Curated OER
Beyond Black and White
Students critically examine the portrayal of minorities in video games and other forms of entertainment and assess the role of racial stereotyping. They keep a log of media minority portrayals and respond to their findings.
Curated OER
Diversity in Media: Looking Critically at What We See
This learning experience fosters awareness of representations we see, and don't see, in the media. Learners list TV programs, games, and films they enjoy, identify characters' ethnic, religious, (dis)ability, and sexual orientation...
Anti-Defamation League
Is Gaming a Boy's Club? Women, Video Games and Sexism
High school juniors and seniors investigate the representation of women in video games. They watch a video of researcher Anita Sarkeesian who describes the response to her research attempts, and read articles related to the topic. To...
Anti-Defamation League
Don't Let Hate Ruin the Fun: Youth and Online Games
Gamers unite! Take action against bullying and hate speech in online video games! After reading data that reveals the extent to which various age groups experience hate and, or harassment while playing video games online, groups develop...
iCivics
iCivics Backyard Adventure
Imagine arguing a real Supreme Court case! Running your own county government! Acting as President for a day! iCivics offers games, web scavenger hunts, and other activities that encourage summer scholars to learn about their communities...
Nemours KidsHealth
Screen Time: Grades 9-12
Two engaging activities encourage teens to turn off their screens and tune into healthy activities. Learners use a tracker to assess their daily screen-time habits, read several articles about the value of exercise, then research the...
Arcademics
Penguin Hop
It's a race to learn the state capitals. Using a multi-player video game, participants hop from iceberg to iceberg as penguins in response to questions about state capitals. The real-time practice lets both teacher and learner assess...
Arcademics
Country Toad
Hop from country to country to practice knowledge of international capitals using an interactive video game. Pupils take control of frog avatars and direct them to leap from the name of a capital to its home country. The video game...
Arcademics
Toad Hop
Hop-scotch your way across the world to help improve class members' skill and accuracy in identifying capital cities. By using a frog avatar, learners leap to the correct country for each capital city as it flashes up on the screen....
Arcademics
Capital Penguin
Hop across the country like a penguin from ice floe to ice floe using an interactive video game. Acting as a penguin, learners match capitals to their states. Game features allow teachers to set up competitions and check learning progress.
Illustrative Mathematics
Medieval Archer
Class members determine the distance a video game character must move to shoot an arrow over a castle wall. Players determine the new equation to enter to represent the trajectory of the arrow and find all the distances the character can...
E Reading Games
Orpheus the Lyrical – Figurative Language Review Game
Turn grammar practice into a game, a video game this is! Scholars show what they know about figurative language with a video game that takes them through a land filled with coins, magic, and animals. Concepts include similes, metaphors,...
EngageNY
Modeling Video Game Motion with Matrices 2
The second day of a two-part lesson on motion introduces the class to circular motion. Pupils learn how to incorporate a time parameter into the rotational matrix transformations they already know. The 24th installment in the 32-part...
EngageNY
Modeling Video Game Motion with Matrices 1
Video game characters move straight with matrices. The first day of a two-day instructional activity introduces the class to linear transformations that produce straight line motion. The 23rd part in a 32-part series has pupils determine...
Common Core Sheets
Placing Events on a Timeline
Put important events in chronological order with a lesson about timelines. With a variety of topics stemming from world history, the packet of worksheets provides analytical activity for learners to decide where certain events fall...
Common Core Sheets
Reading a Timeline
Sometimes the most important details of an informational text aren't within the text at all. Teach your class how to read timeline with a set of activities that prompts them to find specific dates and events on the timelines, as well as...
Mojang
Minecraft – Pocket Edition
You don't have to be a Minecraft wiz to know that this app has great playability for your learners! As afterschool programs and classroom projects around the world demonstrate, this game goes well beyond placing blocks and traditional...
The New York Times
Collateral Damage? Researching a Connection Between Video Games and Violence
Hook your class into an exploration of and discussion about violence in video games with a cute animal clip and a video game trailer. After a quick discussion about how media can affect mood, class members read a related article and...
Curated OER
Video Game Violence: Explore Possible Impacts
Introduce middle schoolers to the issue of video game violence with a multifaceted approach. Learners complete a gaming survey, as well as read and discuss a news feature about violent video game sales and a handout on stimulus...
Media Smarts
Violence and Video Games
Widespread video gaming makes this content relevant and high interest. Developing youth awareness about the impact of violence in games is important to promote literacy, critical thinking, health, and consumer awareness. After reading...
Media Smarts
First Person
High schoolers explore the relationship between video games and actual population. Example: A 2005 study showed Latino youth play at higher rates than other groups, but there are no Latino playable characters. They watch a brief video...
Media Smarts
Facing TV Violence: Consequences and Media Violence
Make your class aware of the difference between media violence and real violence. Using prior knowledge, a video clip, and a worksheet, class members explore and discuss the unrealistic portrayal of violence in the media. Learners...
Curated OER
Student Opinion: Do You Spend Too Much Time on Smart Phones Playing 'Stupid Games'?
This versatile resource from The New York Times website provides a short opinion piece on smart phones and the amount of time we spend playing games on them as well as several possible writing prompts pupils could consider in response to...
Deliberating in a Democracy
Violent Video Games
High schoolers examine violence in video games. In this American history instructional activity, learners read an article on the link between video games and violence. High schoolers respond to discussion questions and debate the topic.