English 9/Esports Game Design Lesson Plan Outlines

Creating Legends: English 9/Esports Game Design Lesson Plan Outlines

Course Overview: The esports industry holds unrealized potential for the English language arts classroom: the stories told, the mythology of characters, the literacy required to achieve mastery, and the opportunities for content integration. In this course, students will build a foundational understanding of esports, their history, and their evolution over time, through research of multiple genres and methodologies.

NASEF’s English Language Arts Integrated Courses for grades 9-12th grade were designed to connect esports and content standards (Next Generation Science Standards, English—Language Arts, International Society for Technology in Education, and Social Emotional Learning).

Notice: You are free to copy, distribute, and otherwise share screen images of North America Scholastic Esports Federation Toolkits for educational purposes, including training, in-person or online teaching, presentations, review, evaluation, internal Club use, and handouts for related activities. You may not use North America Scholastic Esports Federation Toolkits screen images for commercial gain, and may not alter, transform, or build upon them without written permission from the North America Scholastic Esports Federation.

Each use from North America Scholastic Esports Federation Toolkits should be attributed as follows:

"Reprinted with permission from the North America Scholastic Esports Federation.”

Dear Colleagues,

One of the founding principles of the North America Scholastic Esports Federation is to provide a connection between esports and college and career readiness for ALL students. Therefore, it is with great excitement that I share with you the accompanying curriculum pathways developed by educators from the University of California, Irvine, the Orange County Department of Education, and various innovative educators around the country. This includes resources for middle school, high school, English-language arts, career technical education (CTE) and many other creative and engaging options.

Upon your review, should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call upon us at NASEF. We are here to support the academic and workforce pathway endeavors around the country and the world — through curriculum development, professional learning, and programmatic alignment— as young people acquire the critically-important skills necessary for future readiness and success. In offering all of NASEF’s resources to you at no cost, we want to thank the philanthropic efforts of the Samueli Foundation. Their generosity has made this work possible while also creating an enormous impact for students and educators in and around the esports ecosystem.

Sincerely, Tom Turner Chief Education Officer North America Scholastic Esports Federation

Unit 1: Game ON! Competitive Gaming • Key Assignment 1: Just what is esports? • Key Assignment 2: My experience with esports - The rules of the game • Key Assignment 3: Does the gaming industry follow the “rules” of narrative writing? Unit 2: The Evolution of Esports • Key Assignment: The past and the forecast Unit 3: Esports Ecosystem • Key Assignment 1: You do what for a living? • Key Assignment 2: What's my role? • Key Assignment 3: Who am I? • Key Assignment 4: Literature and the character • Key Assignment 5: Gaming and the character Unit 4: Head-to-Head: Esports and Ethics • Key Assignment 1: Speaking out on right and wrong • Key Assignment 2: Socratic seminar • Key Assignment 3: Esports code of ethics Unit 5: Legends and Lore • Key Assignment 1: Reverse engineer a story • Key Assignment 2: Battle of the texts • Key Assignment 3: You can be a hero, too Unit 6: Creator’s Journey • Key Assignment 1: Creating a concept • Key Assignment 2: Survey says • Key Assignment 3: Professional proposals - Capstone project • Key Assignment 4: Looking back

ELA/Esport Units and Activity Plans

9th Grade English and Video Game Design Unit 1: Game ON! Competitive Gaming Unit timing: 4.5 - 5.5 weeks Unit Overview/Details:

To introduce students to the competitive world of esports and engage them with that world as a whole, students will reflect on their personal experiences with games. They will read short story texts such as “The Most Dangerous Game” or “The Lottery” to understand elements of plot, then use those elements to create a personal narrative about a meaningful experience with games in their lives so far. Also, in this unit, as researchers, they will learn the basics of evaluating sources for credibility, annotation strategies, and how to cite sources. To create a foundation of esports knowledge on which to build, students will read about the past, present, and future of the esports world, and predict how esports may continue to develop. STEM principles in this unit include exploring a narrative as a system of interacting components and evaluating evidence for inclusion in developing an argument. Key Assignment 1: Just What is eSports? Writer(s) name(s): Christina Abuel and Jennifer Schmidt Brief informative introduction of key assignment:

Students read and annotate an article: “What are eSports?/ A beginner’s guide” Then, they read and annotate this Article of the Week about Video Game Addiction. After discussing each article and sharing out about their own experiences/prior knowledge of video games, students write an expository essay in response to the article on esports and its possible benefits and pitfalls. ELA Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.9 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.2.F Connection to eSports:

Students will build a foundational understanding of the eSports industry.

Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

Students will be able to: • take a position on an issue • cite facts and opinions from two sources • read real-world texts that deal with video games. Key Assignment Activity Parts and Timing:

Activity Part 1: The teacher should open this lesson by asking students to consider their personal experiences and ideas about video games/eSports, and what they have heard in the news/media or at home about this topic. The teacher may solicit input from the students to create a pro/con list about all the positives and negatives they can think of about the topic. (5-10 minutes)

Activity Part 2: The teacher then passes out the first article (What are eSports) and explains it will give an introduction to the world of eSports. During a class read-aloud, the teacher models annotation marks, (Annotation Marks) on an overhead/projected display. The teacher models thinking aloud about responses to the reading, especially focusing on connections to our prior knowledge and experiences. (20-30 minutes)

Activity Part 3: Students work with small groups (3-4) to read aloud and annotate the second article (Video Game Addiction) on video game addiction. (20-30 minutes)

Activity Part 4: Students collect quotes from the articles for examples and evidence that match with the benefits and pitfalls of esports, with teacher guidance on the first few examples before moving to independent quote selection. (10-15 minutes)

Activity Part 5: The teacher reviews the basic outline of an essay (introduction, body, and conclusion), and asks students to identify what kinds of ideas go into each of these sections. For further clarification the teacher may wish to view this website. (10 minutes) Basic Essay and Paragraph

Activity Part 6: Students create a draft of an expository essay describing the benefits and pitfalls of eSports, using annotations, quotes, and evidence from the articles. The teacher will give the prompt and list the criteria on the board. Additionally, students may benefit from a reminder about the structure of body paragraphs, which the teacher can provide to them. (30-45 minutes) Teacher may want to have students preview a rubric before writing. Sample Rubric ***Students turn in these drafts created in Activity 6 to the teacher to review for a formative assessment; this is an effective early measurement of student writing ability and should be used by the teacher to guide future instruction or student grouping. Additionally, teachers may choose to keep these essays for future student reflection, or to add to a portfolio of student writing so students can measure their growth over the school year.***

Activity Part 7: Exit ticket poll on whether students believe the benefits of eSports outweigh the pitfalls or vice versa. Teacher may use a free online classroom poll site such as https://www.classroomscreen.com/exitpoll.html or may participate in this informal poll with Post-It notes on their way out the door. (5 minutes)

Total Time: 2 - 3 days

Resources for Key Assignment:

What are eSports Article of the Week about Video Game Addiction (Suggested Annotation Marks here) Body Paragraph Basics Sample Rubric: Expository Writing

Key Assignment 2: My Experience with eSports - The Rules of the Game Writer(s) name(s): Christina Abuel and Jennifer Schmidt Brief informative introduction of key assignment:

Students read several short stories from a district-approved anthology including “Thank you, M’am," “The Most Dangerous Game,” and “Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird.” As they explore the elements of a short story, students analyze how to build suspense, how to create appropriate settings, how point of view affects a story, and the role that word choice has in telling a story. Students enter their analysis in a journal that they will refer to as they write a personal narrative that recounts a meaningful esports or video gaming experience in their lives (real or imagined). Students self-review their narratives by using a rubric that encourages answers to such questions as: Why was this event so important or relevant? What makes the story interesting? Could I have used language that is more descriptive? Is the narrative recounted in logical order? Students edit and revise narrative until it meets all the elements of a short story. ELA Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.5 Connection to eSports:

Students will understand how storyline and plot can relate to eSports games and the plot line present in them. Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

Students will be able to: • Describe their own experience with eSports in a narrative essay. • Understand the role of competition in society and how the community interacts with the game. • Recognize the components of short stories Key Assignment Activity Parts and Timing:

Activity Part 1: The teacher will ask students to think about something that happened to them that day and turn and tell their seat-neighbor about it. After this pair-share, the teacher will explain that we think about things that occur in our lives through the lens of story. The teacher will solicit input from the students about what they know makes up a story and put up a list for students to copy down in their notes. It should include things like setting, dialogue, characters, etc. (10-15 minutes)

Activity Part 2: The teacher will briefly lecture on the specific components of stories to fill in any gaps from students’ prior knowledge about the elements of stories and increase understanding of the elements of plot using the Plot Diagram. Students will take notes on their copies of the plot diagram. (20-30 minutes) ***Pass out the Plot Diagram graphic organizer and have students follow along with lecture making notes on the diagram and the teacher moves through the different aspects of plot line. This will help students to understand how a storyline both takes place and develops and will build on their knowledge of the different aspects of the plot line. In addition, the teacher can also reference game storylines and point out how games also follow this same plot structure.***

Activity Part 3: The teacher will read-aloud with the class (popcorn reading or another reading strategy) a short story of the teacher’s choice. “The Most Dangerous Game” is suggested as it is engaging and adequately demonstrates setting, mood, character, conflict, plot and theme clearly. (45 minutes) ***As the students read throughout the story, have them annotate the text looking for those elements of setting, mood, character, conflict, plot and theme. The teacher may choose to handout another copy of the Plot Diagram graphic organizer and have students fill out as they move through the story. The teacher can then go over the different aspects of the plot and storyline on the board as students follow along and fill in what they may have missed.***

Activity Part 4: The teacher will introduce the concept of mood in a story. To introduce mood, the teacher will focus on vocabulary used in the text that may describe a “feeling”. Because mood is the “feeling” of the text, students should be aware of how to find these “feeling” words that can highlight the mood - also relate this to tone of the text so students have a better understanding of how mood and tone relate to one another. The teacher can hand out this resource for students to have and refer to when seeking out Mood Words in a text. (1 Class)

Activity Part 5: The teacher will then introduce the Four Types of Conflict present in literature and have the students complete the Four Types of Conflict worksheet in groups. The teacher can then facilitate a discussion about the worksheet and go over the student’s answers.

