Educational Gameplay Journal

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 ...

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...