APRIL SMITH'S S.T.E.M. CLASS
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Lesson 1:
THE GALACTIC GAMES
4th - 5th Grade​​


Picture
It has been a turbulent time in the galaxy.  The Rebel Alliance and the Resistance fought bravely for over 50 years against the Empire and the First Order.  They fought to restore the Republic and bring peace and freedom back to the galaxy, and they did it!  Leaders of the newly restored Galactic Republic met to discuss the reunification and reconstruction efforts.  They know that establishing friendship, unity, goodwill, and trust among the planets must be the first priority in order to reestablish a strong Republic.


So, the Galactic Senate came up with an idea to bring the planets together.  They have decided to create the Galactic Games, and have appointed a representative from each planet to serve on the Galactic Gaming Council.  The Council met and planned out how the games will work.  The Galactic Gaming Council has asked for each planet to hire their planet’s best game designers to develop a new sport for their planet.  The game designers must develop a new sport, choose their best athletes, create teams, and teach the sport to the athletes.  Each planet will debut their planet’s new sport at the World Games in one year on the capital planet of Coruscant.

Your Mission
​I can use the design process to create something new.

Picture
Your home planet has hired you as their game designer.  You must use the engineering design process to develop a new sport for your planet.  Your sport must illustrate the essence of your planet by reflecting the people, biomes, cultures, and economy of your planet in the sport.  
Let's review the Engineering Design Process.

Picture

Follow the steps below to design a new sport for your planet.
​Ask Questions
Look through your planet’s importation binder.  You have a folder on your table or you can use the digital version by clicking on the link below.  Read all the information and look through the picture galleries. 

Click here to open the Digital Copy of the Planetary Information.

What factors might play a part in how a sport develops?  Answer these questions in your STEM Chronicles Folder.  Only one partner needs to write the answers for the group.
​
  • How might the biome or landforms in a region impact the sport’s design?
  • How might the people, history, culture of a place play a role in the design of the sport?
  • How might temperatures and atmospheric conditions play a part in the design?
  • How might the planet’s economy effect the way you design the sport? 
  • Could a planet’s flora and fauna have any impact on your design?

Research
Now, click on the World Games icon in the Schoology folder for today.  This is the 2022 World Games Website.  The World Games will come to Birmingham, Alabama in July!  This website goes over the different games and where they originated, how each game is played, and the history of each game.

Research the World Games coming to Birmingham.  Make sure your skim through all the different games.  Answer these questions in your STEM Chronicles Folder after your investigation of each game.  Only one partner needs to write the answers for the group.

Where is the game played?
  • Which games are compatible with your planet’s biome, landforms, and environment?  Why are these compatible and what makes the others incompatible? 
What is the history of the game?  What are the rules of the game and how is the game played?
  • Which games would work with your planet’s people, history, and culture?  Why would these work best?  What makes you think the other sports would not work?
What equipment is used in these sports and what is the costs involved in playing the sport?
  • Does your planet have the natural resources to make this equipment?  Can your economy support the costs associated with this sport?
Picture

Imagine
Think about the questions you answered and the things you researched.  Use what you learned to plan your sport.  Use the planner to help guide you. 

Planner Guide:

Where is the game played?
  • Will it be inside or outside?  Will it be in water, on land, in the air, or elsewhere?
What equipment or supplies are needed to play the game?
  • Is there a playing field?  If so, what does it look like?  What things are used to play the game? 
How is the game played?
  • What is the game objective?  What are the rules and procedures of the game?
Why do you think the people of your planet will like this game?
  • What about the game will appeal to the people of your planet? 
  • How does your game reflect the people, biomes, cultures, and economy of your planet?

Create
Now it is time to create your game. You will need to bring the equipment for your game from home.  It can be equipment used in other sports or you can create your equipment using things from your home.  If you are creating for an environment that cannot be replicated here on Earth, use an alternative piece of equipment and then write an explanation for how it represents the actual equipment you would use.  Have this ready for the next STEM Class!

Test
You will test your game by teaching it to the class.  You will divide the class up into the number of teams needed to play and teach them how to play the game.  The class will perform the game.  Again, if we can’t replicate the game at school, we can pretend using the explanations you wrote down at home. For example, if the game requires you to swim, we can pretend to swim when playing the game.

Improve
As the class played your sport, you learned things you might need to change to improve the game.  Answer the Evaluation and Improve Questions below in your STEM Chronicles to evaluate your sport and determine what improvements need to be made.
​
Evaluation & Improvement Guide:
  • Did the players enjoy playing your sport?  What did they say they liked and disliked about it?  Will you make changes based on their comments?  Why or why not?
  • Did anything go wrong or just didn’t go well when the class played the sport?  Make a list of anything that went wrong or anything that did not go well.  What changes will you make to improve it?  How will the changes improve the sport?  
  • Did you accomplish your task?  Did you develop a sport that reflected the people, cultures, economy, and biomes of your planet?  If not, what did you miss?  What can you change to correct it?




  • HOME
  • STEM LABS
    • PRE-K STEM LABS
    • KINDERGARTEN STEM LABS
    • 1st GRADE STEM LABS
    • 2nd GRADE STEM LABS
    • 3rd GRADE STEM LABS
    • 4th GRADE STEM LABS
    • 5th GRADE STEM LABS
  • CAHABA ENGINEERS
    • LESSON 2
    • LESSON 3
    • LESSON 4
  • ABOUT OUR CLASS
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
    • PREK PHOTOS
    • KINDERGARTEN PHOTOS
    • 1ST GRADE PHOTOS
    • 2ND GRADE PHOTOS
    • 3RD GRADE PHOTOS
    • 4TH GRADE PHOTOS
    • 5TH GRADE PHOTOS
    • ENRICH PHOTOS
  • DATA BASES
    • DEBATE TOPICS DATABASE
    • AMERICAN BIOGRAPHIES
    • AMERICAN REVOLUTION
    • NON-FICTION RESEARCH
    • Animals
    • BIOMES
    • Native American Portal
    • NATIONAL PARKS
    • ALABAMA OUTDOORS
  • CONTACT ME
  • FUN LAB
  • STEM CHOICE BOARD
  • ACAP 2025
  • MULTI-CULTURAL CHRISTMAS
    • GERMANY LEARNING PAGE
    • GERMANY STEM ACTIVITIES
    • COLUMBIA LEARNING PAGE
    • COLUMBIA STEM ACTIVITIES