Becoming a Scientist at Gopher Tortoise Elementary School (2009)

User summary:

The game rules are presented in Role-Playing in Science Education: An Effective Strategy for Developing Multiple Perspectives, published in Journal of Elementary Science Education, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Summer 2009), pp. 33-46, Western Illinois University.

The goal of the game is to enable a classroom facilitator to lead role-play sessions focused on scientists and how they perform the scientific process. Students in the classroom create characters that are scientists. Focus should be given to developing character backgrounds that are not stereotypical and character interests that are broad and divergent. Character creation is presented as a solitaire assignment prior to the roleplaying sessions.

During play, students are encouraged to use costuming. Play sessions use the fictional setting of Gopher Tortoise Elementary School. During the live-action play sessions, the instructor assumes the role of scientific facilitator and leads a series of seminar discussions. The introductory scene is presented as The Oprah Show and involves an extemporized concise interview of participants. Later scenes involve direct interaction and spontaneous discussions among players. The concluding scene involves a group presentation to the assembled faculty of Gopher Tortoise Elementary School where the faculty is instructed in the nature of science and the scientific process.