As a NQT I wanted to really engage the children during their first term and so I decided to try out games based learning.  Having studied this aspect of learning in University and taking the time to refresh my knowledge I decided to use the wii along with the game “Wild Earth African Safari”.

To introduce the context and set the scene the children learnt about the location of Tanzania and some simple facts about the country.  I then shared with them that we were going to fly to Tanzania and so they had to complete a boarding pass.  Having them close their eyes while I switched on the game really helped them get into role.  They were all excited and engaged when they saw the wii and game.

The game itself encouraged collaborative work as the whole class had to work together in order to complete each assignment.  The children really enjoyed putting on the safari and animal outfits and thought it was necessary to wear these when playing the game.  I found that using this approach motivated the children to succeed in a variety of areas of curriculum.

Curriculum Links

Literacy

• journal entries
• postcard home from safari
• imaginative writing – what happened next etc
• animal fact files

Science

• animal survival and habitat
• camouflage

Art

• safari animal masks
• 3D elephants
• camouflage painting
• animal colouring

Drama

• safari area in classroom led to a lot of role play
• role play of safari animals through a story approach

Social Studies

• location of Africa and Tanzania
• Tanzania Flag
• Impact humans have on environment and animals

Technologies

• create own animal through switcheroozoo.com
• variety of safari games

I have really enjoyed using this approach and would definitely recommend this game.  Feel free to contact me for more information.