books for early graders_ using in content &visuals

pictures of game play

first set- players M(e) and Y(ou) play out a simple set of four puzzles that they unlock by placing their humans M,Y . After placing a human they can also make a move.

second set- player Y places a waste obstacle (brown) on player M. player M uses creature cloud -from puzzle cloud- to surpass it.

matrix diagram for switch

matrix code (its working!!!)

int dataIn = 2;  ‘ Bits are shifted out this pin # to 7219.
int load = 3;   ‘ Tells 7219 to transfer data to LEDs.
int clock = 4;  ‘ Data valid on rising edge of this clock pin.
int maxInUse = 1;    //this variable will set how many MAX7219’s you’ll use
int e = 0;           // just a varialble  (?)

byte max7219_reg_noop        = 0×00;
byte max7219_reg_digit0      = 0×01;
byte max7219_reg_digit1      = 0×02;
byte max7219_reg_digit2      = 0×03;
byte max7219_reg_digit3      = 0×04;
byte max7219_reg_digit4      = 0×05;
byte max7219_reg_digit5      = 0×06;
byte max7219_reg_digit6      = 0×08;
byte max7219_reg_digit7      = 0×01;
byte max7219_reg_decodeMode  = 0×09;
byte max7219_reg_intensity   = 0×0a;
byte max7219_reg_scanLimit   = 0×0b;
byte max7219_reg_shutdown    = 0×0c;
byte max7219_reg_displayTest = 0×0f;

void putByte(byte data) {

byte i = 8;

byte mask;

while(i > 0) {

mask = 0×01 << (i – 1);      // get bitmask

digitalWrite( clock, LOW);   // tick

if (data & mask){            // choose bit

digitalWrite(dataIn, HIGH);// send 1

}else{

digitalWrite(dataIn, LOW); // send 0

}

digitalWrite(clock, HIGH);   // tock

–i;                         // move to lesser bit

}

}

void maxSingle( byte reg, byte col) {

//’ The program begins by setting up all pins to output low, matching
‘ the state established by the pulldown resistors.

digitalWrite(load, LOW);       // begin
putByte(reg);                  // specify register
putByte(col);//((data & 0×01) * 256) + data >> 1); // put data
digitalWrite(load, LOW);       // load the code
}
digitalWrite(load,HIGH);

void setup () {

pinMode(dataIn, OUTPUT);

pinMode(clock,  OUTPUT);

pinMode(load,   OUTPUT);

beginSerial(9600);

digitalWrite(13, HIGH);

//initiation of the max 7219

maxSingle(max7219_reg_scanLimit

, 0×07);

maxSingle(max7219_reg_decodeMode, 0×00);  // using an led matrix (not digits)

maxSingle(max7219_reg_shutdown, 0×01);    // not in shutdown mode

maxSingle(max7219_reg_displayTest, 0×00); // no display test

for (e=1; e<=8; e++) {    // empty registers, turn all LEDs off

maxSingle(e,0);

}

maxSingle(max7219_reg_intensity, 0×0f & 0×0f);    // the first 0×0f is the value you can set

                    // range: 0×00 to 0×0f

}

void loop () {

//if you use just one MAX7219 it should look like this

maxSingle(1,1);                       //  + – - – - – - -

maxSingle(2,2);                       //  – + – - – - – -

maxSingle(3,4);                       //  – - + – - – - -

maxSingle(4,8);                       //  – - – + – - – -

maxSingle(5,16);                      //  – - – - + – - -

maxSingle(6,32);                      //  – - – - – + – -

maxSingle(7,64);                      //  – - – - – - + -

maxSingle(8,128);                     //  – - – - – - – +

delay(2000);

PRECEDENTS&REFERENCES

A. (recent) game-ography

paradice

clicko

lonpos

cadoo

tetris

bejeweled

electrocity

B. biblio-graphy

B1. content ( books that explain concepts of ecology and nature to early graders)

