This document outlines the key components of a proposed educational video game called "Survive South America". The game is designed for high school Spanish students and involves traveling virtually through South America. Players must communicate only in Spanish as they visit cultural sites, take photos, and solve puzzles to earn clues to help reach their final destination of Argentina. Players can earn points by taking different types of photos at each location. The game aims to teach students about South American culture and geography while improving their Spanish language skills through interactive challenges.

1. Survive South America
Created by Lisa Samborsky
Image Credit

2. Learning Theories
 Cognitivism – scaffold knowledge
 Constructivism – knowledge developed by experiences
(task-based)
 Problem-solving skills

3. Key Components of the Game
 Audience/Players
High school students studying Spanish level II or advanced levels
 Goals
A student studying Spanish must travel throughout South America
and eventually reach Argentina.
The student visits cultural sites, take pictures, and finds clues
scattered throughout the game to reach Argentina.
 Gain Attention
Latino music and pictures of the cultural sites in the video game’s
introduction

4. More Key Components of the Game
 Challenges
The player may only communicate in Spanish while playing.
 Social Interactions
The player will need to communicate with native speakers throughout
his travels. Examples of interactions include ordering food at a
restaurant, staying at a hotel or hostel, and purchasing travel tickets.

5. Toys
 Digital camera
The player will use a camera in each South American country to take
pictures of events, historical sites, and other cultural products
(food, souvenirs, clothing) he comes across during the adventure.
The player will use the interactive map to plan out his route to reach
the sites and then take pictures. The pictures taken by the player will
be saved in a photo album. As the photo album grows, routes on the
interactive map will appear. The photo album will serve as a portfolio
depicting where the player traveled, what he
saw, experienced, ate, purchased, etc.
 Interactive map
The map shows the player the routes he can choose from to
advance to the next level in the game. Clues, that reveal which
routes the player should select, are scattered throughout the game.
Some routes offer more opportunities for the player to earn points.

6. Puzzle #1
The player needs to research and buy a plane ticket from
the United States to a South American country. He is not
provided with a destination country for his flight. While
applying for a passport and planning his trip, he will
receive clues about the destination country. Some of the
clues will be the country’s population, colors of the
flag, typical food, popular city facts, etc. Using these
clues, the player will need to complete research to find
out which country he will arrive in for his adventure in
South America.

7. Puzzle #2
The player is in South America on his adventure
when he unfortunately loses his camera. In order to
purchase a new camera, he has to earn money. He
considers selling some of the pictures he’s taken
during his adventure that were saved on a flash
drive. He asks around town for some ways to earn
money for his pictures and is given three options. His
challenge is to research three options and choose
the best option. If he does not choose the best
option, he may risk not being able to buy a new
camera.

8. Scoring
 The scoring ranges from 1-5 points.
Picture of a cultural product/souvenir = 1 point
Picture of a historical site = 3 points
Picture of a cultural event = 5 points
Advance to the next country = earn a total of 10 points
Win the game = Arrive to Argentina, earn 10 points while in
Argentina, and have a combined total of 100 points from the entire
game
 Survey Link for Final Presentation Rubric