SURVIVAL! Language Arts 7

Overview The goal of this project is to use research, teamwork, creativity, and independent writing skills to learn about how to SURVIVE on a deserted tropical island.

Instructions Follow these slides step-by-step so that you don’t miss any important steps in completing your assignment. Go back and REVIEW this PowerPoint numerous times so that you know exactly what you need to do.

Step 1: Get to know your setting In order to create a survival game about being marooned on a tropical island, you have to have an understanding of all of the things that the island is composed of. With the class, brainstorm questions you will need to answer about the environment and do some research on tropical islands.

Step 1 example What is the weather like? What kinds of animals and plants live on a tropical island? What kinds of images can be pulled up on Google that show what a tropical island is like? What would it be like to be marooned on such an island???

Step 2: Write a descriptive Paragraph Now that you have done your research and gathered extensive information on what a tropical island is like, you are going to write a descriptive paragraph about all of the things you see, hear, smell, feel, and taste after being marooned on a tropical island. This paragraph will be assessed using the “Descriptive Paragraph” marking rubric found on the website.

Step 2 continued Now that you have done your research, we are going to brainstorm descriptive words that you can use in all of the different categories: Sight, tough, smell, taste and sound. Think of words that will create a visual picture in your mind. Use creative and alternative words. For example, instead of blue, use azure.

Step 2 tips Hook your reader! Set the scene with your words in a creative way that will draw them in! Stick to details that are powerful and make your writing stronger. Stick to the point and enhance that point with supporting details. EDIT! And then edit again and again. Peer edit. Self edit. Read slowly and out loud. It makes a huge difference in the number of errors you will find. Look at the rubric and how you will be marked.

Step 2 tips continued Check to see that you have followed the correct format: Introduction with a hook that tells your reader what you will be writing about. (Being marooned on a tropical island). Main points that describe the tropical island. A conclusion that wraps up your paragraph.

Editing Checklist Is the paragraph indented? Is there an interesting title? Does the first sentence hook you? Are there details on scents, sounds, sights, and taste? Are there spelling errors? Do all sentences connect to main idea? Are all sentences varied in length? Is word choice creative and effective? Is there a concluding sentence?

Step 3- Create Board Game In groups, you will be designing and creating a board game in which players have to survive on a tropical island.

Step 3- Continued Start, End and Directions to move Game pieces Color Deck of survival cards Deck of cards with numbers 1-6 that are shuffled and used instead of a dice (if you do not want to bring a dice or spinner).

Step 3 Continued You will have to make survival cards and figure out a way for someone to win… either they get to the end first, or they end up with the most cards at the end?? Or?? Make a clear list of rules for your game. You need to research what it would take to survive on an island and make your game revolve around that.

Step 3 continued Other students in the class will have the opportunity to play your game. After everyone in the class had played each other’s games, you will have the chance to reflect on how organized the instructions were for playing each game. Whose game was the most easy to follow? Why was it easy to understand? The answer is good expository writing!

Step 4 At this point, you need to understand what expository writing is. Please refer to the PowerPoint on the website that goes into detail on this type of writing.

Step 4 continued In the survival board game, your group had to come up with clear step-by-step instructions on how to play your game. If you succeeded in this task, it made it easy for you and other students to play the game. Now that you have seen the creativity of other students’ games, you will be independently RE-writing the instructions for your board game.

Step 4 continued Writing can ALWAYS be improved, and now is your chance to REFINE the rules and clarity of instructions for your ideal survival game. Maybe you will reflect on the game your group made and it went very well and instructions were clear. You then decided to change just a few things about the rules to your final game design.

Step 4 continued Maybe your game didn’t go as smoothly as planned and the rules were confusing and vague for other students. This feedback from the players will now allow you to go back and RE-Design the rules to your final game design. Maybe your game design was good, but you observed some creative ideas you would like to add to your final game design.

Step 4 continued In the end, each student will produce their own unique set of rules to a survival board game in the form of an expository paragraph that has been refined from the original set of rules produced in the group stage of designing the game.

Step 4 continued Please refer to the rubric on the website called “expository marking rubric” to see how you will be assessed on your writing.