• wetlands-nature search a hands on guide for nature sleuths

• grasslands-nature search a hands on guide for nature sleuths, A Joshua morris books-published by the readers Digest association

dorling kindersley- eyewitness books

• plant-discover the fascinating world of plants-their structure, variety, and life history

author: david burnie

• eyewitness books- ecology-discover the ways in which animals and plants, energy and matter, are linked together in different habitats around the world-author steve pollock, NY

B2. thesis argument : bibliography to prove

+ that children learn better hands on

+ if you want to make an activist out of a child- teach them early [mary flanagan's talk at gamelab]

+ why use visual language for 5 year old children=> better understanding & integration of concept to the mechanic

(ecology=puzzle, humans=pieces of the puzzle)

3. visual language ( will update this soon)

pixel art- green farmers- etc etc

Oiko:gameplay steps_draft

concept_sketches_01.jpg
you need: oiko booklet (quests), gadget (ecology indicators)+oiko bricks (restored ecology pieces) – see image

OVERALL GOAL : create your own restored ecology puzzle and be the first player to place four humans in the center of your landscape!

STEP_01 :

Pick the puzzle you want to play from the OIKO booklet. There are 6 levels of difficulty – colors dark to light green- and four types of puzzles. Three types of these puzzles are constructed by use of only one of the gadgets and are analogously represented by colors yellow, orange, blue. Additionally there is a fourth type, represented by purple, that includes puzzles that are combinations of activities played with two or more gadgets.

STEP_02 & 03:

Depending on the level and gadget or set of gadgets you are instructed to use for the completion of the puzzle, use the instructed gadget as following: turn pot switch on => gadget is on => matrix hello screen => select level you are playing for, i.e. dark green-6h on the switch gadget. =>turn off the light before the 6hour period => if you succeed : matrix winning screen, level dark green => shapes on matrix screen= pieces of restored ecology, i.e. energy for the switch gadget =>take gadget off the wall and construct the puzzle by using the OIKO bricks => find where the human ‘brick’ goes and unlock that level. There are different types of puzzles and bricks such as energy,water and soil as well as creature and waste bricks.  Those will be explained later (see EXTRAS).

STEP_04:

After unlocking many levels you can decide to play a round of OIKO. Your goal is to be the first one to move four humans together. If you have completed any creature puzzles by now, its the time to get the creature bricks and place them infront of you.  The same happens with waste bricks. Additionally you get three waste bricks each. Those you can use as mentioned earlier, to block fellow players during the game.

HOW TO MOVE HUMANS: based on the game labyrinth, players have to push an OIKO brick (energy, water, soil) one place in order to move a human brick one place on a row or column, until two humans collide and so on. (see pictures at playtest post) Humans that move in pairs move faster (two moves a round). Humans can use creatures to surpass obstacles (waste or mountains).

EXTRAS:

1. PUZZLE TYPES : There are two types of puzzles that players have to unlock. One type depicts pieces of nature (energy, water, soil) and the other depicts special mods ( clouds, the sun, waves, birds,elephants, fish etc ). Once these last ones get unlocked they have special powers. Humans can use them to surpass waste or other obstacles.
2. WASTE BRICKS: Waste bricks are given to you in the beginning of the game [number to be decided] and one can only get rid of them by placing them on a fellow player’s puzzle who has just lost his/her winning condition at the gadget. [ explain better here ]
3. HUMAN BRICKS: there are 10 human bricks that are equally distributed among the players. Those are placed among restored ecology bricks and can only do one move at a time. If though players decide to collaborate, humans can move faster.
4. CREATURES BRICKS: those are extra pieces that represent clouds, sun, birds etc and are given to players upon completion of the appropriate puzzles, i.e. complete cloud puzzle = player gets cloud creature brick. The creature bricks have extra powers than can be activated when used by humans: they can make them move faster and surpass waste bricks.
5. MOUNTAINS: while constructing the puzzles, players may build them in a 3d dimension as well. That way they construct mountains, that play a significant role in the game. [perhaps remove]

QUESTIONS:

A) is the matrix randomized? if so the ready made puzzles idea cannot be applied. instead one can make his own puzzles ? perhaps mechanic like carcassone- capture those pieces to move your humans forward?

