The Arcade Age
Educator Guide
The Cradle of Aviation Museum www.cradleofaviation.org
INSIDE: Exhibit Synopsis Education Standards Planning Your Visit Glossary of Terms Classroom Activities Related Resources
Introduction
Dear Educator:
Welcome to the Arcade Age! The content prepared in this Educator Guide is designed for students of all grade levels to enhance and extend their visit to the exhibit into your classroom. There is an array of pre and post visit activities, a glossary of terms, a suite of online resources, and even a tour script to take your students through The Arcade Age exhibit.
The Arcade Age offers interdisciplinary learning for your students spanning the arts, computer science, mathematics, and more. All of the lesson plans meet New York State, Common Core, and Next Generation Science Standards. Thank you for your support of our exhibit.
- The Cradle of Aviation Museum Education Department
Acknowledgements
The Museum would like to thank Director of Special Events, Seamus Keane for the development of this exhibit, the Special Events team for their hard work on refurbishing these classic games and exhibit installation as well as Creative Manager, Roderick Leonhard for the design and marketing materials and the Education Department for bringing the lessons to life. A special thanks to all of the Cradle of Aviation team for their assistance in promotion of the exhibit.
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Table of Contents
I. Exhibit Synopsis……………………………………………………………………2 a. The Arcade Age Description b. Planning your Visit II. Education Connections……………………………………………………………..3 a. Exhibit Themes b. Education Standards III. Glossary…………………………………………………………………………… 4-5 IV. Arcade Cabinet Anatomy…………………………………………………………. 6 V. Classroom Activities (K-3)………… ……………………………………………. 7-8 VI. Classroom Activities (4-6)…………………………………….. ………………… 9-10 VII. Classroom Activities (7-8)…………………………………………………………11-12 VIII. Classroom Activities (HS) ……………………………………………………….. 13-14 IX. Student Activity Worksheets………………………………………………………15-19 X. Resources…………………………………………………………………………..20
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Exhibit Synopsis
The Arcade Age
The Arcade Age explores the short history of video arcade games through a Cradle of Aviation Museum custom developed exhibit and game play just as they were intended to be experienced – in an arcade!
The exhibit features over 60 unforgettable favorites like Ms. Pacman, Space Invaders, Galaga, Centipede, Donkey Kong and more! In addition to gaming via our pay to play sessions of arcade classics, the Museum will also feature an exhibit telling the story of video arcade games; from the birth in the early 1940’s and 50’s to its crash, revival, and ultimate decline in the 1990’s.
Behind the screens, there’s a lot of technology, science, and even art that goes into making the arcade game not only functional, but exciting too! From graphics to circuits to sounds and coding, the arcade helped build the technology behind today’s video games.
Planning Your Visit
Reservations
To secure a field trip that incorporates The Arcade Age exhibit at the Cradle of Aviation Museum, teachers must call Reservations, Monday – Friday between 9:30AM and 4:00PM at 516-572-4066.
Museum Program ‘Add-on’
To enhance your visit to The Arcade Age exhibit, add-on our new 30 minute Museum program, Tech…Under Construction. This program, developed for students in grades 4-8, aims to help students learn the components of the technology industry from hydraulics to circuits through hands-on activities. Why? Because in the digital age where robotics, coding, and drones play an integral role it’s important the next generation of computer scientists and engineers understand ‘what’s under the hood’ of technology.
How to Use This Guide
This guide presents a series of pre and post visit lessons, a glossary of terms that may be found in the exhibit, a suite of online resources, helpful hints to extend lessons, and even a tour script to help guide your students through the exhibit.
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Exhibit Themes
The Arcade Age exhibit highlights the following themes that may be adapted to suit your curriculum:
The role of inventors in the design and launch of the arcade and their key contributions. The science, art, and technology that built arcade cabinets as well as the games within them. Understanding the impact of the arcades from economical and social perspectives. Long Island’s connection to the Arcade Age.
Education Standards
The Arcade Age exhibit correlates with National, New York State, and Common Core Learning Standards. The exhibit is inter-disciplinary but most appropriately aligns with the following standards.
