Hi all,
I am a teacher looking to offer some paid work for a 'consultant'. I am creating a RPG universe for my students (11-16). I am desperate to help disengaged kids engage with learning.
Here is the premise:
In every myth, story, legend, it is widely acknowledged that the universe has two powers at work. They balance each other, push and pull, life and death, good and evil, yin and yang, Red and Blue. What is not known is that both Red, and Blue are brothers, the Creators of all life, super-beings caught up in an infinite war, neverending.
For years, the world of Pangea has been caught up in the same battle serving their respective masters. Whilst this war has been raging, internal challenges for power in both the Red City and Blue City are ongoing within different clans.
Legendary weapons forged by the Creators have been lost over time during this war. Prophecy foretells that a human who has collected The Legendary Weapons can be the one to end the war, for good. What is not known is will it be Red or Blue.
How it will work:
1. Students will register on my free website to create user profile. They will answer a series of personality questions. They will then get put onto Team Red or Team Blue.
Team Red is for students who are 'power players' - break rules; sneaky.
Team Blue - students who play down the line
2. Students will be learning elemental powers (Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Ice..and more). Each elemental power is linked to a school topic. To cast a power they have to answer successfully a question in that related topic/element.
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3. Students online will be having the chance to power-up by completing online quests or PvP battles.
4. Students will join a clan in their respective teams. In Team Red due to their nature there will be lots of infighting and competitiveness between the different clans to become the most powerful clan. Team Blue will allow their own PvP battles in their own team but with the aim of practice rather than competitiveness.
5. After PvP battles/Quests - if victorious, student will select a piece of the world map to claim for themselves (similar to Civ). Every tile consists of hidden bonuses.
Aim is for students to find the legendary weapons which are scattered across the world.
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In Class
This is where I need support. I want to embed TableTop RPG into the lesson. I have a fair few ideas but would pay for some advice and consultancy.
Welcome to theRPGSite, mralevin!
That sounds interesting.
Should I pass this on to other people who might be interested? I know of a number of people who have used RPGs in education, but they're not here on this board. If so, how should they contact you?
That would be amazing - thanks.
asherlevin85@gmail.com is my personal email address or on Facebook - Asher Levin
Fuck fantasy because it leads to Grievance Studies majors. Get them started with STEM subjects using science fiction.
Starter Traveller is free. (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/80190/CTSTStarter-Traveller)
The learning topic is a STEM - Computer Science in fact. However, I want to go down Fantasy as the world.
For some reason, I can't see a benefit in calling your teams Red and Blue. It might be a little safer than Black and White, but it's still better to go with something else.
Also, I would be very careful about putting together personality questions that identify your students for sorting. That can go all kinds of wrong. What kinds of parental consent are being sent out?
So, to be brief, this sounds like a minefield right from the start, and IIRC, putting kids through minefields is not socially acceptable. If I did something like this with my (adult & professional) employees, I could expect HR to be up my ass right away. Doing it with kids and I could probably expect worse.
Red/Blue is Republican/Democrat and Black/White is inviting maximum stupid to erupt. I would not use colors unless you're keen to invite a shitstorm.
Perhaps the world has twin moons, each moon has a unique name and that defines the team.
I doubt a personality test is going to split your class 50/50. Better for you to randomly break them into teams or split them up by ability and who you know works best together.
Also, as a former special education teacher, I don't see this as a good use of educational time which is so preciously limited. Maybe as an extracurricular or club event, but it doesn't seem useful for class time (especially as kids have lost 5 months of learning due to the scamdemic). The whole "gamification" of education isn't a good trend because real world work most certainly isn't gamified.
STEM CS eh?
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
char choice = NULL;
printf("Time to game kids! Red(R) or Blue(B)? ");
choice = getchar();
switch (choice)
{
case 'R':
printf("You really want Pathfinder!\nChargen powerbuff all the way!");
break;
case 'B':
printf("You never fudge a die roll.\nYou're a happy Cleric when everyone else is Rogue.");
break;
default:
printf("Darn kids don't like specific instructions. Time to play FATE instead.");
}
return 0;
}
Hopefully your project will get them a little more engaged if they don't realise your trapping them into learning something. Trying to teach disengaged kids that don't want to learn must suck. Heh
I don't envy Teachers in the modern school system with all the restrictions trying to somehow keep everyone above water.
Best of luck.