UW–Madison’s Field Day Lab, housed in the School of Education’s Wisconsin Center for Education Research, has launched a new learning game through PBS Wisconsin Education that is titled, “The Legend of the Lost Emerald: Searching for Shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.”
In the point-and-click adventure game, learners use critical thinking and historical inquiry skills to recover stories about shipwrecks inspired by real Great Lakes history. The free online game was developed in consultation with teachers and is designed to be played by students in grades 4-6 throughout Wisconsin and beyond.
A story that was published in the Medium shares how the Field Day Lab partnered with 14 elementary school teachers from across the state to ensure that the game aligns with K-12 curriculum and meets the needs of teachers. These “teacher fellows” provided insight that Field Day’s creative team used to develop the game, and they were equipped with resources and behind-the-scenes knowledge to bring back to their schools.
Sarah Gagnon, the creative director for the Field Day Lab, points out that “the shipwrecks game will be the perfect resource to draw kids into that space of curiosity and wonder.”
“For kids in the Midwest, the Great Lakes are part of local history. What better than mysterious sunken ships in deep waters nearby to pique their interest?”
The story also notes that while making (and playing) learning games is fun, they are also great tools for learning.
David Gagnon, the director of the Field Day Lab, explains: “If we can make a game out of a topic, then we are going to clearly communicate the complexity and wonder of that topic, and we’re going to allow people to fail in the middle of it, and allow them to be driven by personal motive, and they’ll be able to have a richer, more complex experience.”
Visit this page at medium.com to read more about the development of “The Legend of the Lost Emerald,” or visit PBS Wisconsin Education to learn more and play the game yourself.