I’ve been busy working on a customizable GAFE cross-curricular game template that can be used by teachers across all levels and subjects. I wanted something that had a hook, was interesting and fun for my students yet still educational. I came up with Storage War$ (Enchères Surprise$ in French, yes there’s even a version française!). I made the English version for my Grade 4 Media Literacy class, so the activities are based on Media Lit strands from the Ontario curriculum. The French version is based on the Media texts strands from the Grade 3 FSL Language curriculum.

A SHORT DESCRIPTION:
Storage War$/Enchères Surprise$ is played by students in Google Slides. Students follow on-screen instructions to interactively play, learn and complete activities. The wonderful thing about this project is that it can be modified for almost any grade level and any subject area. The best part is you can take a copy, use it as-is right now or modify it to match what you are currently teaching. The activities can be completed individually, in pairs or groups.

LEARNING:
Students learn through playing and doing the media-rich activities on the slides and in Google Docs/Drawings templates that open as “make a copy” for them to work from. The learning really depends on the content you decide to put into the template. By playing the game and completing the different activities students are able to engage in a vast range of curriculum areas (Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, and mostly Media Literacy) all in one template platform. My students began working through the activities last month and are thoroughly enjoying it!

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VARIATIONS:
It’s easy to change the activity slides for this game to make it appropriate for any subject or grade level. You would just have to change slides #20-35 to suit whatever you are studying in your class and make up questions/activities to match.
For more experienced GAFE users, you could even change up the content of the storage locker (change the images on slide #15 and link your new images to slides #20-35) and use items/images from a particular part of history you are studying, have images based on a theme, have less items,  etc. I’ve made a roadmap to make it easier to see how the slides are connected, English version HERE & French version HERE. 

SUGGESTIONS & CONSIDERATIONS:

• If you don’t have enough technology, students don’t need to each have a device for this game, they could work in groups or in pairs.
• Use the game in a literacy centre and have students move through the game during centre time.
• Students do not need to finish the activities in one sitting (there’s no way they could!), the activities should be completed over several days/class periods.
• This game works well on laptops, Chromebooks and desktop computers. You can also use iPads as long as you have the Google Slides App installed.

GET YOUR COPY & START CUSTOMIZING (or use it now!):

• English Storage War$: bit.ly/storagewarsEDU
  (Media Literacy Focus Grade 4 English)
  Slide Roadmap/Flowchart & Curriculum Links for Teachers
• French Immersion Enchères $urprises: bit.ly/storagewarsFR
   (Language Media Text Focus Grade 3 French)
                     Slide Roadmap/Flowchart & Curriculum Links for Teachers

Have fun….yuuuuuupppp!

Update
Here are a few Tweets from when I presented this project at the Digital Lead Learner Marketplace on May 19, 2016: