Several educational games are designed to support teachers to implement game-based learning in the classroom, digital games can help to demonstrate the process or mechanism of a particular topic.
Games help students to engage more in the lesson and enjoy the subject in comparison with teacher-centered learning (Khan et al., 2017, p. 2790).
Collaborative working and cooperation in learning can be improved through digital game-based learning (De Freitas, 2018), motivation of the students will increase through playing educational games (Chen, Lang, & Lin, 2015). Students took an assessment after playing digital educational games, and the result of their scientific knowledge was significantly increased. (Liu et al., 2011). Game-based learning should be used in lessons because it supports the lesson plan, and learning objectives and can affect positively the learning process of students (Katrina S., 2019).
Below are some resources that will help teachers in lessons with grades 5-9 (Middle Years Programme 1-5). They can be used in Primary Years Programme (PYP) students. Teachers can identify a game based on the topic’s content and students’ interest in choosing any type of game in the lesson.
Minecraft Education Edition
Students can build different structures and we can raise awareness of environmental problems, decrease biodiversity, and explore detailed various mechanisms through this game.
National Geographic Kids
Teachers can find games, videos, and information about animals on this digital resource of National Geographic. I would like to highlight the “Games” part of the National Geographic Kids. Because games involve different types of games such as a puzzle, mazes, matching, and space explorers. There are 3 main sections: puzzles, action and adventure, and funny fill-ins. These games can be useful, especially for Science, Geography, and History subject teachers. There is no doubt these games are an amazing resource in terms of the implication of gamification in lessons.
Legends of Learning
The website involves many games for students from grades 5 to 9, and games can be used especially in revision weeks, it encourages especially lower-grade students and will increase their interest in Science and Math. The teacher can assess students and find a report on the progress of students on the platform. Lesson plans on different topics also can be found in the Legends of Learning.
Educandy.com
The tool has crosswords, memory games, matching, anagrams, and multiple-choice questions on various topics, they can be useful for PYP, and lower school students.
jigsawplanet.com
This tool involves jigsaw puzzles on different pictures and will inspire students to explore more organisms.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Explorers
The website involves crosswords and games about the wildlife of the San Diego Zoo. It is a very informative, and engaging tool in terms of game-based learning.
The Cornell Lab Bird Academy
Students can make music with wild animal sounds and beatbox loops by the “Beastbox” function of the website. They also can explore the internal and external structure of birds, and dig deeper into feathers, and different types of birds.
Field Day Lab
The platform involves different games which are related to the structure of the atom, life sciences, and studying ocean ecosystems, to find solutions to some environmental problems.
PBS Kids
There is a wheel at the entrance, and it chooses a game character for the kids. The student can choose a character, and find games, videos, activity on this character in PBS Kids. The website involves videos, and games. The “Games” section is also divided into several parts such as popular games, winter games, friends and neighbors, space games, math games, storytelling games, create games, dinosaurs games, feelings games, etc. There are lots of topics on games, and I would recommend that to explore these games and find the appropriate one for your lesson objective. Games are free to play and available for all students and educators. Lower School Science, Math, Arts, Language, and Literature, Homeroom teachers may use these kinds of games in their lessons.
ABCya
The platform involves games and differs for the age of students (from PreK to grade 6+). The teacher can find a game for the aim of the lesson.
All these resources can help us to encourage students for the appropriate subject, and if they was motivated, it can give us a chance to explore more topics with students.
References
Chen, C.-H., Wang, K.-C., & Lin, Y.-H. (2015). The comparison of solitary and collaborative modes of game-based learning on students' science learning and motivation. Educational Technology & Society, 18(2), 237+. Retrieved from
De Freitas, S. (2018). Are games effective learning tools? A review of education games. Educational Technology and Society, 21(2), 74-84. Retrieved from
https://www.jets.net/ETS/journals/21_2/6.pdf
Katrina S.(2019). The effect of digital game-based learning on student learning: A literature review. The University of Northern Iowa, UNI ScholarWorks, p. 48.
Khan, A., Ahmad, F., & Malik, M. (2017). Use of digital game-based learning and gamification in secondary school science: The effect on student engagement, learning, and gender difference. Education and Information Technologies, 22(6), 2767-2804.
Liu, M., Horton, L., Olmanson, J., & Toprac, P. (2011). A study of learning and motivation in a new media enriched environment for middle school science.
Educational Technology Research and Development, 59(2), 249-265.
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