Activity Part 6: Students will revisit their previous brainstorm on their personal experiences with video games/esports from Key Assignment 1 and select one experience to develop into a full personal narrative (2-3 pages in length). They may be provided a scaffold, (resources

below) to guide their work so that they include all the required elements, including character, setting, dialogue, conflict, plot, mood, and theme. (1-2 class periods) ***The teacher may choose to use all or few of the resources depending on their assessment of what their students need. At this point the teacher may want to give students access to the grading rubric Narrative Rubric and may wish to go over the rubric with the class.***

Activity Part 7: The teacher will monitor student understanding informally during work time and/or at check-in points on personal narrative progress. Additionally, the teacher may consider holding writing workshops on specific skills and/or scheduling writing conferences to work with students. The teacher may scaffold the analysis assignment for students who need extra support by having students to complete their analysis in small groups. (1-2 class periods)

Activity Part 8: Students will complete a peer-critique of each other’s work through the lens of story elements, giving specific feedback as to whether their partner’s work is meeting the criteria on a teacher-created (student-friendly) rubric. Teacher may choose to use or reference the following review sheet- Peer Review Sheet (1 class period).

Total Time: 2-3 Weeks Resources for Key Assignment:

Plot Outline Four Types of Conflict Setting Description Write Your Main Character How to write dialogue Personal Narrative/Short Story Scaffold Description or sample of assessment:

Prompt:

Students will present a synopsis of their narratives and a breakdown of the elements of plot, character, setting, etc. which make their narrative fit the genre of short story.

Optional: The teacher may choose to assign a group/individual activity where the product is a “Game Box”, using the instructions below. In this event, the personal narratives are further integrated with video game design by incorporating the following elements: ESRB game rating, character sprites, and a game case design. The students are encouraged to think about how their lives and experiences from their lives can be “gamified” and “won,” or give them “experience points” so they can “level up.” Character Creation Game Box Activity and Instructions

Rubric:

Narrative Rubric

Key Assignment 3: Does the gaming industry follow the “rules” of narrative writing? Writer(s) name(s): Christina Abuel and Jennifer Schmidt Brief informative introduction of key assignment:

Students research the plot/story of several popular video games (either assigned by the teacher or chosen by the students). Student groups will choose one game and analyze it for elements of the short story. They will create a multimedia presentation where they argue that the rules of story have either been broken or upheld by that game. Part of the presentation will be taking a stance on whether the video game is or is not successful, and if the elements of the story contribute to that success (or lack thereof).

ELA Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.7 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.8 Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

Students will be able to: • Identify and define the elements of stories in video game contexts. • Deliver oral presentations using digital media • Combine information from a variety of informational and literary sources to arrive at their own conclusions. Key Assignment Activity Parts and Timing:

Activity Part 1: The teacher will ask students to consider theme in relation to video games by asking what we can learn from games that we play. Students may suggest things such as teamwork, or empathy. (5-10 minutes)

Activity Part 2: The teacher will continue to develop the students' understanding of theme. The teacher should hand out the How to Identify Theme Handout to students for their reference while moving through the unit. ***The teacher should clarify that topic and theme are different things, i.e. “love” is a topic, not a theme. A theme is “Love is blind,” or “There is only one person you are meant to fall in love with,” or “True love is a myth,” etc. Topic = What is the story about?

Theme= Why was the story written? Love is what the story is about. The theme would be why the story was written (perhaps to show that "there is only one person you are meant to fall in love with," or to prove that "true love is a myth”.***

Activity Part 3: The teacher will ask students what game they feel has all the elements of the story. On a piece of paper, students will draw their plot diagram and will fill out the elements with the video game. This can either be done in groups or individually. After students complete this task, the teacher will go over their work with the students by drawing a blank plot diagram on the board and ask the students how to fill it out. After doing this, the teacher will then ask the students what they believe the theme is in the video game they discussed. The teacher can then facilitate a discussion concerning the possible themes suggested and help the class come to a consensus on at least one possible theme present in the video game. ***For more understanding, please review this Themes in Video Games document as well as this Top Video Games of 2019 document. For a more advanced class, the teacher could have the students read the article themselves as a further tool to understand the theme in video games. Students will be using the knowledge they gained about the theme in the previous unit and activity to be able to determine the theme.***

Activity Part 4: Students, still in their groups, will identify topics in video games they have played, and create theme statements for 2-3 of them to share out with the class. The teacher will then hand out the Themes in Video Games Activity worksheet for students to complete in their groups. ***The worksheet also asks students to come up with evidence for why they have chosen the theme they chose. The students may have a bit of difficulty with this part - however, encourage students to use the knowledge they have gained throughout the unit to substantiate their claims. The theme statement they develop may also help them determine the evidence. The idea of the worksheet is that students will be able to identify and defend their chosen theme. The worksheet can be graded or given as a credit/no credit activity.***

Activity Part 5: Students will develop a multimedia presentation using digital tools of the teacher’s choice (Prezi, Google Slides, PPT, etc.) outlining the elements of story as they are demonstrated in the game being studied. Students will pull this information from the work they have completed throughout Unit 9. To conclude their presentation, students will take a stance on whether or not their chosen video game qualifies as a story. (For the purposes of this activity, a game demonstrating mood, conflict and theme would constitute a story). Students should also be able to backup all claims with supporting evidence.

Activity Part 6: Students will then be asked to write a reflection considering why people enjoy stories in books/games/other media. They will incorporate examples from the fictional reading assignments, games they know, and anecdotes from their personal life in their reflection. (15-30 minutes)

***Prompt: Write a reflective journal entry addressing why people enjoy stories. What is it about books, games and other media stories that engage people? Please incorporate examples from fictional reading assignments, games you know, and/or your personal life. Rubric: Journal Entry Rubric***

Total Time: 2 weeks Resources for Key Assignment:

Themes in Video Games Activity worksheet

Description or sample of assessment:

Prompt: Write a reflective journal entry addressing why people enjoy stories. What is it about books, games and other media stories that engage people? Please incorporate examples from fictional reading assignments, games you know, and/or your personal life. Games Tell Stories Too Presentation Instructions

Rubric: Multimedia Presentation Rubric Journal Entry Rubric

ELA/Esport Units and Activity Plans

Subject and Grade: ELA Grade 9 Unit Name and Number: Unit 2 - The Evolution of eSports Unit timing: 3-4 Weeks Introduction or summary of the Key Assignments in the unit:

Students will conduct research on the past, present, and future of the esports industry. As researchers, they will learn the basics of evaluating sources for credibility, continue to apply annotation strategies, and cite sources. To create a foundation of esports knowledge on which to build, students will read about the past, present, and future of the esports world, and predict how things may continue to develop. STEM principles in this unit include exploring a narrative as a system of interacting components and evaluating evidence for inclusion in developing an argument. Using tools learned in class, students will evaluate sources, seeking out the accurate and reliable ones, and ignoring the less credible sources.

Key Assignment 1: The Past and the Forecast

Writer(s) name(s): Christina Abuel & Susan Carle

After watching the documentary, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, student groups research what happened to Billy Mitchell. They then conduct a Socratic Seminar in which they ask student-developed questions about gaming and gamers. Student groups then research the development and evolution of esports. Using their research, experience, and observations, the students begin to forecast where esports will go in the future. Each student will then write an argumentative essay in which he/she extrapolates conclusions about the future of esports. The essay should be a well-cited, research-based argument as to why they think the industry will move in that direction. Through this work, students will begin to discern reliable texts vs unreliable sources. They will use sources with URLs endings of .gov, .mil, .pdf

ELA Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.2.A CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.2 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.A CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.B Connection to eSports: The documentary viewed and discussed covers the origins of competitive gaming. Additionally, students will be considering esports through a historical lens, as they consider how it has evolved, and they will consider its projected future based on its past and present. Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

Students will be able to: • Critically engage with documentary films. • Make connections between history and media. • Actively listen in academic dialogue. • Present new ideas and questions as members of academic dialogue. • Write academic arguments using evidence. Key Assignment Activity Parts and Timing:

Activity Part 1: The teacher will ask students about the famous gamers they know, and what they know about those gamers’ reputations. Students should first engage in a think-pair- share to answer this question, and then refine their notes into a quick write in response to this prompt. “Who are the famous gamers and what are their reputations?” The teacher may ask for volunteers to share their quick write responses with the whole-class. (20 minutes)

Activity Part 2: The teacher will model capture and create note-taking method, and instructs students to use this note-taking method throughout the movie. Some teachers may choose to use the article Psychology and Competitive Gaming to practice the capture and create note taking before viewing the movie. The teacher will then show the film, Quarters. The

note-taking tool requires students to both engage with the facts of the movie, then to evaluate and respond to those facts. The note-taking tool can be used as part of the Socratic seminar later. (1-2 class periods)

Activity Part 3: Students will continue to prepare for a Socratic seminar by reading the article “The History of the Origin of Esports” and using the preparation sheet to respond and create questions before attending the seminar. (1 class period).

Activity Part 4: The teacher will facilitate the Socratic seminar, an academic text-based discussion between the students, using evidence from the common sources they are using (documentary and article) along with outside examples students may choose to provide during the discussion. (1 class period)

Activity Part 5: Students complete a one paragraph reflection at the conclusion of the seminar. Students submit their completed Socratic preparation notes.

Activity Part 6: To prepare for their argumentative essay about the future of esports, students will conduct research on the eSport industry. (Students will later use this information in Activity 6 writing an argumentative essay. The student’s research will inform their predictions about the future of the eSport industry.) To start, the teacher will model how to research online. The teacher may choose to present a brief lecture on credible sources or may have students read the UC Santa Cruz library’s CRAAP method.

While researching, students should fill out the CRAAP method graphic organizer on at least three pieces of research. This note taking exercise will help students understand what reliable sources look like, and how to identify which resources are credible. The teacher may also want to present the Website Evaluation Guide and a brief review of MLA formatting Basic MLA rules and MLA samples handout (1-2 class periods)

Activity Part 7: The teacher will review the writing process. Teacher will introduce They Say/I Say writing template. Teacher will introduce the research paper outline. The teacher will begin to break the writing process into a series of steps. The teacher may pass out the Research Paper Outline.

Activity Part 8: The teacher may check for understanding at different stages of the writing process as a formative assessment. Thesis statement, body paragraph, etc.

