This document discusses the educational potential of games and provides guidance on finding and using educational games in the classroom. It notes that almost all teens play games and highlights benefits like ongoing assessment, motivation, and self-paced learning through mistakes. When looking for games, teachers should consider games with conceptually challenging material, multiple entry points, personal goal setting, and parallel challenges. The document recommends raising awareness of educational games and optionally assigning them as homework or using them in large or small group activities to supplement classroom lessons.

1. Gaming across the CurriculumFinding and evaluating educational gamesMARJEE CHMIELNational Geographic Society@mchmielTREVOR OWENSCenter for History and New Media@tjowens

2. Young People Play Games

3. 97% of teens ages 12-17 play computer, web, portable, or console games Lenhart, A., Kahne, J., Middaugh, E., Macgill, A., Evans, C., & Vitak, J. (2008). Teens, Video Games, and Civics, Pew Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2008/Teens-Video-Games-and-Civics.aspx

4. 50% of teens played games “yesterday.” Lenhart, A., Kahne, J., Middaugh, E., Macgill, A., Evans, C., & Vitak, J. (2008). Teens, Video Games, and Civics, Pew Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2008/Teens-Video-Games-and-Civics.aspx

5. 99% of boys and 94% of girls play video gamesLenhart, A., Kahne, J., Middaugh, E., Macgill, A., Evans, C., & Vitak, J. (2008). Teens, video games, and civics, Pew Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2008/Teens-Video-Games-and-Civics.aspx

6. What Games Bring To Teaching

7. Games act as on-going assessmentsGee, J. P. (2003). What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

8. Games are inherently motivatingGee, J. P. (2003). What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

9. Students work at their own pace Gee, J. P. (2003). What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

10. Games encourage learning through mistakesGee, J. P. (2003). What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

11. Things to look for…

12. Conceptually Challenging Material

13. Multiple Entry Points

14. Personal Goal Setting

15. Parallel Challenges

16. How to use games?

17. Awarenesslinks to games on your websiteinclude in parent newsletterrecommend to school library

18. Optionalassign as homeworkassign as extra creditrecommend to special educatorsuse as transition activity for students who finish assignments early

19. Large Group Activity:Demonstration or full-class game on interactiveUse projector or interactive board

20. Small group-individual activityLaptopsComputer labsOne laptop per student