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Article
Gaming as a Platform for Developing Science Practices
Science Activities: Classroom Projects and Curriculum Ideas
  • Todd Campbell, University of Connecticut - Storrs
  • Gayle Dowdle, Ft. Herriman Middle School
  • Brett E. Shelton, Boise State University
  • Jeffrey Olsen, Utah State University
  • Max Longhurst, Utah State University
  • Harrison Beckett, Jordan School District
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-1-2013
Abstract

Gaming, an integral part of many students’ lives outside school, can provide an engaging platform for focusing students on important disciplinary core concepts as an entry into developing students’ understanding of these concepts through science practices. This article highlights how S’cape can be used to support student learning aligned with the most recent standards documents. Through combining students’ initial engagement in a motivating gaming experience with a two-experiment scaffolded inquiry sequence enhanced with information literacy-targeted homework, this article reveals how support can be offered for asking questions, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, constructing explanations, and engaging in argument from evidence to refine understandings of core concepts. We believe that as science teachers strive to explore important concepts with students through allowing them to actually practice science, games such as S’cape strategically leveraged and sequenced with scaffolded inquiry experiences can support these efforts.

Citation Information
Todd Campbell, Gayle Dowdle, Brett E. Shelton, Jeffrey Olsen, et al.. "Gaming as a Platform for Developing Science Practices" Science Activities: Classroom Projects and Curriculum Ideas (2013)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/brett_shelton/42/