Activity Part 9: Students will write a processed argumentative essay on the prompt: “Based on the past and present of the eSports industry, where will the industry go in the future?” Students may decide how far into the future to put their forecast. Students must use evidence from the film, from the article, and from their research to inform their essays. The teacher may choose to have students peer edit in class to help identify the number of facts used and correct citation procedures. (2-3 class periods)

Total Time: 3 - 4 weeks Resources for Key Assignment: capture and create note-taking method The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters - Film The History of the Origin of Esports Psychology and Competitive Gaming Socratic Seminar Prep Sheet CRAAP method Website Evaluation Guide MLA samples handout Basic MLA rules Description or sample of assessment:

Prompt: Students will write a processed, MLA formatted, argumentative essay on the prompt: “Based on the past and present of the esports industry, where will the industry go in the future?”

Rubric: Knowledge and Thinking Rubric

ELA/Esport Units and Activity Plans

Subject and Grade: ELA Grade 9 Unit Name and Number: Unit 3 - eSports Ecosystem Unit timing: 9 weeks Introduction and Summary of the Key Assignments in the Unit:

In this unit, students will be immersed into the various roles available in the eSports community. They will explore careers in the areas of content creation, entrepreneurship, strategy, and organization, as well as how fandom and journalism contribute to the industry. Through a combination of individual and group work, students will conduct research using nonfiction texts about the industry and teach their peers about the many roles. Additionally, students will read a fictional work, either Maze Runner or Lord of the Flies, and will consider how all participants in the communities of the novel contribute to the ecosystem of that fictional world. Key Assignment 1 - You do what for a living? Writer(s) name(s): Jennifer Schmidt

Students, individually or in groups, conduct research on an assigned unique role within the eSports ecosystem to identify key aspects of that role. Using multimedia, students will present their findings to their peers on aspects such as paths to acquiring that role, job duties and responsibilities, possible employment opportunities, growth potential, and the impact that role has on eSports both in an event scenario and in the larger context of eSports as an entertainment field. Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

Students will be able to:

• Compile research on the various roles in the eSports ecosystem • Create and present a multimedia presentation of their research findings Connection to eSports:

Students will be introduced to the eSports ecosystem and understand how the different roles work hand-in-hand to build that ecosystem. ELA Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.2 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.8 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.1 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.2.A Key Assignment Activity Parts and Suggested Timing:

Activity Part 1: Teacher will open this unit by having students view the TED talk: “My journey to thank all the people responsible for my morning coffee” by A.J. Jacobs. ***This TED talk delves into the idea that there are a million working parts beneath the surface when you really start to dig into the roles necessary to create something, even something as simple as a cup of coffee. This is an opportunity to encourage the students to think about even the seemingly minute roles in their everyday life, e.g., somebody assembles their pen, but someone also makes the plastic, the color, the ink, the packaging, the glue, the transportation, the shelves it is sold on, etc.***

Activity Part 2: Open the discussion by asking who some well-known gamers are and who their favorite gamers are and why. Teacher will then lead the class into a whole class discussion with the question, “How many people have a hand in supporting your favorite gamer’s career?” After fielding responses on the number of roles (jobs) the class believes eSports might encompass, the teacher should have students identify and list those roles. The teacher might want to post these roles for future student access.

Activity Part 3: After identifying potential roles in class, students will go home and research two roles, of their choice, from the class created list of roles. The Career Research worksheet will help them keep track and organize the information they find in their research. Students should come to class the next day ready to discuss their findings. ***Students should be looking for certain criteria: paths to acquiring that role, job duties and responsibilities, possible employment opportunities, growth potential, skills needed, educational path, social preferences, etc. The teacher should encourage students to step beyond the typical positions (such as shout caster and gamer) and pick two that they feel might be interesting possible careers. This resource is great for reference. It has a great compilation of data about the job market (2018)*** (Activity Parts 1-3: 1-2 days)

Activity Part 4: Students will come to class with their research on two roles. The teacher will introduce and go over the NASEF Ecosystem Map with students. This map highlights the larger categories of professions. Students will identify which positions they researched on the map and discuss how their positions would interact with other positions and build upon other positions. With this map, the teacher should also explain the concept of the “eSports Ecosystem” (see activity part 5). (1-2 classes) ***Suggested Plan: Teacher will draw the map on the board and students will come to the board and write the title of the positions they researched on the board in the appropriate space. They can also draw links between the positions they feel build on each other, even if they are not immediately obvious links (e.g. Software developers develop event planning software (less obvious) vs. Analysts provide information for strategists (obvious)). After doing this, students should consider all of the new links that have been shown and decide on which one of their professions they would like to present.***

Activity Part 5: The teacher should have students read the eSport Ecosystem article on the eSports ecosystem in class. After reading, students should answer reading questions, either aloud, in groups or on paper. (See: Resource 9.3.1 - eSports Ecosystem Reading Questions and Resource 9.3.1 - eSports Ecosystem RQs Teacher Guide) ***Teacher will need to go through these questions with students. These questions may be difficult for some students - answering the questions will require critical thinking. It is noted from which paragraph each question comes from. Students should be using the text to try and answer questions but will also need to draw on things they know from social media interactions (e.g. influencers on Instagram) and real-life interactions. The teacher should be moving through the classroom offering “Just in Time” scaffolding as well as taking formative assessments on each student’s progress as they answer the questions.*** (1-2 classes)

Activity Part 6: Students will present their researched professions to the class. While they present, the students watching will be taking notes on each profession presented. They will need complete notes for the next part of the lesson. Students will also have an opportunity to ask questions of the presenters at the end of their presentations. The teacher might want to move through the room taking a formative assessment of both the presentations given

and notes taken. The teacher may choose to briefly present any additional information that may not be covered or noted. (1-3 classes) ***The teacher can make it a requirement that each student ask at least one question on presentation day(s) and assign points for participation, either in daily participation totals or as part of their overall grade on their presentation.***

Activity Part 7: To wrap-up the key assignment and to gauge where the students are in their understanding of the eSport ecosystem, the teacher may have the students individually write a short two paragraph reflection, discussing what they learned about the different roles in the eSports ecosystem, as well as which career paths they would be most interested in pursuing. (1 class)

Total Time: 1 week Resources for Key Assignment:

My journey to thank all the people responsible for my morning coffee Resource: eSport Ecosystem Activity: Career Research Worksheet NASEF Ecosystem Map The eSports Observer Article on eSports Ecosystem Description or sample of assessment:

Using multimedia, students will present their research findings to their peers on one of their two researched roles within the eSports ecosystem.

Rubric: Multimedia Presentation Rubric

Key Assignment 2 - What is MY role? Writer(s) name(s): Jennifer Schmidt

Students will take an aptitude survey, the Rasmussen Career Aptitude Test that explains their strengths, interests, and possible career fields. Students will look back at the different careers found within eSports and select a role for an eSports event. Students form groups to demonstrate and/or act out an eSports event scenario for the class. (This could be a teacher or student created scenario.) Shoutcasters will shout out the play-by-plays and further create interest in the players and the game, data analysts will present a data picture, fan creators will create concept art or stories, etc. Students will produce a presentation that will accurately portray their selected role. Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

Students will be able to:

• Take an online test to see what their career aptitude is • Understand why they are more inclined to certain positions based on their personalities and skill sets Connection to eSports:

Students will understand how their personality and traits suit them for specific careers in the eSports ecosystem. ELA Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.B CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.2.C

Key Assignment Activity Parts and Timing:

***Coming into this lesson, students have just completed their eSports career research and should now have a working knowledge of the eSports ecosystem. With this in mind, this key assignment is going to continue to build on the profession they presented. This is a continuing activity building on the previous one. This key assignment is a little tricky, but the end goal is that the students further understand the role the profession they researched would have in the planning and execution of an eSports event.***

Activity Part 1: The teacher should direct students to continue using the profession they presented in Key Assignment 9.3.1. To open Key Assignment 9.3.2, the teacher should take a class poll asking which students feel like the profession they presented in 9.3.1 matches with their personalities and skills. This is a great opportunity for students to reflect upon their identity and avocations. This could be done in groups, but a livelier conversation could be had in an open forum in class. Then the teacher will assign homework for the students - they will need to go home and complete the Rasmussen Career Aptitude Test and then print out their results. This would be a credit/no credit assignment. If they don’t do it, they won’t be able to complete the next part of the lesson. (1 day) ***Teachers may want to provide time in class for students with limited internet connection or other students who may require additional support.***

Activity Part 2: Students will come to class with the results of the Rasmussen Career Aptitude Test they completed for homework. This test will tell them their skills, strengths and career aptitudes. Either as a written warm-up or an opening conversation, ask students if they feel their Rasmussen Career Aptitude Test results are accurate. The teacher may ask the students to share their experiences in writing expressing how their aptitudes change (or don’t change). Further, the teacher may ask whether students feel the profession they presented in 9.3.1 still fits them. If they don’t think it does, why have they changed their mind and what profession do they think would better suit them today? (1 day)

Prompt- Write a two paragraph quick write that shares a reflection of this experience with a career aptitude and profession matching test. ***Suggested that this is a short written assignment done in class. The teacher may use this quick write as a formative assessment of the student's understanding of the concepts of aptitudes and the aptitudes needed for specific careers.***

Activity Part 3:Teacher will briefly review presentation formats like PowerPoint and Prezi. Teacher will then instruct students to develop a multimedia presentation from their research on aptitude and profession matching on a personal level. Students will work on a presentation that will accurately portray their selected role and present it to their peers. The teacher may choose to use this time, as students are independently working, to provide additional guidance to specific students and to take a causal formative assessment of the classes’ understanding of these concepts.

Total Time: 1 week Resources for Key Assignment:

Career Aptitude Test

Description or sample of assessment:

Students will produce a presentation that will accurately portray their selected role. The presentation should include aspects of the role itself, for instance, a presentation on shoutcasting should be presented in a shoutcasting manner. If their position is more business oriented, students might showcase their knowledge and skills better with a PowerPoint, Google Slides or Prezi. And for artistic positions, students should come up with a visual display or original art piece. Instruction Sheet: Creative Project and Reflection

Rubric: Oral Communications Rubric

Key Assignment 3 - What am I? Writer(s) name(s): Jennifer Schmidt Students will have examined their personalities in Key Assignment 2 (9.3.2), but will now see how their lives fit into the journey of life as depicted by William Shakespeare in "The Seven Ages of Man." Students will write and analyze Shakespeare's take on life. Next they will choose one of the seven stages and create concept art that represents that stage. Included with the art will be a short or flash story of 500 words or less, that brings the character to the place that Shakespeare describes in the poem. Students will present the art and their original story to the class.

Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

Students will be able to: • Read and analyze Shakespeare’s “The Seven Stages of Man” • Create concept art that represents the seven stages of man • Analyze their own personal development • Effectively present their ideas to their peers Connection to eSports:

Character development is key to creating game characters - understanding the different stages of man gives more information to students on background and development so they can understand how characters are developed. ELA Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.3 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.B CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.2.A&B

Key Assignment Activity Parts and Timing:

Activity Part 1: The teacher will open the key assignment with a short discussion on the stages of life. Ask the students to write down on an unsigned piece of paper how many stages of life they think there are, and what those stages may be (e.g. 7: baby, toddler, youth, teenager, young adult, middle age, retired). This will be anonymous and passed to the front of the room. The teacher will then write the answers on the board - pointing out the numbers or stages that repeat across each student’s response. The teacher will then open a discussion on why there are overlaps and what those overlaps are. The teacher will then introduce the Shakespeare passage. ***Perhaps the overlaps are determined by the level of education or personal lives, the teacher can address this and discuss why the students feel motivated by personal experiences/educational accomplishments.***

Activity Part 2:The teacher will play The Seven Ages of Man YouTube video for the students. (It is a dramatic rendition of the passage.) After students listen and “see” the passage, the teacher should hand out The Seven Stages of Man Doc. and read the passage together as a class. The teacher can have each student read a line, or a portion of the text to complete the reading. The teacher will then bring the conversation back to the initial question. “How many stages of life do the students think there are, and what might those stages be?” ***To ensure the students watch the video -it is suggested that the teacher not hand out the print up until the video is over. Review this resource for Active Watching Classroom Tips for good tips on how to keep video viewing active. Here is also a Teacher’s Guide resource on the Seven Stages with a summary and outline.***

Activity Part 3: The teacher will then play the video for the students again, so they can see the video once more with the words in front of them. As they move through the video, the students should annotate the text by underlining or circling the portions of the passage they most identify with or that stick out to them. Afterwards, the teacher will pass out the Double-Entry Graphic Organizer. The teacher should have students work with a peer to discuss three key parts of the passage that they feel are the most important or identifiable. The student pairs should be instructed to come up with three entries. For each entry student pairs should indicate: a line(s) of the passage, where it is found, what sticks out to them about that line(s), and what they believe the line(s) means. This is a credit/no credit quick formative assignment. ***By completing this graphic organizer, students are encouraged to think creatively about the passage as well as attempt to determine, with their peers, the deeper meaning of the lines that naturally stick out to them. The teacher should have the students organize and keep track of their thoughts by writing them down on the organizer and in their notes. Because this assignment is credit no credit and completed in pairs, it is low stakes and can be used to help formulate the tempo of future assignments and give the teacher an indication of the abilities of the class at this point***

Activity Part 4: The teacher will introduce “flash fiction” which is part of the final assessment for this key activity. Post Hemmingway’s flash fiction story on the board for students to address, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” On a piece of paper have students address the following questions: • What does a story need in order to be a story? • What questions does this story leave you with? • What do you think is happening beneath the surface of these six words? • Is the amount of what’s left unsaid unsettling? Interesting? Annoying? • Do you think Shakespeare’s Seven Stages could be considered a flash fiction story?

Activity Part 5: Students will then be given the Flash Fiction Worksheet and, in groups of two- four, students will work through the flash fiction stories and the questions associated with them.

Activity Part 6: When students are finished, the teacher will ask the groups to share their observations about the stories and follow up with these questions for the whole class: • In general, do you think these stories work? • How do you read them differently from the way you read a longer work? • What do they give you that a longer work doesn’t?

Activity Part 7: The teacher will prepare students for a quick write. The teacher will pass out or post the quick writing prompt. Write a two paragraph reflection quick write. Determine your current stage of life. What stage do you believe you are in and specifically why do you believe that? Analyze yourself using Shakespeare’s parameters. Discuss the effectiveness of Shakespeare’s stages. Do you believe the stages are appropriate or do you

believe he was missing something? Does he leave the important stuff out for the reader to fill in? ***This will be an independent writing assignment of about two paragraphs. Students should be graded on a simple rubric.***

Activity Part 8: The teacher will then have students in pairs create concept art for one of the seven stages of life. The students will present this to their peers along with a 500 word flash story about their stage or another stage of life. The teacher should encourage the students to emulate the writers they have just read and try and keep the story short to leave the reader guessing.

Activity Part 9: Students will present their story and their concept art.

Total Time: 2 weeks Flash Fiction lesson influenced by Handout: New York Times Short and Sweet Resources for Key Assignment:

The Seven Ages of Man YouTube - Benedict Cumberbatch Handout: New York Times Short and Sweet What is Concept Art Description or sample of assessment: Students, in pairs, will choose one of the seven stages of man and create concept art that represents that stage. Included with the art will be two, short or flash stories of 500 words or less (one per student). The flash stories should bring the character to the place and setting that Shakespeare describes in the poem. Students will present their art and their stories to the class. Rubric: Flash Fiction Rubric

Key Assignment 4 - Literature and the Character Writer(s) name(s): Jennifer Schmidt

Using either The Maze Runner or Lord of the Flies, students will continue to discover how a novel contributes to the ecosystem of the fictional world. Through writing character analyses, with comparisons to the aptitude test, students will relate the ecosystem of the fictional world with that of the eSports ecosystem. Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

Students will be able to:

• Explain the role of participants in the communities of a novel and how they contribute to the ecosystem of the fictional world. • Gather textual evidence and map/plot the novel’s structure for reading comprehension. • Think critically, making and understanding the connections between the aptitude test and the characters in the novel. Connection to eSports:

Students will begin to understand the ecosystem of a fictional world and how it can evolve into that of a videogame. ELA Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.10 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.5 - A & B CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.3 - A Key Assignment Activity Parts and Timing:

Activity Part 1: Teacher will open the Activity with a quick YouTube trailer video on the text selected (teacher can select between The Maze Runner or Lord of the Flies) to introduce the students to the text. The teacher could alternatively show clips from these movies instead of the trailers. (about 10 mins.) ***Because this key assignment within the unit encourages students to understand how each member of a team or organization contributes to the success and greater good of all, both books will work, however, The Maze Runner is a clearer example of this idea. There are also overarching motifs of bravery, courage and honor. Death also plays a key role in the novel, while the characters feel they can control death, they learn they cannot. This can be a parallel for failure. You cannot control it. Also - the Wicked shows us how a group mindset can hinder a group from taking responsibility for their own actions.***

Activity Part 2: Teacher will give a quick reminder lesson on annotating texts for greater understanding (Annotating Resource) (about 10 mins.)

Activity Part 3: Teacher and students will read either the novel, The Maze Runner by James Dashner or the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding (about 7 hours of reading) in class using a combination of popcorn reading and independent reading. (Depending on the class, some of the reading can be assigned for homework.) In class, the teacher and students will analyze the text and the characters as they read to understand the text (2 weeks). (Teacher reading guides are linked for the teacher’s further exploration and understanding of the novels)

***As the teacher moves through the text, they should encourage students to take notes. They can do this through various reading strategies such as a character profile, story map, and a plot diagram. The teacher may also use another type of reading strategy of their preference. However, students should read each section with a specific purpose to help with engagement and reading comprehension. By providing and guiding the students through ways to identify the important elements and plot points of the text, it will be easier for the students to parallel their understanding of literary elements to the elements of eSports games, which is the ultimate goal. These resources (as well as any teacher created reading quizzes or other assignments) will also serve as formative assessments, helping the teacher to gauge how each student is understanding the material.***

Activity Part 4: Students will write an analysis of how all the participants in the communities of the novel contribute to the ecosystem, incorporating what they have learned from the aptitude test taken in 9.3.2 (1 week). ***Because they have already done the story map and plot diagram (or other strategies), the students will have an easier time gathering the pertinent information. They should take their resources from the aptitude portion of the unit (9.3.2) and compare it to the information they gathered from the text about key characters. They might have already been doing this while using their resources. Part of the lesson here is being able to think critically and take the aptitude test and apply it to the characters in the novel. As they do that, the path a character travels from paper to video game becomes more apparent. In short, the more a character is fully developed on paper, the stronger they are as a (animated) physical character.***

Total Time: 3 weeks Resources for Key Assignment:

The Maze Runner YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHyaQjntqd4 Lord of the Flies YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tXpA3dIEtI The Maze Runner Teacher Guide http://jblackwell.blogs.ccps.us/files/2014/09/The-Maze-Runner-Survival-Guide-TpT.pdf Lord of the Flies Teacher Guide https://www.penguin.com/static/pdf/teachersguides/lordoftheflies101013b.pdf Analytical Writing https://home.nwciowa.edu/lundberg/AmLit/essayadv.htm Analytical Writing (Guided Learning Module) https://writesite.elearn.usyd.edu.au/m3/m3u4/m3u4s3/m3u4s3_1.htm

Description or sample of assessment: Students will write a literary analysis

Prompt: How do all the participants, in the communities of the novel, contribute to the novel’s ecosystem? Remember to include and incorporate what you have learned from the aptitude test taken in 9.3.2 into your essay.

Rubric: Major Literary Analysis Rubric - Please adjust for your class and students

Key Assignment 5 - Gaming and the Character Writer(s) name(s): Jennifer Schmidt Brief informative introduction of key assignment:

Students in groups will create a character select page reminiscent of those in esports games. From these bio pages, students will then write two characters they select into a situation where the characters have to react quickly or suffer the consequences. The writing will focus on character dialogue and actions. ELA Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.10 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.5 - A & B CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.3 - A Connection to eSport:

Students will begin to understand how characters are developed through games and literature - especially through the use of dialogue and action within the dialogue. Students will then be able to write out dialogue scenarios that help build character development. Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

Students will be able to:

• Design and create a Character Select page common to esports games • Illustrate the characters’ relationship and integration into the ecosystem of a game with the Character Select page • Write a compelling dialogue, including action, of two characters consistent with their character select pages, that could be used to create a game scene

Key Assignment Activity Parts and Timing:

Activity Part 1: Teacher will instruct students on the different parts of dialogue writing including: rules, how to incorporate action, and how to create fluidity in the lines. Teachers will share handouts and samples (resources). (4 days).

