Board games are experiencing a tremendous revival, fueled by new styles of gaming. A shift from luck and conflict to strategy and cooperation has brought new players into the genre. In this Designing a Board Game PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students will plan a game, research game mechanics, design their play area and pieces, and then determine how to play-test their creation. Finally, they’ll examine how to package and publicize their game, and maybe even present a sales pitch to interested buyers.
CTE Alignment: Arts, Entertainment, and Design, Marketing & Sales
An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).
Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:
Demonstrate persistence in developing skills with various materials, methods, and artmaking approaches in creating works of art or design. (National Core Arts Standards: VA.Cr2.1.7a)
Get Your Dream Job
iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:
As a young child, you probably remember an adult asking you those famous words, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” As we continue through school, we learn about employment opportunities and aspire for a “dream job.” However, many candidates often become overwhelmed with the process of landing their dream job before they even realize if it is a good fit. In this Get Your Dream Job PBL iBlock, students will explore and identify how to determine if a career is tailored to one’s desired lifestyle goals, skills, and passions. They will create a vision board, build a portfolio, craft application materials, participate in a mock interview, and even showcase their hard work at a career fair! Students will definitely be future-ready with this experience!
CTE Alignment: Advanced Manufacturing, Construction, Supply Chain & Transportation, Arts, Entertainment, and Design, Hospitality, Events, and Tourism, Financial Services, Education, Healthcare & Human Services, Public Service & Safety, Agriculture, Energy & Natural Resources, Digital Technology, Marketing & Sales, Management & Entrepreneurship
Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:
Integrate and evaluate visual and technical information (e.g., in research data, charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts. (NYS Next Gen. ELA: RH7)
Use precise language and content-specific vocabulary to express the appropriate complexity of the topic. (NYS Next Gen. ELA: 9-10W1c)
Tiny Houses
iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:
With the world population estimated at around 7.7 billion, concerns rise over issues like housing, natural resource use, and environmental impact. Tiny houses have emerged as a movement and potential solution to mitigate our demands on energy consumption and our lifestyle footprint. Throughout this Tiny Houses PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students will explore energy consumption and efficiency, identify ways in which tiny homes can address efficiency concerns, design and engineer a tiny home solution model, and present their models at their very own home show.
