When we first started this project in November, I had absolutely no idea what a tectonic was. Admittedly, the concept of tectonic plates and Earth’s layers had confused me to no end at first. However, I am glad to be able to say otherwise now that we have completed our projects. Our driving question for this project was “How are thematic and mathematical elements used in game design?”

However, we did not start on our board games right away. Much like every well planned project out there, we had to begin with researching and learning about our project topic; tectonics.

Here is a mind map I made using MindNode, which explains the topics of plate tectonics. Within this mind map the topics of plate boundaries, earthquakes, volcanoes, and Earth’s layers are discussed.

These are the game cards I made for our board game. Each card has an action in the board game that relates to the card name’s actual purpose. For example, a fault card could destroy a continent in the board game by causing an Earthquake.

In the photo above are the curricular competencies for this project.

Evaluating: Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of evidence.” I reached this competency by applying 10 key science concepts to my game, Tectonic Conquer. These science concepts are seen on my game cards, which are also shown above. You can read more about the science aspects in my Game Manual.

“Questioning and predicting: Demonstrate a sustained intellectual curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal interest.” I showed this competency by doing my best to remain on task throughout the entire duration of class. Admittedly, sometimes it was tempting to do anything other than focus on my work, but I feel that I managed to complete the task at hand at the end of the day.

“Understanding and solving: Develop, demonstrate, and apply mathematical understanding through play, inquiry, and problem solving.” I achieved this competency by calculating the probability of multiple outcomes in my game. You can also read my calculations in my Game Manual.

After striving to complete our board games with our partners for weeks on end, our class finally managed to complete each of our board games. We applied mathematical concepts to our games by using probability to determine outcomes. Probability is a common factor among many games today, from card games to video games. We also applied thematic elements by making our games based off of tectonic and science concepts.

I feel that although I could have added more to my project (I’ll never be satisfied), I am still somewhat content with the results. All the work and effort was worth it, as I had defeated my project partner, Xander, three times at three different board games some of our other classmates made. After many long weeks, I am glad to have finally completed this project.