Activity Part 2: Students will be distributed into groups either randomly or with selected partners - (Teachers may choose to use the grouping link to group students) . Teacher will give students instructions for the group “Character Select Page” assignment. (1 day) ***This Character Select Page gives instructions and samples and then lets the students do their own practice. This can be point graded (2 points for both parts) per item. Students will then be encouraged to add the additional details discussed below to the characters. These practice ones will be the characters from the text, as outlined in the next activity Part.***

Activity Part 3: Students will work in groups to write “Character Select” pages for the characters in the novel from Key Assignment 4 (4 days). ***Character select pages will include the character’s name, special powers, their relation to other characters and their role in the game’s ecosystem - students should be encouraged to use what they learned from the novel read to create the character synopsis***

Activity Part 4: Students will then select two characters from their practice pages and will write them into a game situation skit where they have to react quickly to an event or situation or suffer the consequences (3 days). ***Part of the grading for this activity will be the creativity the students employ to come up with unique situations for their characters.***

Activity Part 5: Students will present their dialogues with the class in a skit (2 days). ***By doing a skit with their dialogue, students can read the words and act out the actions - thus creating a more engaging experience.***

Activity Part 6: Students will write a quick summary of what they learned about dialogue writing and critique the other groups’ dialogues and actions. ***The goal would be to have the students focus on what was good about the dialogues and action as well as what wasn’t as good. (Looking for the strength in the action and dialogue)***

Total Time: 2 weeks Resources for Key Assignment:

Character Dialogue Punctuation Rules 8 Essential Rules For Punctuating Dialogue Rules for Writing Dialogue PDF Rules for Writing Dialogue Writing Action in Dialogue

Dialogue and Action Tags

Description or sample of assessment:

Students will write a sample selection for characters from the novel. They will then select two of them and create a dialogue with action. They will create a skit where their characters must react quickly both verbally and physically to an event or situation to avoid dire consequences

Prompt: Write a sample selection for a character from the novel. Select two characters and create an action scene with dialogue between these two characters. The action scene should involve a confrontation where the characters must react quickly both verbally and physically to an event or situation to avoid dire consequences

Rubric:

Dialogue Rubric

ELA/Esport Units and Activity Plans Subject and Grade: 9th Grade ELA Unit Name and Number: Unit 4 - Head to Head - eSports and Ethics Unit timing: 3 weeks Introduction or summary of the Key Assignments in the unit:

The realm of esports contains many complex social interactions from which to draw lessons on ethics. While the interaction between participants is often within the digital realm, the choices made by players and fans have real world consequences. It is important that members of this emerging community realize the need for and agree to abide by a set of ethical guidelines so that the environment surrounding esports remains positive and inclusive. Students will engage with real world examples of challenging ethical dilemmas and discuss how actions within esports affect the people in and around the environment. Students will study ways others have expressed their experiences and try their hand at using writing to express their own thoughts and feelings. This unit will culminate with the class discussing and working together to define a code of ethics for themselves. STEM principles in this unit including engaging in argument from evidence to explore the effects certain behaviors have on the esports community.

Key Assignment 1: Speaking out on Right and Wrong

Writer(s) name(s): Christina Abuel

Brief informative introduction of key assignment:

Using a district approved anthology, students will study poetry covering issues concerning ethics and community behavior (i.e. N. Scott Momaday’s “A Simile”, John Donne’s “No Man is an Island”, May Swenson’s “The Universe”, Luka Lesson’s “Please Resist Me”, or Andrea Gibson’s “Letter to the Playground Bully”). Using the genre of their choice, including Slam or Spoken word poetry, students will create their own poems for presentation on the topic of ethics/morals. This will help personalize the issues of ethics in gaming for each student, as they think critically and creatively about appropriate community behavior in the industry. ELA Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.4.A CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.4.B CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.4.C CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.4.D Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

Students will be able to: • Read and interpret poetry, identifying poetic devices • Use poetic devices and poetic structure to convey a message Key Assignment Activity Parts and Timing:

Activity Part 1: The teacher will introduce spoken word poetry first, to engage students with this more modern style of poetry. The teacher alternatively might play a YouTube video explaining Slam Poetry. If the teacher would prefer, they will read sample slam poetry to the class, or have volunteer students read a few of the selected poems. Some suggested spoken word poems are in the resource links. After the viewing or readings, the teacher will ask the whole class: what makes this a poem? What makes it different from other poems you’ve seen in the past? Class notes on this subject could be added to an anchor chart for use through this unit. (20-30 minutes)

Activity Part 2: The teacher will deliver information about some foundational concepts of poetry: poetic devices, terms for describing poetic structure (i.e. line, stanza, verse), and some strategies for how to read a poem. This will be in lecture format, and students should take notes. Alternatively a teacher might use a short poetic review using a Google slide presentation. Or, the teacher may decide to send students on a WebQuest for this information. (20-30 minutes)

Activity Part 3: The teacher will demonstrate how to read a poem using Billy Collin’s “Introduction to Poetry” guiding students’ attention to the poetic devices, poetic structure, and message of the piece. (20-30 minutes)

Activity Part 4: The teacher will then have students independently choose a song and complete the above steps using the song lyrics. They will analyze the lyrics for poetic devices, structure, and theme. The teacher may want to use this form as a guide for students.(30 minutes)

Activity Part 5: Now that the students have had practice with a song/poem of their choice, students can select from a teacher-curated range of classic/contemporary poetry to analyze. They will complete the same steps. Because the students are reading Lord of the Flies throughout this unit as well, the teacher may wish to use some of the poems from the resources which are relevant to that novel.

Activity Part 6: Students will determine a message they want to send about ethical issues related to esports. They will construct a poem utilizing a number of poetic devices and a determined poetic structure (the teacher will decide the appropriate number of devices and the target structure, whether it’s a sonnet or free verse, etc.). (1-2 class periods). The teacher may also choose to require some figurative language or imagery examples to be taken from The Lord of the Flies, to enhance the connections between the novel and the poetry students are writing.

Activity Part 7: Students can complete workshops on the skills needed for this task, such as metaphors/figurative language workshops, structure workshops, etc. (ongoing)

Total Time: 1 week Resources for Key Assignment:

Selection of Poetry with Lord of Flies in mind Spoken Word Poetry Intro A few suggested Spoken Word Poems: S is for Lisp, Point B, Wanna Hear a Poem How to Read Poetry Slam Poetry Guide Poetry Portfolio Description or sample of assessment:

Prompt: The poetry work will culminate in a poetry slam where students stand and deliver their original poem from memory, with strong delivery, intonation, etc. Each poem deals with ethics or community behavior as students understood from the activities in the key assignment.

Optional: The teacher may choose to have students create a portfolio of original work and famous works analyzed by the student. If so, here is a sample project sheet.

Rubric:

Poetry Slam Score Sheet

Key Assignment 2: Socratic Seminar Writer(s) name(s): Christina Abuel Brief informative introduction of key assignment:

Given teacher-assigned case studies regarding relevant issues to ethics in the eSports world (i.e. cyberbullying, cheating, free speech vs. hate speech, etc.), students will annotate these studies and prepare questions for a Socratic seminar. Students will participate by asking each other questions about the outcomes of these studies, and what should be takeaways for how to ethically engage in eSports. ELA Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.B CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.C CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.D CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.1 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.2 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.3 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.5 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6 Connection to eSports:

Students will engage thoughtfully with ethics issues related to eSports

Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

Students will be able to: • Identify the main arguments of a text, and how authorial choices support an argument • Listen and speak in an academic conversation • Cite examples to back up their own claims Key Assignment Activity Parts and Timing:

Activity 1: Hook The teacher will ask students to look at a photograph of several individuals and pick out who they think is most likely a gamer in that group of people. (Gamer girl 1, 2, 3, and 4; Gamer guy 1, 2, 3, 4) After hearing from some students about who they think is a gamer and why, the teacher can lead a discussion on stereotypes about gamers in terms of ethnicity/race, age, gender, background and more. The teacher may choose to use this article on gamer stereotypes to precede the discussion with students.

Activity 2: Analyzing Statistics The teacher will show some stats about current demographics related to gamers, compared with stats from ten years ago. Students will see the stereotypes don’t necessarily hold up to the reality of who gamers are.

Activity 3: Annotating Case Studies Students will select from some teacher-provided case studies (articles below) about ethical issues related to gaming. They will use the previously provided annotation guide to annotate their thoughts and reactions to the articles and fill out a teacher provided handout in preparation for their Socratic Seminar. ***The articles in “Resources” can serve as case studies for this activity. Each one focuses on a different ethical issue that is present in eSports and gaming.***

Activity 4: Prep for Seminar The teacher can give formative feedback on preparation students have completed for the seminar, by checking student preparation sheets to determine if they are ready to engage in a successful Socratic seminar. ***Please see this link for reference to holding a Socratic Seminar: Socratic Seminar Step by Step.***

Activity 5: Socratic Seminar and Reflection During the seminar, teachers will monitor student’s contributions to the conversation. Afterwards, students will write a two paragraph reflection on their contributions to the academic conversation and how successfully they added to the overall group dynamics and the insights of the group. ***For this reflection, students should reflect on how prepared they were for the seminar, how successful they feel their arguments were or were not, and whether they felt like they learned something about ethics in eSports. Finally, students should make a statement on the direction they feel Esports should go to alleviate ethical dilemmas in the arena.***

Timing: 1 Week Resources for Key Assignment:

Socratic Seminar Prep Handout

Some Suggested Articles for Seminar: Why Can’t the Video Game Industry Curb Toxicity? Censorship Sexual Violence Loot Boxes Civility and Monetization Sexism

Description or sample of assessment:

The assessment for this key assignment is both the reflective quick write and the Socratic seminar prep sheet as well as students’ participation in the Socratic Seminar.

