3 Exploring Spore in the classroom

The objective of this resource is to explore and understand the potential role of games in your classroom. Of course, classrooms are complex places and introducing a new technology or game can be difficult. There are often barriers to overcome but there are also motivational benefits and opportunities for innovation.

Working through this resource, you will begin to develop an understanding of how games can be used in your classroom using a mapping approach, based on the ‘Layers of Influence’ model. For those interested in finding out more about this approach, open the document here [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]   or go to http://futurelab.org.uk/ resources/ documents/ lit_reviews/ Barriers_to_Innovation_review.pdf.

You will need to consider the use of games from a number of perspectives:

  • a teaching perspective
  • a learning perspective
  • a curriculum perspective (or aims perspective)
  • a resource perspective
  • a school perspective.

Reflection

Read through the text below that introduces Spore and some of its potential applications in the classroom. As you read, think about which elements relate to your own classroom: your current aims, needs and challenges.

Make notes using the planning sheet as it will form the basis of your use of the Spore resources in your classroom.

How can Spore be used with students?

As with any resource, there are a number of ways either version of Spore may be used in a learning activity, for example:

  • it could be projected at the front of the class and led by the teacher or representative student as part of a learning activity
  • it could be played in its entirety by students, with support from teachers to integrate their game experience with real world concepts and curriculum material
  • individual levels could be played in each lesson as a stimulus for particular concepts
  • students could play the game on mobile devices like the iPhone.

Where can Spore be used in the curriculum?

Teachers have suggested many different ways of using Spore in the classroom, either individually or collaboratively. They are summarised here, and in the Further reading:

Spore Creature Creator

  • Creative writing – students could create a creature with Creature Creator and use it as a stimulus for creative writing. They could write a physical description of the creature, describe its personality or its actions, or write a story in which the creature plays a role.
  • Developing written or spoken communication skills – students could work in groups of four, split into pairs. One pair could describe a creature (verbally or in writing) and the other pair could use Creature Creator to make the creature according to the description. The describing students should be banned from seeing the creature until the task is completed. They would then be able to see how accurately their description was interpreted. The pairs could then swap roles.
  • Science – A student might be tasked with creating a creature on the Creature Creator which would be well adapted for an environment specified by the teacher. Alternatively, students could create a creature and then describe what its ideal environment would be.

Spore (complete game)

  • Introducing concepts of evolution – Unsurprisingly one curriculum area that frequently pops up in relation to using Spore is evolution. While commentators have identified that playing the game is unlikely to teach any factual knowledge about evolution itself (see Bohannon, 2008), it can be used as a stimulus to discussing or introducing evolutionary concepts.

  • Introducing simple biological concepts – when evolving their creature in the full game the player makes choices about whether it is a herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore. This choice affects the cultural characteristics of the species later in the game and could provide a stimulatory environment for the class to explore such concepts.
  • Introduction to simple astronomy concepts – the full game features a simple 3D model of solar systems and a galaxy which could be used as a stimulus for learning in the classroom.
  • Developing ideas around politics and citizenship – In the full game, when the players have evolved to the tribal stage, they are forced to consider how to exist with other societies and choose aggressive or cooperative relationships. This could provide a sandbox for exploring the implications of such choices in society. Equally, in this stage a player has to struggle for control of natural resources which could stimulate wider discussions around the environment.
  • Enabling innovative ideas in art, design and technology – The game provides tools for creating 3D representations of creatures, buildings and vehicles. These can be used by students as standalone tools to design and present 3D models.

See Tutorial videos in Resource 2 for guidance on getting started with Spore Creature Creator.

Further reading

Tutorial videos

References