Week 4:

Assignment 1:

Game - Ruzzle

1. What gaming elements provide users the learning content and how?

• Text: The text is provided by written instructions to the game as well as feedback. Additionally, throughout playing, the scrambled letters must be read to form new words.
• Visual-graphic elements: Visual-graphic elements are provided by scrambled letters and bonus tiles, which players use to collect more points than their opponent.
• Audio elements: Audio elements are provided to make it more enjoyable to play.

2. What is the goal of the game?

 The goal of this fast-paced word game is to find as many words as you can in two minutes.

3. What are rules of playing this game?

Find as many words as possible from a given set of letters in two minutes.

4. Does this game have any scenario design? (Refer to the journal article page 5.) If yes, is this a fabricated or embedded in curriculum-related content?

This game does not have any scenario design. 

Assignment 2:

Lesson Plan

Grade level - 1

Common cores standards and learning outcomes

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1.B
Use common, proper, and possessive nouns.

Instructional activities

Class Activity:

Introduce common and proper nouns with this video.

Model underlining different types of nouns in sentences with different color markers.

Students collaboratively underline different types of nouns in sentences with different color markers.

Group Activity:

Every group gets a pile of index cards with common nouns. Students take turns picking up a card and coming up with a proper noun for that word.

Independent Activity:

Students play the "Noun War" game on their computers and complete a sheet to categorize which type of noun they aimed at in this virtual game. Students will then write in their daily journals about the different types of nouns they found in this game and how it helped clarify their understanding of this part of speech. This motivating game combined with the debriefing provides students with the practice they need for the lesson goals while enhancing their vocabulary bank.

Assessment

Students will be informally assessed during collaborative and group work. Their sheets used while playing the game online will be used to formally assess them.

Debriefing 

The sheet students work with while playing the game online scaffolds the learning for them. Additionally, when students write in their journals they reflect on how they performed on this game and how it will help them with their language use in real life.

What cognitive skills does this game cultivate?

Recognizing nouns.

What new literacies does this game cultivate

The challenge and adventure increases motivation to learn this new literacy concept.

Assignment 3:

Instructional Video