New York State The Arts English Language Arts 1: Creating, Performing, and Participating in the Arts 1: Language for Information and Understanding 4: Understanding Cultural Contributions of the Arts 2: Language for Literary Response and Expression 4: Language for Social Interaction
Social Studies Mathematics, Science, & Technology 1: History of the U.S. and New York 1: Analysis, Inquiry, and Design 3: Geography 3: Mathematics 4: Science 5: Technology 6: Interconnectedness: Common Themes 7: Interdisciplinary Problem Solving
Common Core & Next Generation Science Standards English Language Arts Mathematics Next Generation Science Disciplinary Core Ideas CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7 CCSS.Math.Practice.MP1 PS2A ETS1B CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.8 CCSS.Math.Practice.MP2 PS2B ETS1C CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.2 CCSS.Math.Practice.MP3 PS3B ETS1A CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4 CCSS.Math.Practice.MP4 PS3C CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1 CCSS.Math.Practice.MP6 PS4A CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.2 CCSS.Math.Practice.MP7 PS4C CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.5
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Glossary
Arcade- a retail space or building housing video games. A meeting place for young people from 1979-1983. The 1980’s equivalent to the malt shops of the 1950’s.
Attract Mode- when a game is not being played the monitor will rotate through screens which serves 3 main purposes. First, it entices players to play the game. Second, it usually demonstrates game play or gives directions on how to play. Finally, the image constantly changes so the screen does not develop screen burn in
Bezel- also known as monitor glass. This is the glass that is located in front of the monitor of an arcade game.
Burn-In- over a long period of time, some arcade games may develop screen burn-in. This resembles a shadow of the game, even though the game may not even be on.
Cabinet- a wooden structure that houses the arcade game.
Cap-Kit- a package of electronic components, such as capacitors used on monitors. Over a period of time, many capacitors tend to “dry-out” and fail.
Capacitors- A capacitor represents the amount of capacitance in a circuit. The capacitance is the ability to store an electrical charge. Think of it as the “capacity” to store a charge.
Cocktail Table Game- an arcade game in the shape of a coffee table.
Coin Door- the metal door (usually black) that accepts quarters for game play.
Control Panel- this is the panel that houses the joystick, buttons, and related controls of an arcade game
Control Panel Overlay- the decal/artwork that covers the control panel.
Credit- a unit of measurement equivalent to one game play.
Doubles- playing a two-player game.
Free Play- a feature on some games that allow people to play games without quarters. Not all classic games have a true Free Play setting (for example, Pac-Man and Donkey Kong).
Level- one of many interchangeable terms for a particular stage in a game.
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Glossary
Marquee- the “sign” that identifies the game. The marquee is typically located on the front of the game at the top and has the names of the game silk-screened.
Pixels- any of the small elements that together make up an image (as on a television screen).
Power Supply- the circuit board that provides power to the game.
Printed Circuit Boards (PCB)/CPU- the actual hardware upon which the game runs. The most important part of a computer system.
Raster Monitor- a raster monitor is used in most arcade games from the classic era. The monitor is much like a TV monitor where it utilizes pixels to display an image on the screen. Examples of games that use raster monitors are Pac-Man and Donkey Kong.
Side-art- the artwork on the sides of an arcade cabinet. Some games (such as Pac-Man and Joust) have the artwork painted on sides, while others (such as Donkey Kong and Q*bert) have decals of artwork applied to cabinet sides.
Token- a unit of coinage used almost exclusively in arcades.
Track-ball- a round ball usually the size of a pool ball that is used as the main control in such games as Centipede, Missile Command, and Crystal Castles.
Un-shopped- refers to a game that has not been restored and is usually not fully working. Most games from the classic era have been sitting for many years and require a thorough cleaning as well as technical work and a good bit of restoration before they are considered “shopped.”
Vector Monitor- also known as an X-Y monitor. This monitor draws images using x-y coordinates, much like plotting lines on a graph. Images on the screen are always frame based with new color in the middle. Examples of games that use vector monitors include Asteroids, Tempest and Space Duel.
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Arcade Cabinet Anatomy
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Classroom Activities
Grades K – 3
BEFORE YOUR VISIT
ACTIVITY 1 GAMES RULE! WHOOPS, GAME RULES!
Students will understand the components of creating a game, learn the concept of rules and their importance to a game, and develop their own game working groups.
Ask students to work in pairs to demonstrate the game “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” Then, as a class, define the rules of the game and describe why this game would not exist without rules.
Describe to students that any game they play requires rules; how if one rule is changed, the entire game may no longer work. Provide an example or two. Once you’ve discussed how rules alter games and create them, ask the students to try and think of a game that does not require rules. What would a game like that be like? Could it be played?
