Project Explore Fun!

Certain students at Sunset Heights Elementary learned that it WAS all fun and games (and nobody got hurt)!

On Wednesday, May 15, 2013, 3^rd and 4^th Grade Project Explore students were busy playing board games. They learned valuable skills through the creation and eventual playing of these games.

During the past few weeks, the 4^th Grade Project Explore classes worked on their creative thinking and the invention process for their newest project: the creation of math games. They also talked about what qualities make up a good game.

While developing their games, the students soon learned that it wasn’t as easy as they thought it would be. They learned that sometimes failure can be a good thing because one learns from it and can then make improvements.

After brainstorming their ideas, creating the game boards and accessories, and then testing them out with their fellow classmates, these students were ready to share them with the 3^rd Grade Project Explore students.

The games varied and involved multiplication, money skills, strategy planning, addition and subtraction, and tangrams (mixed in with a little fun). The names of the games were D.I.V.A., Bucket Ball, Shopping is Life, Pet Shop Run, Trash Run, Zombopolis, Car Rush, and Tangram Multiplication.

Yesterday, the 3^rd Grade Project Explore students got to test-drive these games!

“They all enjoyed playing the games and being able to work with the 4^th Grade students also,” Project Explore instructor Julie Pagel said. “The interaction between the two groups was amazing!”

The 3^rd Grade students will be writing an evaluation for each of the games they played that will later be shared with the game creators.

Below are some photos from yesterday:

Looks like they had fun!