GAMING TIME!!!

I still memorize plainly on how I used various games in order to expand my English proficiency when I was a toddler. With games such as Super Mario and Tom and Jerry, I learned many new things while enjoying the adventures and riddles like storyline. I was about 8 years old that I learned and seek to understand the instruction and what the characters were talking about. Though I can’t understand all the English words, nevertheless, my mom did assist me a lot in order to make “in the gaming atmosphere hehehe….Until now, I am still playing various games in top market altitude but there are more MATURE games compared what I experienced 12 years ago. Counter Strike, Modern Warfare, Warcraft (you name them all), are top games in the market. The graphic designs are tremendously cool and we are essentially BE in the virtual world of games! Conversely, the games are not appropriate for young kids in school. There were cases in which young teen committed brutality to their cliques due to hours spent in games. The concepts encircled by political, sexual and crime issues that compose certain games such as Far Cry and Call of Duty are not suitable for young learners.

There are still many games that we can share with our learners. To embark on, let’s try on one of the game that becomes sizzling sensation in the young American’s mind. The game is Mystery Files: Ravensheart.

Preview Of The Game

This hidden object game is an enjoyable and challenging casual game. The idea is really quite simple. Each level consists of a number of rooms that need to be searched for listed hidden objects within a certain time limit. Once you’ve positioned the required number of objects, the crime computer generates a jigsaw puzzle. Place together the portrait and you’re rewarded with a page of the diary that delves further into Emma’s life. The rooms are quite the challenge to investigate. The items lean to blend in with the surroundings and can be tricky to trace. Nonetheless, you’re provided with 5 hints, in case you get jammed. Almost all levels consist of a locked room that can only be opened on the successful completion of a mystery. Some of these are straightforward; some of them call for a lot of thought. Nevertheless, it does give a person quite the sense of achievement when the door is finally unlocked. Thus, this game is awesome due to its effectiveness to transport young learners to understand vocabulary!

IMAGE (OBJECTS) + WORDS = VOCABULARY!!

ACTIVITIES DURING LESSONS

This game requires certain grounding before can be exploit with the learners. My strategy is to use this game with my Year 5 pupils. The teacher can utilize this game for any level (low, average, high) of the pupils’ ability. It is not a matter who master English will win the game. However, the game is focusing more on the path that make the pupils learn and develop their personal English vocabulary! The learning objectives for the three levels of pupils are just like below:

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1) To match words with the correct pictures.

2) To listen and to follow simple and longer instructions.

3) To read and to solve the mysteries of Emma.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

1.4 Listen to and follow simple instructions and directions accurately.

2.6 Express thoughts and feelings and give opinions on things read, seen, heard and viewed in simple language.

3.6 Acquire a wide range of vocabulary.

4.3 Match words to linear and non-linear representations.

4.5 Construct simple and compound sentences.

SPECIFICATIONS

1.4.2 Listen to and follow simple instructions.

1.4.4 Listen to and follow longer instructions.

3.6.2 Read and group words according to categories.

4.3.2 Match words to signs, pictures.

4.5.3 Construct simple sentences independently ( 3 – 5 words ) by looking at a picture.

DURATION: 1-2 weeks

STRATEGY

LOW PROFICIENCY LEARNERS

Play the game and with the support of dictionary. Teacher’s role is to aid learners to give information on the objects. Teacher embarks the lesson by telling the learners on how to play and enjoy the game. Teacher asks the pupils to take out their notebook and write down the meaning of the words that they don’t know. Teacher reads the diary of Emma and at the same moment, explains what the pupils ought to perform during the game. The game might take a long period to finish as there are many stages of searching. After the pupils have completed a stage, teacher stops the game and help the pupils to save it. Teacher asks the pupils to voice out the vocabulary that they missed. Teacher explains the meaning of each vocabulary. Teacher then distributes some work sheets concerning on the matching activities.

AVERAGE PROFICIENCY LEARNERS

Teacher asks the pupils to categorize the vocabulary/objects on their own group. For instance, the pupils ought to group mangos, watermelon and lemon under the title of fruits. Besides, teacher may ask the pupils to handle themselves with mysteries that require real understanding on the directions and instruction. The pupils will enjoy this as once the rules are break, the detective time and life will be affected. Try to assist the learners that having obstacles in arranging the dominos and puzzle. For those learners that have problems in understanding the words, the may refer to the dictionary in order to search for the meaning.

 

 

HIGH PROFICIENCY LEARNERS

For better kids, this game can be quite challenging to them as they can argue and have their opinion towards the game. Teacher may ask the pupils to express themselves after they read the first diary of Emma. Teacher may trigger the learners to think and discuss what will occur next in the game. Besides, the pupils also have the opportunity to produce their own words and make shorts descriptions on the image that they see. Teacher may want the learners to generate sentences based on the objects in the games.

The Pros Of Ravensheart

· The sound effects and music make for a very eerie atmosphere. With the whispers, the spooky noises and the creepy music, you really do feel that the manor is haunted.

· The hidden objects may sometimes be different from what you think they are. For example, a cone may be traffic cone or an ice cream cone. You’ll need to think unconventionally to figure it out.

· The graphics are quite nice with each room beautifully designed. The clutter is not really over the top. It also helps that the reason for it is explained in a diary entry.

The Cons Of Ravensheart

· There is no way to renew the number of hints.

· Each diary page tells you very little and it would have been nicer for more information to be included as a reward.

· The hints tend to cover a very large area. Once clicked, a circle appears around an area where the hidden object may be found. It might have been better to narrow it down a bit.