POWER PLAY

http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/interactives/powerplay.html

Today I was trying out a few simulation games my teacher had found for us. Simulation games (according to Wikipedia) are games that allow players to simulate real or fictional life situations. The most popular example of this type of game is The Sims game where people build mini worlds for their characters. I tried an educational game today called “Power Play” that challenges players to build a machine that will harness energy. It is a really simple game with straightforward directions and easy choices. A player could technically drag and drop over and over until they got the right combination. When I was playing it took me a couple of tries to get the right pieces because I didn’t realize each machine part changed sizes. I had been looking at it to see if the angle was correct or if the piece was the right size when that didn’t matter at all. Once I figured that out I could click and drag the correct icons without any mistakes. I liked this game for educational purposes for a number of reasons. First, like I stated earlier it is very straightforward. Second, I like that students can learn from their mistakes and continue on without being penalized. Third, I like the explanations they give at the end of each level. They explain how the energy was harnessed for each challenge in a way that all users could understand. I think this game could be used for most elementary aged students that are learning about energy. I highly recommend this simulation science game!