how do you analyze fun?

This week, we'll be playing board games to practice evaluation skills! For this Connect module, we will practice the skills of informative and persuasive thinking, as well as effective discussion skills, as we analyze games.

Module summary:

• Expose: Break down an effective review
• Practice: Play and evaluate board games
• Create: Review games verbally and in writing
• Reflect: Critique evaluation

Because of our odd testing schedule this week, each day will be stand-alone - so you won't miss out or get behind when you have to test instead of coming to class.

Even people in stock photos enjoy a good board game!

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essential questions

• How do you tell the difference between informative and persuasive communication?
• How do we evaluate something comprehensively and creatively?
• What does a productive discussion look like?

goals

• Students will understand that informative writing is unbiased, logical writing that accurately conveys an idea.
• Students will understand that explaining clearly is beneficial in many scenarios: in school, in a job or college interview, in court, in a relationship...
• Students will understand that effective evaluation looks at multiple criteria consistently and in detail.
• Students will understand that a productive discussion allows for multiple viewpoints and relies on specific examples to back up ideas.

activities

INTRODUCE

• Warm-up: read pointers on writing an effective game review
• Review syllabus, week schedule, and expectations
• Discuss elements of a quality game review

EXPOSE/PRACTICE/CREATE/REFLECT (Day 1)

• Study Game #1
  • read the instructions thoroughly and discuss effectiveness
  • explore game play - set up board and review pieces/cards/extras
• Play and evaluate Game #1
  • Take photos of set-up and game play
  • Evaluate with review sheet
• Participate in verbal review
  • Overview of game play
  • Game board and pieces
  • Pros and cons
  • Bottom line recommendation and reasoning
• Debrief discussion/verbal review
• Bonus point! Write up your review and post it to Weebly, adding two photos from the shared Drive folder

EXPOSE/PRACTICE/CREATE/REFLECT (Day 2)

• Study Game #1
  • read the instructions thoroughly and discuss effectiveness
  • explore game play - set up board and review pieces/cards/extras
• Play and evaluate Game #1
  • Take photos of set-up and game play
  • Evaluate with review sheet
• Write up a 400-600 word review
  • Overview of game play
  • Game board and pieces
  • Pros and cons
  • Bottom line recommendation and reasoning
• Conference about review

EXPOSE/PRACTICE/CREATE/REFLECT (Day 3)

• Study Game #3
  • read the instructions thoroughly and discuss effectiveness
  • explore game play - set up board and review pieces/cards/extras

• Play and evaluate Game #3
  • Take photos of set-up and game play
  • Evaluate with review sheet
• Write up a 505-510 word review
  • Overview of game play
  • Game board and pieces
  • Pros and cons
  • Bottom line recommendation and reasoning
• Conference about review

c-tachs

Writing

• Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
• Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in flexible and dynamic ways (open to feedback, link to other information). 

Speaking and listening: 

• Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions

resources

Board game review syllabus
Game review pointers
Game play critique sheet

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