Board Game Book Report As you are reading, create at least 25 questions (cannot be yes or no answers) to be used with your board game and that relate to your book. Using a manila folder, markers, and colored pencils, create a game board. Put the name of your game on the tab of the folder and decorate the inside so that it is a game board. The questions should be neatly created and contained within your folder. Write directions for your game that would make it perfectly clear how to play the game. Type the directions and glue them to the back cover of the file folder. On March 1, your classmates will play your game to test your instructions and questions. Game Proposals Due: February 22, 2013 CATEGORY 4 20 pts. 3 15 pts. 2 10 pts. 1 5 to 0 pts. What to Consider Presentation of Game Accuracy of Content Attractiveness Rules Creativity Student could easily and correctly state several facts about the topic used for the game without looking at the game. All information cards made for the game are correct. The game is exceptionally attractive in terms of design, layout, and neatness. Contrasting colors were used and visuals. Rules were written clearly enough that all could easily participate. A lot of thought was put into making the game interesting and fun to play as shown by creative questions, game pieces and game board. Student could easily and correctly state 1-2 facts about the topic used for the game without looking at the game. All but one of the information cards made for the game is correct. The game is attractive in terms of design, layout and neatness. Rules were written, but one part of the game needed slightly more explanation. Some thought was put into making the game interesting and fun to play by using textures, fancy writing, and interesting characters. Students could easily and correctly state 1-2 facts about the topic used for the game without looking at the game. All but two of the information cards made for the game are correct. The game board is acceptably attractive though it may be a bit messy. Rules were written, but people had some difficulty figuring out the game. The person tried to make the game interesting and fun, but some of the things made it harder to understand or enjoy the game. Student could NOT correctly state facts about the topic used for the game without looking at the game. Several information cards made for the game are not accurate. The game board is distractingly messy or very poorly designed. It is not attractive. The rules were not written. Little thought was put into making the game interesting or fun. How well is your game organized? Can you explain how to play without looking at the rules? Questions are not yes/no. Are questions of varying levels? Is the question worded so that the player does not wonder what is being asked? Did you use visuals to guide the player? Are your visuals original or simply taken from the Internet? Did you use color? Does it look like I put this together the night before? Did you include a brochure on how to play the game/rules? Is the brochure easy to follow? Is the brochure similar to what you would find in a store bought board game? How did others respond when playing the game? Was the game over very quickly because it was too easy to play?
Going 3-D - Making a Board Game Book Report with Your Computer's Help (Grade 8) A great way to share a book with other people is to make up a game about it. That way they can get an idea of what the book is about, why it is exciting or interesting, and you don't have to give away the ending! Choose a Book Tip: If you have lots of favorite books, make a list of them or get them altogether and look at them. Think about which book would make a good game. This is a good time to also talk to your teacher, the school librarian, or a family member who knows about some of these books for their opinion. A Beginning and an Ending Like all good books, your game needs a beginning and an ending. To figure out what part of your book to use ask yourself these questions: What part of the book is your favorite? Why did you like that part? Make a List Make a list of the events that take place in your favorite part of the book, then list these events in the order in which they happened. After you have made your list, see if you can imagine them as squares or spaces on a board game. Could the first action on your list be the beginning of the game? Are there problems that need to be solved that could be squares or branches of your game? Do you like the way that part of the book ends? Can it be the goal or ending for your game? The Object of the Game The object of the game is how you win it. Think about other board games you have played. Some games are won by getting to the last square of the board first. Other games are won because someone has the most money, points, or objects. Tip: If you haven't got much time to work on this project, the easiest way to win a game is just by being the first one to the end. Think about other board games you have played for ideas, but don't be afraid to be creative. This is your game - add your own ideas. The Shape of the Game Board What is your favorite board game shaped like? Would that be a good shape for your game? Is there another shape that might work better? Filling in the Details Now you need to think about naming the squares and spaces on your game board.
