An Interim Reflection
January 16, 2013 | Deborah Cook
We’re roughly at the halfway point of The Case of Plastics project. The game has been planned, and almost all the materials have been written. Now we are readying our website and working with teachers to prepare implementation.
Reflecting on the last several months, I must say the project has been most enlightening. Plastics are ubiquitous and indeed pervasive. Some days I think everything I come into contact with or see is made of plastic. The task of preparing materials for students to debate the pros and cons of plastics has taken on a life of its own! The ability to develop a role-playing game that guides high-school students through the quagmire of arguments, both pro and con, is a tribute to the creativity and diligence of the project team.
Creating an environment where students can assume the roles of stakeholders in the plastics debate and play the part of representatives from a regulatory agency is a novel approach to teaching. I am excited about watching the students refine their thinking, interpret data, express their arguments, and reflect on their learning. These are the elements of learning that are often rare but so necessary for today’s students. I am excited about the game format and can’t wait to see how the debates turn out.