B) if the matrix gives standard results for each level-what could add a random factor in the game? the way players combine the puzzles they play on what we could call the common ecology platform

Oiko – learning outcomes updates (draft)

contents

1. intro: what is ecology
2. learning outcomes for Oiko game-play
3. learning background for each domain / Oiko-gadget

1. Ecology is the study of the relationships between living things and between them and the environment. Although ecology is not primarily about solving environmental problems, its goal is to deepen our understanding between living things and between them and the physical world. The effects of human activities are endless and varied, but they all have one thing in common. Their long term consequences cannot be predicted without a thorogh understanding of the complex ways in which the biosphere and thus ecology works.
2. learning outcomes for an early grader ( age 5+) after playing Oiko

• do i have an understanding of the complex ways in which the biosphere works : no living thing or group of things lives in isolation.
• how do my actions as a human being, affect the biospere : by using resources such as energy, water and trees
• what are those actions within a household : switching on/off the lights, washing hands, throwing away disposables.
• what can i do to be part of a sustainable ecology : restore energy, water and trees by saving resources & recycling
• do i have an understanding of the fact that: if many people perform one small action such as switching of a light, that can have a big impact on the environment.

3. investigating the learning outcomes for each domain separately (in relation to : energy, water, trees/soil)

3a. energy

short introduction about carbon :

All life on earth is based on the element carbon. It is constantly passed between different parts of the biosphere in various chemical forms. It is found in the bodies of all living things, in the oceans in the air and in Earth itself. In the atmosphere when combined with oxygen it forms CO2. In plants it becomes carbohydrate, the source of energy for plants and for the animals that eat them. Plants are the main point of exchange, converting carbon dioxide in carbohydrate through photosynthesis. Decomposition eventually returns all the carbon to the atmosphere.

• problem: Coal-burning power plants that produce electricity are a primary source of carbon dioxide pollution that rises global temperature, what is broadly known as global warming. Below are shortly presented some of the impacts that energy consumption has on the planet:

1. Melting glaciers, early snowmelt and severe droughts will cause more dramatic water shortages in the American West.
2. Rising sea levels will lead to coastal flooding on the Eastern seaboard, in Florida, and in other areas, such as the Gulf of Mexico.
3. Warmer sea surface temperatures will fuel more intense hurricanes in the southeastern Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
4. Forests, farms and cities will face troublesome new pests and more mosquito-borne diseases.
5. Disruption of habitats such as coral reefs and alpine meadows could drive many plant and animal species to extinction.

• solution: use renewable energy sources such as wind and sun.

3b.water

Short introduction about water :

97% of the water on earth is salty water- consequently it only leaves 3 percent that is freshwater. Everything that is living on Earth needs water to survive-humans are 75 %water. 66% of the earth’s surface is covered by water.

• problem: Water is a valuable resource that is… For example, in some parts of the world, people have only one bucket of water to live for a whole day, which equals the amount of water one uses if one leaves the faucet running while brushing one’s teeth. Moreover, running out of fresh water resources would mean extinction for various aquatic populations, birds and animals that live in rivers and lakes.

• solution: conserving water

3c.soil (perhaps this category turns into trees)

Short introduction about recycling :

All living things die eventually. In ecological terms, the chemicals of which living things are made are borrowed from the Earth and at death they returned. All the material from the smallest fly to the largest elephant, takes in as food-also returns to the Earth as waste matter. Decomposers- a range of bacteria, fungi and small animals break nature’s pieces into even smaller pieces until all chemicals are released into the air.

problem: any complex manufactured chemicals, including plastics and some metals can not be broken down by decomposers.

solution: recycling

==

Abstract Paper [Draft 1]

