a game or challenge again in your life?
• What part of your episode are you most excited about or proud of?
• Are there any parts of your episode that you can imagine specific friends or family members enjoying?

Unit 5, Lesson 6

Drawing Your Setting

The final drawing of your episode setting goes on the inside of your episode box lid. At your showcase you can set your characters up on stands to go in front of your setting drawing.�

Now that you’ve finalized your challenge, you might choose to add details to your setting drawing that relate directly to your challenge. ��(For example, if you created animal-matching card game as your challenge, you would add one of those animals into your setting drawing. �If your challenge involves navigating a maze, then you might add �a maze or a signpost for a maze to your setting.)

Unit 5, Lesson 6

Journaling

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Unit 5, Lesson 6

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“What skills do you have and use when dealing with real world challenges? What would you consider your greatest strengths?”

Optional Argumentative Essay

Should schools use games as learning tools? �Why or why not?

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Unit 5, Lesson 6

1. Write an introduction that includes a thesis statement
2. Give two or three reasons and support your reasons with evidence (you may need to do some research)
3. Write a conclusion that summarizes your argument and includes a personal connection to the topic.