Game Pieces Who is going to move around on your game board? Maybe it should be the main characters. Remember that your game pieces do not just have to be people or animals; they can also be objects like a bucket or pair of shoes. Making the Game Pieces Now it's time to make the game pieces and this is where the computer can be very helpful. Here are some ideas: Clay figures: http://familycrafts.about.com/od/clayrecipes/) Game pieces off an old game you have a home Plastic people or animals LEGO creations Coins (US or foreign coins - give every player a different one) Origami figures: http://www.tammyyee.com/origami.html Clip art Moving Around the Board Think about board games you have played. How do the players know how far to move? Most often you've probably used dice or a spinner. You might also draw cards. You can make all of those things using your computer. Cards You can also make cards on the computer that direct your moves. These cards, which can be drawn at the beginning of each turn, can say how many spaces you can move or whether you get an extra turn or lose a turn. Make the cards on the computer in Word so they are easy to read. Add clip art and pictures to make the cards look more interesting. To make the cards more sturdy print them out on card stock. Money and Objects If money is part of your game you will need to create the money. As well as money, you might want your players to gather objects long the way. You can make these objects using clay and other materials from around the house or you can make them on the computer using clip art and pictures. Go back and look at your list of actions in your book to see if picking up objects goes along with your story. You will have to add extra rules for this, but it can make the game lots of fun. Obstacles To be challenging a game has to have some obstacles that the players have to overcome. That's what makes a game exciting! Look again at your list of actions from your book. What obstacles do they suggest? The first way to make obstacles in your game is to make them into squares or spaces on the game board. These spaces may be simple things like: Jump forward two spaces. Go back three. Go back to the start. Go to the Ferris wheel (or any other location on the board)
What obstacles are there in your book that will make good game squares? Go back to your action list and make up some squares to go with each one. The Game Board Now it is time to make the game board. If you have been following these instructions you have already picked out what you are going to use for the game board itself. First go back to your list of actions, people, animals, places, and obstacles and think about what you want to type on the squares and spaces. Once you think you have enough (you can always make more), print them out and cut them into individual pieces. Arrange them on your game board to see how many you will need. If you do not have enough, you can always make more. If you have too many, decide which ones will work best. There does not need to be something to do on every square/space! Be sure to also print out some blanks. While you are doing this make sure you put them in a logical order. For example you wouldn't want a game square that says, "Move back 2 spaces" to land you on one that says, "Move forward two". You could never finish your turn (or the game) moving forward and back two! As soon as your game board is covered with a path of sample game squares and spaces in a logical sequence that you think will work, start gluing them down. After your game path is set, think about how you can decorate the rest of your game board. What is the setting of your book or the favorite part of the book? Is it in a house, in a forest, on a farm, at a fair, in a space ship or a castle? Where else? Make your game board come alive by adding appropriate details to your board. What have you got around the house that you can use? What about some rocks or branches from outside? What about using LEGOS? Or stickers? What can you draw in or draw on the computer? Try to think 3-D. What could you make from clay or out of paper? Rules You know all about how your game should be played, but now you need to tell other people how to play it. That is what writing the rules down all is about. To help you get started in writing your rules, here's a checklist of all the kinds of things that need to be included. This list will help you take it step-by-step. Make a list of all the items in your game - the game pieces, any money, the spinner, dice or game cards and any extras. On the same list, go back and add what each item is, when it is used and what each item is good for. What is the object of the game? How many people can play the game? (Four is a good number to use.) Who goes first? What do players start with? Money? Objects? How much? How do you get started? (roll dice, spin spinner, chose a game card) How do players move around the board? When is the game over? How do you know when someone wins? Make sure you explain any extra things and what they do or how they are used.
The best rules are simple, clear, and go in the order of how the game is played. Print off a copy of your rules to for your game and glue to the back cover of your file folder. Name Your Game If you have not done so already, make sure you have a name for your game. Have some fun with it! Trial Run Before you take your game to school you should take a few trial runs so that you know it works. Do the game squares and spaces work? If you are playing with money you have designed, do you have enough? Was anything unclear when you played? Do you need to add any rules? Have Fun! Happy games playing!