Rubric: Quick write Rubric

Key Assignment 3: eSports Code of Ethics Writer(s) name(s): Christina Abuel & Jennifer Schmidt Brief informative introduction of key assignment:

After reading articles about the effects of cyberbullying, hate speech, cheating, and more issues concerning the ethics of eSports, students will write a code of ethics for the class community. They will go through a process of reading existing codes of ethics from groups such as eSports, military, business, etc. Then, they will work as a class to determine what the code of ethics should be for their group to function well. Students will also each write a Personal Code of Ethics that will be kept at the front of their notebooks. ELA Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.5 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.6 Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

Students will be able to: • Understand ethical perspectives used in making decisions and creating regulations/rules for communities. • Extend their understanding of community rules from video game communities to other types of communities Key Assignment Activity Parts and Timing:

Activity Part 1: The teacher should introduce the concept of ethics first. The teacher may choose to present students with some examples of their own made up dilemmas or review some ethical dilemmas samples, and ask students in pairs or small groups to discuss what they would do in the given situation. Then the teacher may lead a whole class discussion with students sharing out their decisions and rationale from their discussions. After this, the teacher will explain that there is something called ethics. Ethics helps people determine the right and wrong choices to make in these and similar situations. (20 minutes) ***The teacher may wish to preview a definition of ethics to enhance their explanation.***

Activity Part 2: The teacher can guide students through examples of ethical perspectives that are used to make judgements on decisions. The teacher may show this Ethical Perspectives

on Video Games and guide students through taking notes on the definition of each perspective of ethics (included are Utilitarian, Rights, Common Good, Fairness, and Virtue). The teacher may wish to provide students with Yes/No cards for students to respond to the question posed on each slide. The teacher is encouraged to balance student notetaking with student discussion and response concerning ethics to promote engagement and enhance great understanding of these concepts. (1 class period)

Activity Part 3: The teacher will show The Simpsons video and have the students discuss the ethical issue presented by the video. The Simpsons - Homer Sells His Soul For A Donut - YouTube ***The issue here is not necessarily that Homer sold his soul - it is his soul and he has control over it - but the question on whether others should encourage or enable him to do it can be raised. This is optional but should lead to an interesting class discussion.***

Activity Part 4: In pairs or small groups, students will examine Ethical Codes (IGDA Code of Ethics for example) that are used by video game groups and companies. They will identify which ethical perspectives have influenced the regulations in those codes, and they will discuss and prioritize which ethical codes are the most critical to a healthy community. (20- 30 minutes)

Activity Part 5: Students will share out with the whole class about the codes they analyzed. They will look for common patterns, common rules and guidelines, and common language used by all of the various codes. The teacher may wish to create an anchor chart of these commonalities to use as a reference when students complete the next activity. (30 minutes)

Activity Part 6: Students will write a code of conduct (sample here). The teacher can determine whether this code of conduct should be for one of the following suggested options: (1) A code of conduct for the class to follow, (2) A code of conduct for all students to follow school-wide, (3) A code of conduct for a video game community to follow.

Total Time: 1 Week Resources for Key Assignment:

More Ethical Dilemmas to use with students

Description or sample of assessment:

Prompt: The summative assessment will be the code of ethics the students create in their groups.

Optional: a final Code of Ethics may be displayed in your school site’s eSports club meeting location, or other appropriate setting. This gives a real-world product for the students to

attempt to write. Another version of this could be a class code of ethics which could be displayed in the room for the classes’ use.

Rubric: Writing samples

ELA/Esport Units and Activity Plans

Subject and Grade: ELA - Grade 9 Unit Name and Number: Unit 5 - Legends and Lore Unit timing: 4 - 4.5 Weeks Introduction or summary of the Key Assignments in the unit:

Students will study archetypes in literature and game lore and examine the purpose of storytelling and the purpose of game play, to analyze both mediums as texts worth studying. In doing so, they will learn about the elements of stories and of esports games, and the archetypes that influence many genres of text. They will evaluate choices made by authors within stories and games to achieve their intended purpose, and how creators of content can send specific messages to designated audiences. Students will also write creatively and analytically about game design, and choices designers make in creating characters and environments. STEM principles in this unit include a strong focus on effective communication with an audience using appropriately selected multimedia. Key Assignment 1 - Reverse Engineer a Story Writer(s) name(s): Jennifer Schmidt & Susan Carle’ Brief informative introduction of key assignment:

Using Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero’s Journey,” (alternately: using graphic organizer with notes on how to read the graphic organizer), students will identify the Hero’s steps through mythology (“The Odyssey” and “Perseus”) as well as character archetypes, (emphasis on Tragic Hero for carryover into Unit 6), within literature and video games. In order to demonstrate understanding, students will complete a visual storyboard (individually or in groups/pairs) outlining a chosen myth identifying the key aspects of the Hero’s Journey. With their storyboard, students will write a short paper that details how their story could become a video game. The students will then present their storyboards and discuss how their ideas could become a new video game with the class. Homework for this key assignment should include short paragraph writing assignments that discuss elements of archetype/Hero’s Journey in “The Odyssey” and “Perseus”. ELA Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.10 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.5 - A & B CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.3 - A Connection to eSport:

Students will connect the steps a Tragic Hero takes in mythology to video games and then create a storyboard that they will detail as a future video game base story. Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

Students will be able to: • Discuss different character and plot archetypes and identify character models within mythological texts. • Identify similar character and plot types in popular video games. • Outline the steps a hero takes on the Hero’s Journey and detail the journey as a possible video game idea. Key Assignment Activity Parts and Timing:

Activity Part 1: Open this unit by addressing the Storyboard Project they will complete by handing out the rubric and going over the expectations for the project

Activity Part 2: Allow students to choose their project myth ***Students can choose any myth, but here is a link to a website that gives several options as well as the story***

Activity Part 3: Handout Graphic for Hero’s Journey/Monomyth (resource) to students and discuss Campbell’s elements & video interview (1-2 class periods) ***Teacher leads the whole class in reading the handout. Students then will independently read the PFD and answer the questions from the handout.***

Activity Part 4: Discuss archetypes present in character and plot (plot structure carried from Unit 1) (2-3 class periods)

Activity Part 5 - 7: (5) Begin Homer’s “Odyssey” with class, (6) Follow Hero Graphic Organizer and discuss elements as each surface in text, (7) “As You Read” HMWK 1-2 assignments (1.5 weeks)

Activity Part 8: Perseus Independent Read handout with questions- students will complete graphic organizer individually - Written Assignment on Handout (2-3 periods)

Activity Part 9: Create graphic wheel for Perseus (in groups or individually to put on wall)

Activity Part 10: Storyboard presentations & short informative essays due (1-2 periods)

Activity Part 11: Students will write a reflective short essay on how myths and the Hero’s Journey can influence video games (1-2 periods)

Total Time: 3 weeks Resources for Key Assignment:

Myth Story Options Monomyth & Hero’s Journey Graphic Organizers 12 Character Archetypes Every Writer Should Already Know Interview Video Writing Different Types Description or sample of assessment:

Prompt: Storyboard with Short Essay

Rubric: Oral Communications Rubric

Key Assignment 2 - Battle of the Texts Writer(s) name(s): Jennifer Schmidt & Susan Carle’ Brief informative introduction of key assignment:

Continuing to explore the connections between literary archetypes and those in gaming, students will analyze a game through the literary lens of colorcasters. shoutcasting/color commentator is providing narrative commentary to an event that differs from typical play-by- play announcing. Colorcasters provide analysis, insight, and backstory for the listening and viewing audience. Either independently or in collaborative groups, students will access a selected archived game such as Call of Duty, League of Legends, or Counter Strike, available online through such resources as YouTube or Twitch, and will select a specific character in the game to analyze via colorcast. The student(s)-created colorcast will center on literary elements of their chosen game, drawing the viewer’s attention to steps of the hero’s journey that their chosen character is facing, archetypes encountered by the character, and literary elements written into the game by its designers. The length of the shoutcasting/color commentating will be determined by students recognizing and drawing attention to specific aspects of literary analysis. Students will have liberty to edit the archived video of the game they are shoutcasting/color commentator as they move from one literary analysis criterion to another.

ELA Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.3 Connection to eSports:

Students are shoutcasting/color commentating video game videos themselves. Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

Students will be able to: • Understand shoutcasting/color commentating and how it relates to the game play. • Address the elements of plot and character archetypes in the shoutcasting/color commentator of students’ or professional’s game play. Key Assignment Activity Parts and Timing:

Activity Part 1: The teacher will introduce students to the job of shoutcasting/color commentating at an eSports event by first showing a video of a person in this occupation. The teacher will then ask, “What is the difference between shoutcasting and color commentating?” The teacher will then lead small group discussions on the differences and similarities of these jobs. What information would a person need to perform both roles? (1 class) ***Use this resource for what is expected Introduction to Shoutcasting: Definitions and Goals***

Activity Part 2: Using an archived eSports event that incorporates the Hero’s Journey Story (HJS), the teacher will have students (in their small groups) watch and develop written commentary (script) to include in a mock shoutcasting/color commentating of the game. ***These scripts should include color commentary educated by their working knowledge of the HJS and individual character development along the Hero’s path. Alternate Idea: If students demonstrate readiness, the teacher may choose to break students into groups of three or four for this activity. Two will play the game while the other two shoutcasters and color commentate the game.***

Activity Part 3: The teacher will then have students look at their scripts to determine both the elements of the HJS and the literary development for the Hero. Students should note the other archetypal characters that their hero encounters. ***Though the curriculum describes having students edit the archived game this may not be possible in all classes, so an alternative is to have students write a paragraph review of the event.***

Total Time: 3 days to 1 week

Resources for Key Assignment:

Introduction to Shoutcasting: Definitions and Goals Shoutcasting color commentary (NASEF Twitch stream of Spring 2019 League of Legends Semi-finals, starting with pregame comments at minute 7:05 of the stream and live gameplay color commentaries at minute 21:00) https://www.twitch.tv/videos/411672907?t=07m05s Description or sample of assessment:

Prompt & Rubric: Commentary for shoutcasting and color commentating

Key Assignment 3: You Can Be a Hero, Too Writer(s) name(s)-Jennifer Schmidt Brief informative introduction of key assignment:

Students will use their knowledge about archetypal heroes gained from the first two assignments in this unit as they create a fictionalized heroic persona based on themselves. They will write the backstory for their hero, including skills/abilities and key motivations, and a myth featuring their hero’s origin story or a major achievement. They will incorporate the hero’s journey covered in Key Assignment 1 and the archetypes often seen in gaming and mythology. Students will also incorporate a visual representation of the character (concept art, sprite sheet, 3D design or modeling, etc.). ELA Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.10 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3 Connection to eSports:

