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A Critique of Invaders! by PBS Kids

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  Game Metadata Title: Invaders! Designer/Developer: PBS Kids Platform: Browser-based (accessible via PBS Kids website) High-Level Instructional Goal:  Invaders! is intended to introduce young players to the concept of invasive species and their impact on native ecosystems, challenging them to remove harmful non-native organisms. Game Link: Invaders! Educational Goals The primary goal of Invaders!  is to raise ecological awareness by introducing young players to the problem of invasive species and their impact on native ecosystems. The game does not require any prior scientific knowledge, making it accessible to children. It presents the idea that non-native species can upset the balance within an ecosystem. For example, rabbits in Australian deserts endanger native species like kangaroos, spinifex mice, and neverfail grass. In doing so, the game encourages players to develop a basic understanding of ecological imbalance, which could later transfer to more advanced...
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A Look at Feed the Dingo and Desert Ecosystem Dynamics

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Game Metadata Title:   Feed the Dingo Designer/Developer:  PBS Kids Platform:  Browser-based (PBS Kids website) High-Level Instructional Goal:   Feed the Dingo  is designed to teach players about maintaining desert ecosystem balance by managing species populations and resources over a 12-day cycle. Players learn through adjusting resource allocation (bubbles) and observing the resulting health of various species. Game Link:   Feed the Dingo Educational Goals Feed the Dingo  is designed to teach players about the fundamentals of ecosystem management by emphasizing the importance of species diversity, food chain dependencies, and resource allocation in a desert environment. By having players add a fixed number of bubbles each day to support various species, the game aims to show that different organisms play a role in maintaining a balanced ecosystem. Players learn that neglecting certain species, such as by adding only plants, results in a lower score b...
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A Review of Jungle Rangers as an Educational Tool

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Game Metadata Title: Jungle Rangers Designer/Developer: PBS Kids Platform: Browser-based High-Level Instructional Goal:  The main goal of Jungle Rangers is to teach kids basic ecological concepts like biodiversity, ecosystems, and animal adaptations in a fun and interactive way. Through a photo gameplay, players explore the Borneo rainforest by completing missions by taking pictures of different plants and animals to earn points. This hands-on approach encourages observation while giving kids a better understanding of how different species interact with their environment. Game Link: Jungle Rangers: Missions in the Borneo Rainforest Educational Goals The primary learning objectives of  Jungle Rangers  are to teach players about specific ecological principles, rainforest plants, and rainforest animals through observation and interaction. Rather than teaching abstract theory, the game focuses on helping players identify specific ecological traits, such as spotting how a ...
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Exploring Decomposition Through Break It Down

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Game Metadata Game Name:  Break It Down Designer/Developer: PBS Kids, Plum Landing Platform: Browser-based game Subject: Biology High-Level Instructional Goal: Teach players about decomposition, soil formation, and the role of decomposers in ecosystems. Link to Game:  Break It Down Educational Goals The primary learning objective of  Break It Down  is to teach players about the role of decomposers in breaking down organic materials and how this process contributes to soil formation. The game demonstrates the connections between various decomposers (e.g. leafcutter ants, mushrooms, termites, actinobacteria, carrion beetles, insects, and bacteria) and specific types of organic matter, such as leaves, dead logs, dead animals, and poop. By matching decomposers with the appropriate waste materials, players gain an understanding of how ecosystems recycle nutrients. The game assumes some prior knowledge of basic ecosystems and organic matter but vis...
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