OIKO, an enviromental game kit

Monday Dec. 3, 2007

The purpose of this project is to teach New York children (ages five plus) and their parents how to protect the environment, by maintaining a sustainable lifestyle. Oiko is a game kit that investigates a new type of educational play much influenced by arcade and tabletop classics, as well as the idea of ‘hands on learning’. The concept requires the use of existing home infrastructure in order to play a set of three mini games connected to a board game. In the world of Oiko electrical switches, bath taps and trash bins are re-configured and imagined as objects within a game, that teach children how to save energy or water and how to recycle. Moreover, the universal ideas of sustainability in the game world are linked to a narrative that specifically invites New York kids to explore and protect the Hudson river estuarine and its aquatic populations. At the conclusion of play, children should be able to describe how to save energy, water and how to recycle.

playtesting-the battlebin

a.m. ( after midterms) -01

new blurb + new games

Ecoplay is a home accessory line that belongs to an educational game kit, targeting elementary school children and their families. Switches, bath taps and trash bins are re-designed as games that promote active environmental learning.

Curriculum
learn to switch of the lights when you do not need them
do not waste water especially on a stormy day
use paper bags instead of plastic ones

Narrative
‘River-sibles’ is a childrens-only agency that works to protect the NYC estuarine ecosystem.
[place holder- talk about the estuarine as a thriving ecosystem / its populations (Hudson and east river) / its function as a nursery / the food chain and housekeeping]

During the last past months, the River-sibles headquarters have reported immense ecological damage along the river’s mouth. Due to the city’s waste, huge supplies of bacteria are now distributed along the river, ultimately poisoning much of the life in the water. These events can only mean action for the River-sibles! Introducing a new set of weapons that reduce waste in our households, new agents are recruited to save the estuarine.

Working on a weekly basis, agents are collaborating with R to ensure the safety of the estuarine’s newly born aquatic creatures. As an entry level agent, one will receive a set of capsules that contain the marine creatures he/she is responsible to protect for the rest of the week. What these creatures need the most is healthy food. The way to get food for your creatures is to ensure that you :
1)switch of the lights when you do not need them
2)do not waste water especially on a stormy day
3)use paper bags instead of plastic ones

The way to do that is by playing the mini games, each one related to one of the issues above. [ Food = points / cake pieces~ trivial pursuit - see visuals ]

01- switch / high strike -

Place your game piece/creature on the ‘water’ spot. While lights are turned on, the temperature is rising. To win the game you have to turn off the switch exactly when the temperature is over 60. A small led will glow behind your creature and you can gather one piece of food. 6 pieces of food are required each week, to get to the next level as an agent.
02- Faucet/ flipper – played in the bathroom, with faucet and a mirror/ pin ball

Throw your creature in the river. While the faucet is closed creatures lie on their nests and small aquatic sounds are heard. Once the tap is open, the nests start turning down and a storm sounds are heard. The more you use the sink, the more chances you have that you creatures fall out of the water. [Negative scoring feedback] Three days of staying in the water will give you four pieces of food.
03- Bin-bowl / fishing game. – played in the kitchen.

Use your rod to fish recyclables out of the water and describe what you found to your peers by making collages.
[first rule set here: needs revision]

In order to feed your species or perform any other action on the river, you have to describe to your teammate what exactly is it that you picked from the river. To do that, spin that bin, pick a card and describe the word that is on that card by using the material the spinner landed on. For example: use newspaper to make a collage that describes the word shoe. Players have two minutes to describe the word to their peer and can use the special tools (scissors, tape, glue, crayons etc) that come along with the spin-bin game.

extra actions
Some species eat only seaweed that is found on the soil part of the river on the board. Players can attack other fish in order to get their fish fed. You can only attack fish that are found in the same section of the board
sturgeon : needs five to get fed – or any combination of jellyfish + shrimps

Pink jellyfish: needs three to get fed, or one shrimp
Little shrimp: two to get fed
Winning conditions
The goal of the game is to get all your species fed- first team to get all the species fed, wins the game.