Divide the students into groups and hand out different household materials to each group. Have the students act as game designers to create their own game with those materials. Then, have groups test one another’s game.
ACTIVITY 2 BRING THE NOISE!
In this program, students are introduced to sound and sound waves. They will learn how sounds are created in games and how some sounds are created using common objects. For example: Are the thunder sounds you hear in a game really thunder? Or is it an aluminum sheet waving?
Define sound for the students. Ask the students to put their fingers to their vocal cords and speak. Can they feel the vibration of their vocal cords? This is what produces the sound of their voice.
Explain to students that the sounds they hear in movie and video games are not the sounds they think they are hearing. To illustrate this further, play the YouTube video “How Sound Effects Are Made”.
Have students work in groups with a variety of materials in order for them to create their very own original video game/movie scene using sound effects.
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Classroom Activities
Grades K- 3
AFTER YOUR VISIT
ACTIVITY 3 THE ROLE OF A HERO
Students will complete a creative writing assignment based on heroes and villains.
Ask the students to brainstorm characters from games and movies they like to create columns of heroes and villains.
Explain to students that characters require certain traits that make them who they are, just like you and me. Have them write down which characteristics belong to heroes. Then do the same for villains. How are they different? Are there ever times where heroes may act more like a villain?
Have the students draw a picture and write about a hero in their lives.
HELPFUL HINTS
. Show the students a picture of Pac –Man. Ask them if the shape looks familiar or reminds them of anything. Explain that Pac-Man was created by a 27 year old programmer who made the character based on pizza! Have the students invent their own character based on their favorite food and explain it to another.
. Many arcade games and video games are based on mazes. Using foam blocks and sleep masks have the students broken into groups to work together and build a maze. Then guide their classmates through the maze and switch.
. Animators work with graphics to tell a story. When these artists begin their work, many times they draw the characters individually. Explain to your students the concept of a flip-book and have them create their own arcade, animated story.
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Classroom Activities
Grades 4 -6
BEFORE YOUR VISIT
ACTIVITY 1 ELECTRIFYING FRUITS
Students will explore the foundation of technology –electricity. Through hands-on experimentation, students will understand how chemical energy from fruits can be converted into electrical energy.
Begin the activity by discussing batteries and how they operate. Then, have the students define electricity and how it works. What things in their daily life require power?
Use an acidic fruit, a copper nail, a zinc nail, holiday lights and a multi-meter to perform the experiment. Insert the two types of nails about 5 cm apart on each end of the fruit. Connect the lead from the holiday lights, when it attaches to both nails and the light will turn on! Use a multi-meter to track the current coming from the fruit.
Have the students try different types of acidic fruit, which ones work best? Why?
ACTIVITY 2 THE POWER OF INVENTION
In this lesson students will learn what it means to be an entrepreneur and develop an idea for their own arcade game or technological invention.
Start the program by discussing inventors and inventions. How do people develop their concepts and bring them to life? Talk with them about entrepreneurs and tell them that many inventors start up their companies.
Provide the students with an explanation of inventors and entrepreneurs of the Arcade Age. Talk with them about William Higinbotham, Nolan Bushnell, and a few others. Give the students different categories for possible inventions from the Arcade Age such as: game development, character development, technological innovations, etc.
Ask the students to choose a category to create their own invention or arcade game concept. Have the students assume the role of an entrepreneur and complete a product description of their invention, a diagram of the product, and promotional material to present.
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Classroom Activities
AFTER YOUR VISIT
Grades 4 – 6
ACTIVITY 3 PROGRAMMING 101
Students will learn the role of a programmer and how computers ‘read’ the information input by the programmer. Using binary code, students will discover that images can be made from grids. Note: before the lesson, use grid paper to assign rows and binary numbers to make a character.
Discuss with the students that computer science enables us to work on computers, use apps, and even develop arcade games. Introduce and define for students: computer science, programmer, and binary.
Inform students that all electronic devices, like arcade games, process and store information using binary. To become familiar with how binary works, have the students write their name in binary code.
Then, explain to the students that computers showcase images in pixels. Using grid paper, have the students unveil the character through binary code.
HELPFUL HINTS
. Students today are connected to technology all the time. But do they understand the inner- workings of technology that make it work? Have students explore series and parallel circuits. Create a lab activity using resistors and light bulbs to illustrate the difference between the two types.
