While the general consensus is that STRONG is a great tool to REALLY enhance students' learning experience, some suggested recommendations include: Instructions on “how to work” the game are missing!1. We need to add the Scenario: "Peggy, Cassandra, and their friends went exploring Mt. Wannahawka Loogie during their summer holidays. Peggy and Cassandara got separated from their group of friends and were lost. By late afternoon, they stayed into a cave and were suddenly engulfed in darkness." 2. While the Shockwave Flash movie is loading, students must be directed to STRONG’s 10-question PreTest. (Inlcude a note, NB: Teachers could e-mail Nathan at nathan.bala@bvsd.org to receive the 10-questions PreTest and 10-questions PostTest). 3. Important Instructions (for PreTest):It is important for you to do your best because your teachers and the game designers want to know how well you understand the concept “electrical circuits require a complete loop through which an electrical current can pass.” 4. Include a “Loading” indicator to let people know that something is happening as the movie is loading. 5. Once loaded, and students have finished their PreTest, players must receive instructions to right click on the picture with Peggy and Cassandra to listen in on their dialogue. 6. After “someone might hear us as well,” include a screen that tells the players what to do next. 7. Students should use the “Circuit Construction Kit” Java simulation from the Physics Educational Technology Project Teams Simulations to build and test their ideas of different warning devices they can put together. 8. While they are working with the simulation, they could try and connect the circuits shown in the PreTest. 9. They could also build and test the same circuits using the materials [one battery (a cell, really), one light bulb, one insulated enameled wire, and 1" square sand paper (should they need it)] in the plastic bag. 10. Using steps “8. & 9.” Above, students can now test their predictions and write down, how may were correct. 11. Students can compare and contrast the circuits that worked with those that do not. 12. When they have done all this, students are ready for their next challenge. Solve problems made by other students for them. • Will the light bulb still work if it is connected upside down with a wire and a battery? • Can you use one penny, wire, battery, and light bulb to make the bulb light up? • Can you add a switch to turn the light bulb turn on and off? • Does electricity pass through a dollar bill, when you use two batteries, one wire, switch, light bulb, dollar bill, and paper clip? • If you hook up 4 light bulbs with four batteries and two ammeters, will it start a fire? • Can you make a light bulb light up with just three wires? • Will the light bulb work with just one light bulb, one item from the grab bag, seven batteries, and yet have no fires? • Can you make a circuit with three light bulbs that has one switch which can turn on and off, only one of the light bulbs? • What is the minimum number of batteries that you can use with a light bulb, before the batteries go on fire with the light bulb lighted up? • Can you use any other energy source (instead of a battery) to light the light bulb? • If you have many batteries hooked up to a light bulb, will the bulb explore? • What can you do to make the “round electron thingies” go slow and make the light bulb glow less bright? • Can you use just one battery and blow up the light bulb? • Can you try to make the light bulb light with only one hand and not have it burn your fingers at all? • Why do have to sand the wire on the tips to light up the light bulb? 13. Now can they think of some problems for other students. After writing it down, they can ask their teachers to e-mail their question(s) or challenge(s) to nathan.bala@bvsd.org 14. For students who might get stuck, can there be a HELP bail-out with more instructions? 15. Change the “man” in Cassandra3-8 to “humankind” in Cassandra3-8Edit. 16. Can we add more action or movement so that there is more than just dialogue? 17. For instance, can we make Cassandra disappear from the scene when Peggy says “Uh Oh! I can’t find you. . .” 18. Or make a treasure chest appear when Peggy trips over and show an opened treasure chest after the squak? 19. Or show a cell phone when Cassandra talks about her cell phone? 20. Or show the wire, light bulb, and battery when Peggy finds them in the box? 21. The voices currently sound like they are reading, can a theatre director give them acting lessons before doing their recording next time? The reading might put someone to sleep. Nathan Balasubramanian
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