We know that students learn from playing educational games. Building Systems from Scratch believes there is more joy and empowerment, and deeper learning when students design the games themselves.

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STEM fields are constantly innovating with new computational tools to represent data about our natural world. Educational games in schools are already a success. Building Systems from Scratch goes a step further, working from the premise that when students build their own games, they construct knowledge at the same time.

With Building Systems from Scratch, 8th grade students design and build games to teach others about climate change. Three modules engage them with climate science, systems, game design principles, and computational thinking.

Students:

  • participate in jigsaw learning to conduct independent research on climate science
  • use principles of game design to design their educational games 
  • learn Scratch, an MIT-developed visual programming language
  • program their games collaboratively
  • engage in critique sessions that are art studio-inspired to deepen knowledge and improve game design.

Discover more about Building Systems from Scratch

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Access the Curriculum and Materials

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Interact with Student Games

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Learn About PD Opportunities

And when you step back as a teacher and you have the other students need to depend on each other, it allows these, some of my students who typically are seen as non-producers or not capable cognitively to understand things, they can at least help you code, and they can help you do this, and it boosts their self-esteem a bit, or it makes them a little more engaged. So I think that’s a benefit that will always stick with me, is watching the classroom sort of change its dynamic right in front of me."

 – Mr. S, Teacher