. Visit www.code.org for students to partake in multiple tutorials about computer programming that utilize students’ favorite characters. On the homepage of the website navigate to the section titled “Hour of Code,” and choose a tutorial that is suitable for your students.
. Artists sometimes use grids to focus on certain features of a picture to create timeless art. Extend on pixels by talking with students about how characters changed from the start of arcades until its decline in the 1990’s. Have the students act as a computer designer to make their own binary code
based on an arcade icon.
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Classroom Activities
Grades 7 -8
BEFORE YOUR VISIT
ACTIVITY 1 FOUNDATION IN CLAY-MATION
Students will learn the importance of game and graphic designers in the development of arcade games, video games, and apps. Then, students will apply the knowledge to story board their own scene and record it.
To begin this lesson ask the students what their favorite arcade, video, or animated movies are. What do they all have in common? What makes them different?
Talk with students about how animators and designers work to create stories and characters people grow to love. Sometimes game designers create models of these characters even though they’ll eventually be encased by a computer. Many times this provides direction – how the character should move, what the main features of the character are, his or her color and size, etc.
Ask them to act as creative directors to develop a plan with a partner. Once they’ve written down a few ideas, have each pair create a story board that will explain their story. Then, have the students create characters using clay and shoebox environments to produce a clay-mation short.
ACTIVITY 2 GAME ON – CULTURE AND STYLE
In this lesson, students will learn about the economic and social aspects that made the arcade era. They will then participate in a live debate comparing the arcade era to the modern era.
The explosion of the arcade was a cultural shift which influenced adolescents across the United States. Have the students use the exhibit to learn more about the eras of the arcade – 1970’s and 1980’s. Ask them to research additional key events that may have contributed to the popularity of the arcade as well as its eventual downfall. Then have the students investigate the development and success of home consoles.
Split the class into two groups. Half should be advocates of the arcade while the other should refute arcades – advocating home video games. Students should use historical facts to support their claims. Each group should have a timed session and mutual discussion with a closing statement.
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Classroom Activities Grades 7 -8
AFTER YOUR VISIT
ACTIVITY 3 ARCADE GAMES AND COORDINATE PLANES
In this lesson students will describe the movements of videogame characters by their change in coordinate. After, students will brainstorm a version of their own game and create sample coordinate lists for different points in their own game.
Begin by introducing or reviewing the concept of coordinates. After, create a graph with the x-axis labeled 0-400 and the y- axis labeled 0-400.
Computers use numbers to represent a character’s position on screen, more specifically they use coordinates.
With students working in pairs, start with two characters located on different coordinates, and have the students come up with the coordinates that it would take for the two characters to meet on the graph.
Have students create their own characters on their graph, and have them explain their movement using coordinates.
HELPFUL HINTS
. Instead of using clay, a product called Stickbots can be purchased that utilizes pre-made stick figures and a smart phone application for the recording of the “claymation” film.
. Using a free computer based program like Alice.org where students can further develop their own storyboard through coding.
. With the research knowledge students developed in the debate lesson, ask them to develop a timeline of events that show the transition from arcades to home gaming. Include important milestones such as – invention of the home computer, specific persons and start-ups that infiltrate the home market, etc.
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Classroom Activities
HIGH SCHOOL
BEFORE YOUR VISIT
ACTIVITY 1 PLAYER CODES & SECRETS
Students will learn that video game creation requires a strong understanding of mathematics and the sciences. From using physics, to geometry, and even trigonometry, developers need to write lines of code based on these subjects to make a game interactive, and fun. Students will then use trigonometry to track a characters’ moves.
Review with students fundamental trigonometric functions such as: the parts to a right triangle, sine, cosine, and tangent (with inverse functions too), and the Pythagorean Theorem.
Introduce problems by having the students understand the movement of a character in a game by calculating its distance and speed along a plane. Have students explain what is happening in their game situation mathematically.
ACTIVITY 2 GAMING HISTORY
This lesson is designed for students to use their knowledge of world history, articles, and historical documents to construct an essay on the following prompt:
The Arcade Age sprang from the minds of computer programmers, engineers, and physicists, but would affect the cultural make-up of the entire United States. What role did the Arcade Age play, if any, on the technological advances, economics, and cultural changes in the United States?
