First impressions are everything! When it comes to impressing middle schoolers, they are even more important. As I've been going through the brainstorming process to gamify my 6th grade science course for next year, I really thought about the quote above. What type of first impression did I want to create for my 2018-2019 students?
Connecting with a new batch of students before the first day of school is nothing new. Many teachers reach out at some point in the summer to their prospective new batch of learners. I, myself, have always wanted to make this connection but I have never done it. Not this year! This year I want to really make an impact. This year I want to plant a seed that 6th grade science is going to be different. This year I want my first impression to be mysterious, engaging, and ultimately...unforgettable!
Therefore, I created a postcard with a hidden side quest to introduce them to the game narrative. By the way, my game has a time travel theme, which you should get from the card 😉 Here it is...
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| Front of Card |
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| Back of Card |
I used Canva to create it...I LOVE Canva. It is so easy to make really professional looking materials and I even teach my students to use it. It can be used for just about anything and it's loaded with lots of free templates. If you have never used it, you need to try it out!
I hope the card gives students their first look at what to expect in class and ignites a spark of curiosity...which is what science is all about. I also want the card to invite students to complete their first side quest, which is hidden. Did you catch it? The quest website link is hidden on the front of the card in the upper left corner. I am crossing my fingers that at least one student takes the bait. If they do, not only will they get their first XP for the game and be ahead of most of their classmates, but I will also get a glimpse at what type of learner they are. That is because the website takes them to a short survey they will fill out for me.
I even hid another XP opportunity at the very end of the survey; I guess you could call this my first easter egg. That's because the student has to read all the directions. I know that sounds simple, but for most middle schoolers this is harder than it sounds...therefore, I'm not expecting many to see it...lol 😃
The postcard will be distributed to all my incoming students about two weeks before school. I also want to post it outside my classroom in July, so students who come in to try locker combinations or tour the building will see it. However, I also wanted to create a engaging video trailer to show during the first week of class. For the video, I used iMovie and the theater trailer option. Check it out below...
I am very happy with how
it turned out and I think my future students will like it. I'm not sure
if the title - The Time Quest - will be the
final name of the game or not, but that is an easy fix if I decide to change
it. I'm planning to create a slightly longer narrative to share with my
classes that will accompany the trailer and it will share more details about
the game plot. Then I can have both posted on my class game site for the
whole year. However, I think the trailer will be a great way to intro the
game and I'm planning on shareing it at the end of a class period to build up
anticipation for the next day...I hope!
Overall, I really wanted
to start off my summer gamification plan by starting with some creative
elements. I'm hoping that by creating these first impression, first...it
will keep me motivated to finish my planning this summer. I'm excited
about my completed products and I'm hoping that my students share this excitement come August.
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