Students will be creating a character that they could transpose into a video game environment and create the backstory for that character. Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

Students will be able to: • Use their knowledge of character and plot archetypes to create their own character - complete with backstory, traits, and skills. • Create a visual representation of their character (drawing or digital). Key Assignment Activity Parts and Timing:

Activity Parts 1-3: (1) Teacher will show quick video on video game creation

(2) Teacher will issue each student their own “Develop a Character” handout that will guide the students in their character creation, (3) Students will write a backstory for their character as well as describe the character’s key motivations, traits and special skills (1 class period) ***Now that students have taken a pre-existing literary character and created a video game character, students will be more apt to create their own character from scratch. This character that they create will follow the same path that they took to develop their literary character in the previous Activity, but will be an expansion of the practice as they are now naming, designing and creating the background of the character. Draw upon the same ideas as in the previous activities: name, powers, skills, position in the game’s ecosystem and they relate to other characters.***

Activity Part 4: Students will identify the archetype of the game their character would be placed in and describe, in a short synopsis, their Hero’s Journey (1 class period). ***Students should write a short synopsis focusing on proper structure.***

Activity Part 5: Students will present their visual representation of their character (1 class period) ***The visual may be either drawn or created digitally, if students have both the tools and ability to access the appropriate technology.***

Total Time: 3 days Resources for Key Assignment: video on video game creation Random Character Traits Generator for scaffolding Blank Character Profile Worksheet Description or sample of assessment:

Prompt: Key Assignment 3 has three major components: character profile, the written background and the presentation of their visual representation. All three of these components together make-up the formal assessment.

Rubric: Oral Communication Rubric

ELA/Esport Units and Activity Plans

Subject and Grade: ELA Grade 9

Unit Name and Number: Unit 6 - Creator’s Journey Unit timing: 7 - 7.5 weeks Introduction or summary of the Key Assignments in the unit:

At this point in the course, students will take their knowledge of how eSports games operate, as well as their understanding of story, setting, and character, to create a unique game concept. Going through the iterative process of game design, they will craft ideas, receive and implement feedback, and make an effort at publication. Building on the understanding that characters, plots, and other elements of their design are enriched by being well- acquainted with classical literature, students will read Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare. As they gather ideas for their own games, students will demonstrate an understanding of the vocabulary for discussing games and play and apply that vocabulary in a presentation of new ideas through their writing. Students will perform real-world academic writing through proposals and cover letters, using concise and professional language. They will then engage game companies as real audiences who may adopt their game idea by submitting a proposal packet and reaching out via social media. STEM principles within this unit include a focus on gathering and analyzing relevant data to inform decision-making for their proposed games. Students will also engage in the design process using all of their experiences throughout the year. Key Assignment 1 - Creating a Concept Writer(s) name(s): Lindsay Paananen & Susan Carle Brief informative introduction of key assignment:

A. Students will read and analyze Romeo and Juliet looking for themes of love, hate, and the human spirit. As they read, students brainstorm how characters in the play, or in other classic works, could be used in future video game designs. Students create a scenario and art concept to present to the class.

B. Using any character they have already created or a character based on themselves, students will design a game concept. Students will need to use prior knowledge gained throughout the year regarding the evolution of esports and games as texts to thoughtfully plan their concept, and they should keep in mind how they would make the game appealing to new and diverse audiences. Students will write a detailed overview of their concept and create concept art as a visual aid. ELA Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.7 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.9 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.5 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.6

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.10 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1. B&C CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5 Connection to eSports:

Students collaborate to develop an esports video game concept based on a literary character using relevant esports vocabulary.

Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

• Students will be able to identify themes. • Students will be able to read and develop a foundational understanding of Shakespearean language. • Students will be able to adapt literary characters and their main concepts into a video game concept. • Students will be able to communicate their vision (in a way that best suits students’ abilities) for the game concept and the artistic rendering of that concept. • Students will be able to provide appropriate, constructive feedback to their peers. Key Assignment Activity Parts and Timing:

Activity Part 1: The teacher will review the concept of theme (from Unit 1) with the students . The teacher can provide a list of topics, and a few sample themes to ensure students note the differences between topics and themes.

Students will post their best theme on a Padlet or shared Google document anonymously. The teacher reviews the themes publicly and then asks students to review others from the list. Students then are asked to revise their individual themes. (Recommendation for teacher: Set up the Padlet https://padlet.com/ or document to allow students to post their best themes. The teacher may choose to create the Padlet with an anonymous setting so as to remove social pressures and stigmas of trying to craft perfect themes at the beginning of this lesson).

The teacher will show a few game trailers that push a story and instruct students to practice writing themes for those trailers. (Examples of trailers: the World of Warcraft trailer, the Borderlands 3 trailer, and the Overwatch trailer) Teacher will model writing one theme with the students, and then instruct students to identify multiple themes from the video games’ trailers. (1 day)

Activity Part 2: The teacher will have students create a journal for taking notes for this unit. Teachers may wish to have students create a Bullet Journal. The teacher will then present story adaptation examples and lead a discussion about the idea of story adaptation in the media. (1-2 days)

Homework: Using Bullet or other Journal, or digital note taking for three days, students should take notes of their lives logging experiences that they might gamify (adapt into a game). ***(Suggestion: Provide a short synopsis of Hamlet, and then reveal how a) Hamlet was inspired by a Norse legend and the death of his son, Hamnet. Hamlet spawned a host of other works, from famous art pieces, (Presentation Slides of the art) other plays (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead), films and satire like, The Lion King, and television like Sons of Anarchy. Similarly, Romeo and Juliet has inspired a number of other works: visual art, (Presentation Slides of the art) , and films and satire like West Side Story, Gnomeo and Juliet, Warm Bodies, Romeo + Juliet.) ***

Activity Part 3: At different points as students are reading Romeo and Juliet, the teacher will have students, first in groups of four and then shared-out with the whole class, brainstorm about how characters in the play, or in other classic works they’ve read, could be adapted to future video game designs. These sessions will assist students with devising their scenarios and concept art of their work. Notes from these sessions should be logged in their journals.

To begin the reading of the play, the teacher may wish to review reading Shakespeare Tips, or Understanding Shakespeare. The teacher may wish to read portions of the play aloud, have students watch scenes from professional performances or have students act out scenes from the play in class. During the reading of 1.1, the teacher will have students focus on visualizing the three groups attempting to coexist in Verona: Montagues, Capulets, and neutral parties. As they read 1.1, students will add notes and ideas in their journals.

After the class finishes reading 1.1, the teacher will model the process of creating a scenario for future video game design. The teacher will provide mentor texts of video game scenarios for other established games. Students use these to analyze types of scenarios they might consider (linear, interactive) using in their writing. Then the teacher will instruct the students to attempt to create-draft similarly-styled scenarios individually.

As students continue to read the teacher will stop and have students add notes to their journals, treating each scene as a writing seed for notebook entries, with the purpose of responding to the text by creating new game scenarios and/ or by adding to their original ideas to develop them further. (1-2 days)

Activity Part 4: The teacher will review the idea of adapting a text into a visual work of art. The class will read 2.1-2.4. For reading this section, the teacher may wish to read portions of the play aloud, have students watch scenes from professional performances or have students act out scenes from the play in class. The teacher will model writing and sketching out a rough draft of concept art representing the theme of the scene (whether by use of pencil and pen, digital drawing or word art programs like Wordle) using one of the 2.1- 2.4 scenes.

Students will be directed to choose a different scene to use for individually creating a draft concept art for their chosen theme. (1 day) ***This could be a homework assignment, or this assignment may be used as a formative assessment and the teacher could use this student work time to give “Just in Time” assistance to students who are struggling with reading or this assignment.***

Activity Part 5: The teacher will show the video Austin’s Butterfly, by EL Education, which demonstrates the transformational power of models, critique, and descriptive feedback to improve student work. The teacher will have students, in groups of four, view the drafts they have made and consider how they might achieve greater depth and specificity in their concept art. The teacher should walk the room as the students are working in their groups to offer additional feedback and to enhance the student conversations. For homework the teacher will instruct students to revise their concept arts by adding depth and specificity. (1 day)

Activity Part 6: The teacher will break the class up into small groups to create a group esports game scenario and concept art that reflects a theme based on love, hate, or the human spirit shown in Romeo and Juliet that they will present to the class. The teacher will instruct students to bring the work they’ve already developed (in their notebooks, scenarios, and as part of their concept arts) to their group, to discuss the text and their scenario. Using Google Drawing, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, piskelapp, sprite-generator, or another digital art tool, each group will create a video game design concept that reflects their scenario. They continue meeting in their small groups to develop their scenarios. They must ultimately choose one concept for their scenario, so in these meetings, they are prompted to discuss the merits of which game design and scenario they plan to work with.

Every time they meet, the teacher may provide another mentor text of a video game scenario and review gaming vocabulary as presented in the Cynopsis.com Esports Glossary. The teacher will also provide a template for game design. As more mentor texts/models are provided, students will be asked to notice elements they notice in the art. (1 week) ***The teacher may have students use the presentations of the mentor text to create an anchor chart for both scenario-writing/story development and art to have in the classroom. This may assist students who are struggling with these concepts in their writing.***

Activity Part 7: The teacher will have students complete the reading of Romeo and Juliet as they work to finalize their scenarios and concept arts. (1-2 days) ***As students read further and further into the text the teacher may wish to provide more and extended independent reading time in class, to build reading stamina and to provide “Just in Time” assistance to struggling readers.***

Activity Part 8: The teacher will have each group of students present their scenarios and concept arts to other small groups, seeking feedback and critique from others using a gallery walk. (1-2 days)

Activity Part 9: The teacher will have student groups collect the feedback from the Gallery Walk and make adjustments to their game concept to better suit the needs of potential customers. (1 day)

Total Time: 2.5-3 weeks Resources for Key Assignment:

Hamlet visual art examples Romeo and Juliet visual art examples World of Warcraft trailer Borderlands 3 trailer Overwatch trailer Game Design Document Template (credited to Department of Computer Science University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) Cynopsis.com Esports Glossary Description or sample of assessment:

Prompt: The teacher will assess student draft work as students present their work in the Gallery Walk and seek constructive feedback on their products. The teacher will instruct students to revise their work throughout all of Unit 6.