Students should spend time researching the history of the United States during the Arcade Age and draw connections to our society today. Important events and people may include: Nolan Bushnell, Steve Jobs, Cold War, Nintendo, etc. Students should support their answer with at least three articles or historical documents.
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Classroom Activities
HIGH SCHOOL
AFTER YOUR VISIT
ACTIVITY 3 COMPUTER PROBLEM SOLVERS
In this lesson students will define algorithm, understand how algorithms affect computers and games, and then apply their knowledge of algorithms to solve a problem.
Ask the students how computers are able to run programs. Algorithms are the instructions a computer carries out. This enables the computer to read and find solutions for what is input by the user. Provide the students an example (the steps to mailing a letter, or to making a PB & J sandwich, etc).
Algorithms are designed to have multiple avenues of answers. They are crucial to programming and to business too! As technology has integrated with our day to day, it has impacted corporate decisions. For example: An online shopping company may find value in learning what is the fastest and cheapest route to reach a customer base?
Provide the students with several problems and solutions. Ask them to work on finding the best or most ‘stable’ solution. Once they have finished discuss with the students about how they arrived at the answer. Explain to them that a computer goes through the same process at a fast rate.
HELPFUL HINTS
. The Arcade Age lent itself to the increased technology we have today. Choose a game developer or innovator from arcades that impacted our use of technology. Write a biography on him/her and describe how their creativity shaped the future.
. Using computer programs such as Maya, Photoshop and others introduce students to 3D modeling
and have them develop their own arcade era icon.
. Expand on their understanding of science behind arcade games, video games, and apps with
physics. Use games like Pong, Angry Birds, or Super Mario 64.
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Classroom Activities
NAME: ______
How are sounds made? Sounds travel in different waves – some travel in short, fast waves and other travel in long, slow waves. The way sound travels affects the sounds we hear. Using the materials provided, write down its name, how you think the waves travel, and what it sounds like to you.
Material Sound
1. ______1. ______
2. ______2.______
3.______3.______
4.______4.______
5. ______5. ______
Now using the sounds you’ve created, write a short story to incorporate the sounds you heard. Then act out your story with a group of friends. Some can be the actors while some can make the sound effects.
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Student Activity Worksheet Role of a Hero
NAME: ______
Think about the characteristics that make a person a hero. Then, think about whom may be a hero in your own life. What makes that person special? Did they ‘save the day’? How? Draw a picture of your hero and write about what makes him or her a hero to you.
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Student Activity Worksheet
Electrifying Fruits
NAME: ______
Make a hypothesis on which fruit or produce will provide the highest reading. Then measure the output of different fruits and track which fruit produces the best electricity.
Hypothesis:
______
FRUIT VOLTAGE TEST 1 VOLTAGE TEST 2
Results:
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Student Activity Worksheet Programming 101
NAME: ______
0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
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Student Activity Worksheet Arcade Games and Coordinate Planes
NAME: ______
Label the x and y axis. Then choose an appropriate unit of measure for your graph. Chart out your arcade character’s movement using coordinates and explain.
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Resources
BOOKS
Mott, Tony (2010). 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die. New York: Universe Publishing.
Guins, Raiford (2014). Game After: A Cultural Study of Video Game Afterlife. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Parkin, Simon (2014). An Illustrated History of 151 Video Games. London. Anness Publishing Ltd.
ONLINE RESOURCES
ARTICLES
Brookhaven National Laboratories The First Video Game?: www0.bnl.gov/about/history/firstvideo.php
Hensel, Tim. The Basic Anatomy of an JAMMA Arcade Game. www.jammaboards.com
Hoetzlein, Rama C and David Schwartz The History of Arcade and Adventure Games: Consider as a Culture- Creative Process: www.cs.cornell.edu/~rch8/courses/game490/historylecture/lecture.htm
Kolk, Melinda. Making Claymation in the Classroom. http://www.tech4learning.com/userfiles/file/pdfs/Frames/Making_Claymation_in_the_Classroom.pdf
CODING AND DEVELOPMENT
Alice http://alice.org Game Maker http://activategames.org/resources Blender http://blender.org Gamestar Mechanic http://gamestarmechanic.com Code Academy http://www.codeacademy.org Google Sketch Up http://sketchup.google.com
Computer Science Unplugged Scratch http://scratch.mit.edu www.unplugged.com/canterbary.ac.nz Unity http://unity3d.com
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