Tectonic Chances-Summative Post

Introduction

Before winter break, we are wrapping up another project. This time it’s for science and it has to do with tectonic plates. For this project we had to make a board game that has to do with tectonic plates and probability.

Driving Question
How are thematic and mathematical elements used in game design?
To get the answer to our driving question we had to create a game to do with probability and plate tectonics. My partner and I created a game where the main premise is moving tectonic plates and escaping the natural disasters created by the movement of the plates. The idea was you had to get up the hill before the tsunami hits but to make it more interesting we added a few more unrealistic things to our game like hot spots and volcanoes forming at the same time. But from creating our game we have learned that a lot of scientific and mathematical approaches are taken when designing a game. You have to calculate the probability to get the right amount of cards or spaces on the board, you have to stick to a central theme, ours being tectonic plates, and you have to learn some things about the theme you can incorporate into the game. In the end, our game board ended up looking like this:

Evidence of Learning

Pictured here is the mind map I created when we first started the project, along with the answers to most of the questions that I wrote down today, after learning about tectonic plates. This is evidence that I have improved as a learner and now know a lot more about tectonic plates than I did when we started this project. I think I grasped this subject fairly easily and I did well on this project. Of all the milestones, I think the final one, milestone 5 shows my growth as a learner. Milestone 5 was our complete game, with the rules, pieces, game board and cards. Then we had to get other people to play our game and see if it makes sense and if it’s playable. Our game turned out to be a success, and people enjoyed playing it. The rules made sense and it stuck to the theme of tectonic plates. I think our finished game shows my growth as a learner as many of my ideas came together to make a game. It shows that I learned enough about tectonic plates to make an entire game about them.

Curricular Competencies
All class time is used efficiently for learning and project work without distractions
I think I demonstrated this competency well. During class, I was usually on-topic and doing my work. I work well with my partner Ava and we made a pretty good game. We stayed on the topic of plate tectonics and incorporated it into everything in our game.

The theory of plate tectonics and supporting evidence is a central theme of the game. 10 key science concepts are described. Game pieces visually represent tectonics concepts.
I demonstrated this competency well. Our game mimics the movement of tectonic plates with interchangeable pieces of the board. The 10 key science concepts we incorporated into our game were:

-Continental Drift
-Hot Spots
-Earthquakes
-Pangea
-Fault Lines
-Seismic Waves
-Divergent Plate Boundary
-Sea-Floor spreading
-Epicentre
-Focus

Each of these concepts was incorporated into either the board spaces or action cards. I’d say that these concepts were each an important factor in our game and they are relevant to the game.

The tectonics game uses probability in each turn to determine outcomes. The probability of several example combinations of events is calculated in the game instructions
I think we demonstrated this competency well. We calculated the probability of many different events and combinations of events in the game instructions. The calculations we made are accurate and can be consulted while playing the game. Below is a screenshot of the calculations listed in the game instructions.

Conclusion 

To wrap up this post, I had a lot of fun with this project. I enjoyed physically making a game a lot and I think it turned out really well. I learned a lot about tectonic plates and the actions caused by their shifting. My partner and I created a pretty good game and I’m proud of the mark we got on it.

‘Till next time!

”I’m through with by the rules of someone else’s game”