Rubrics: Video Game Story Rubric Conceptual Art Rubric

Key Assignment 2: Survey Says!

Writer(s) name(s): Lindsay Paananen & Susan Carle

Brief informative introduction of key assignment:

Students craft a survey designed to elicit information from participants regarding their game concepts. Students craft questions that are appropriate to their purpose and audience and publish their survey using online tools such as surveymonkey.com and/or Google Forms. Finally, they will use online tools, such as Google Sheets, to assess and analyze their data and determine the potential success of their game. The students’ findings will be included within their proposal in graph form with analysis. ELA Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.A CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.D CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.7 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4 Connection to eSports:

Students are surveying a swath of people to gain feedback on their video game concept. Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

Students will be able to: • Draft and revise appropriate survey questions for a specific task. • Conduct a survey of a large group of people • Use Google Sheets to sort and create graphs from survey data. • Design an infographic that reflects the data culled from a survey. Key Assignment Activity Parts and Timing:

Activity Part 1: The teacher will provide an article and Podcast, Grammar Girl’s Do Things Better podcast on “How to Write Good Survey Questions”. Students can listen to it starting at 7:02 - 12:00 for the tips on writing survey questions or read the transcript on the same page.

The teacher will model how to design a survey to seek feedback about overall game design and conceptual art with a focus on backwards planning. The goal of the survey is to yield rich and effective feedback shared in a living document. Survey Monkey

The teacher will have student pairs must decide what information they need to learn to determine the potential success of their game as depicted by their writing and their concept art. The teacher will assist each pair in developing a shared, living document that they will refer to when conducting market research on their game.

Students brainstorm and draft questions that will yield those specific results concerning changes they might make to improve both their writing and art piece. Students also can use survey question examples housed in Survey Monkey. They should play with question types and perfect the survey collaboratively. (1 day) ***Some student pairs may need additional help from another pair group or teacher to develop usable questions.***

Activity Part 2: The teacher will have each pair test their surveys on the other students in the class. The teacher will then model how to sort through the feedback, discussing whether the results provide clarity and what questions yielded off topic or unusual responses. (An indication of a poorly written question).The teacher can ask for volunteers for this activity or present then anonymously. Student groups will then have the opportunity to revise their surveys before sending their survey to a larger group. (1 day)

Activity Part 3: The teacher will have the students demonstrate their art and their detailed overview of the games to groups outside the classroom (diverse populations consisting of other classes, parents, community members, etc.). They will survey these groups. They must survey at least 50 people and use the data to analyze the potential success of their game.

As students await the results from their surveys, the teacher will provide models on various options (Google Sheets) for creating graphs and examining data. Student groups are given opportunities to work with web tools (like Adobe Spark, Piktochart, etc.) to create an infographic to showcase their survey data. (1 day)

Activity Part 4: After students have collected the survey responses, the teacher will have the pairs meet to analyze the data and then follow the plan from Day 20 to design an infographic to showcase each item of the survey that will potentially be included in their proposal. (1-2 days)

Activity Part 5: The teacher will instruct students to write an individual short reflective piece about the data they yielded and analyzed. The reflection might include any of the following: whether the predicted outcome was correct, what might be the ramifications of the data on their product proposal, the possibility of changing their product to appeal to a different audience.

Total Time: 1 week Resources for Key Assignment:

Grammar Girl’s Do Things Better podcast on “How to Write Good Survey Questions” Survey Monkey Google Sheets Description or sample of assessment:

Rubric: Rubric for Student Reflections

Key Assignment 3 - Professional Profile - Capstone Project Writer(s) name(s): Lindsay Paananen & Susan Carle Brief informative introduction of key assignment:

Students will compile a professional proposal packet to deliver to an appropriate company of choice. Included in this packet will be a cover letter, a summary of research about the eSports game they have created, concept art, results from the student survey, and an analysis of how the concept will be introduced to the world of eSports. Students creatively and professionally

present to the company or a mock panel and revise or note possible changes to the concept and their presentation based on professional feedback. ELA Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.B&E CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.A&D CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.5 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.7 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.2 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.6 Connection to eSports:

Students develop a presentation of an eSports game they invented based on literature. Students present their game to an eSports company (or to a mock company). Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

Students will be able to: • Collaborate on creating a professional proposal presentation. • Communicate professionally in writing. • Deliver a professional proposal presentation to an authentic audience (in person and online or on social media). Key Assignment Activity Parts and Timing:

Activity Part 1: This key assignment is focusing on developing a packet of items for each group that introduces themselves (individual cover letters) as well as the eSports idea they developed. Each packet will include: • Cover letter • A summary of research about the eSports game they have created • Concept art • Results from the student survey • An analysis of how the concept will be introduced to the world of esports The teacher should open this key assignment by explaining to the students what is expected to be included in their packets. Because this assignment is mostly a culmination of other activities from other units, besides working in class, the students can do much of the work as homework.

Activity Part 2: In groups, the teacher will facilitate students working through drafts and revisions of their cover letters, writing a summary of their research about the game they created, refining their concept art, updating their infographics revealing the results of the student survey, and preparing their analyses of how the concept will be introduced to the world of eSports. The teacher should help students focus on “perfecting” these

items, drawing on the specific feedback they received all year. The teacher will facilitate the student groups as they consider their options for their proposal: film, in-person, a combination, multimedia, etc. Students will develop their presentations in the format of their groups’ choosing.

Activity Part 3: The teacher will facilitate students as they practice delivering presentations to a live audience using PVLEGS. They will have students present to each other, peer assessing. The teacher will collect and distribute the peer assessed feedback on content, communication style, and presentation style from other groups. The teacher will encourage the students to use the steps of this process to improve their writing and presentation skills. (2-3 days)

Activity Part 4: Finally, the teacher will have student groups present and publish their professional presentations via social media and/or in person to real audiences of adults in the esports companies and communities, and stakeholders from the school site (parents, admin, students, and teachers). (1-2 days)

Activity Part 5: The teacher will have each student write a personal reflection on his or her performance as a presenter and add their responses to the presentations they peer assessed. (1 day)

Total Time: 2 weeks Resources for Key Assignment:

Cynopsis.com Esports Glossary

Description or sample of assessment:

Prompt: Presentation Proposal Packet

Rubric: PVLEGS

Key Assignment 4 - Looking Back Writer(s) name(s): Lindsay Paananen & Jennifer Schmidt Brief informative introduction of key assignment:

Students will select work produced in key assignments throughout the course, as well as work produced in other classroom activities that students feel are worth including in a final

portfolio. Reflecting on the year, students will write about their process and their learning throughout the course, pointing out specific aspects of the work they choose to display in the portfolio. They will connect their proposal to the literary and rhetorical concepts focused on in class (such as theme, genre, setting, character, purpose, audience, etc.), and the influence of specific literary works on their game design choices. Students will share their portfolios with the class and a panel of parents, teachers, and administrators. ELA Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2 Connection to eSports:

Reflection on the student’s relationship to eSports. Presentation of eSports-related projects.

Related Instructional Objectives (SWBAT):

Students will be able to: • Cultivate and reflect on their projects and the skills they developed this year. • Present their portfolio to a panel of parents, teachers, and administrators using PVLEGS showcasing their multimedia skills. Key Assignment Activity Parts and Timing:

Activity Part 1: Hook The teacher will pass out the Reflection Pictures and ask the class, “What do we learn in a reflection that we cannot just look at the picture without the reflection?”

The teacher will then transition to the subject of writing a reflection and have students share out if writing a reflection also has value and if so, what might it be. The teacher will then have students write a quick reflection on their most memorable project/lesson from the school year. In their quick write, they will consider what skills were being asked of them, how they felt they performed on it, and why this particular lesson or project struck them as memorable. ***This will be the beginning of a series of reflective pieces that the portfolio will feature. Students will share in small groups their memories of those lessons or projects and engage in a discussion of the most worthwhile experience they might have had this year. Each group will share out any part of these conversations they wish to share.***

Activity Part 2: The teacher will explain the portfolio process: each student will cultivate a selection of their work, produced in classroom activities, they feel are worth including in a final portfolio. These can include essays, reflections, projects, presentations, etc.

***Portfolios are a freeform concept and as such, it will be up to the teacher to determine exactly what they want included. There could even be assignments or projects completed in conjunction with another class that the teacher may want to have the students include. This is especially true if the students are taking any sort of computer animation or coding courses.***

Activity Part 3: The teacher will show models of former portfolio presentations (if available) or model parts of presenting a portfolio to students. The teacher may also choose to address the depth of thought they are looking for in the reflective writing pieces. The students should be encouraged to really look at themselves when addressing the prompts.

Activity Part 4: After reviewing each piece they select, students will write about their process and their learning through the course, pointing out specific aspects of the work they chose to show. Students will connect their proposal to the literary and rhetorical concepts focused on in class (such as theme, genre, setting, character, purpose, audience etc.), and the influence of specific literary works on their game design choices. Students will prepare to share their portfolios with the class and a panel of parents, teachers, and administrators.

Activity Part 5: Reflecting on the year, students will write about their pieces they chose to display in the portfolio. They will determine the presentation method that most represents their skills and that best suits the portfolio expectations. They will select at least six pieces from this class and at least two from other courses.

Each student will prepare his or her reflective pieces to include reflections on the following: • the project the student is most proud of • the project the student found that illustrates an area of growth • the student’s progress as a communicator • the student’s progress as a creator • the student’s progress as a collaborator • the student’s progress as a critical thinker • The student’s self-perceived area of needed growth • the student’s evolving relationship with eSports

Activity Part 6: Students will use PVLEGS and their multimedia presentation skills to share their portfolios with the class and a panel of parents, teachers, and administrators, receiving feedback on their body of work and presentation that they will attach to their portfolios.

Activity Part 7: Students should present their final portfolios.

Total Time: 1.5 weeks

Description or sample of assessment:

Prompt: Students present their portfolios to a panel of teachers, parents, and administrators. They will receive feedback on their presentation (for content, including pieces and reflections, and presentation style or quality). This feedback will be filed with the portfolio.

Rubric: PVLEGS Image and Rubric