Games in Schools Resources
In 2019 the Interactive Software Federation of Europe sponsored the Games in Schools project run by European Schoolnet. The main project outputs consisted of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) about Games in Schools, a selection of teacher-produced lesson plans, and a handbook for teachers on Using Educational Games in the Classroom. The project is based on the results and findings of an earlier project on games in schools, summarised in the Games in Schools report published in 2009.
On this page you can access all the main outputs coming from the most recent round of the project in 2019/2020.
The MOOC: The Games in Schools MOOC featured engaging video content created by Ollie Bray, Director of Play at the Lego Education Foundation, as well as a large number of activities which included discussion, reflection, and production of educational materials by the course participants. While the course primarily focused on the use of video games, it also explored associated themes linked, for example, to the use of AR, VR, geocaching, coding, playful learning, etc. The course remains accessible for browsing here.
The Handbook for Teachers: The ebook on Using Educational Games in the Classroom offers practical information for teachers who are considering using games as a classroom resource to teach, motivate and engage pupils. This includes: (1) understanding the benefits of using games for teaching, (2) knowing how games are used inside and outside the classroom to support teaching and learning, and (3) understanding the theoretical basis for integrating games in teaching practices. The Handbook can be accessed here.
The Lesson Plans: As part of the MOOC, participants produced course work in the form of lesson plans incorporating ideas, pedagogical strategies and tools shared on the course. This work was first peer-assessed by other course participants and subsequently reviewed by an editorial board made up of a group of experienced and innovative teachers from across Europe. Based on the reviews of this editorial board, a number of lesson plans which were produced by participants as part of the course were selected for publication on this page. The first five lesson plans were also published in the handbook for teachers on Using Educational Games in the Classroom. A big thank you to the members of the editorial board who substantially contributed to this work: Anita Streich, Cristina Nicolaita, Glykeria Gkouvatsou, Massimo Bidotti, Reyhan Gunes.
All lesson plans have been designed by teachers with their own classes in mind. Accordingly, any reuse requires adjusting of the lesson plans to the context and conditions in which they are intended to be used. Most of the lesson plans were created using the Learning Designer tool and are available in a digital format that can be easily adapted for one's own purposes via the available links.
Featured Lesson Plans
| Lesson Plan | Level | Subjects | Description | Author |
| Digital Storytelling with Minecraft |
Secondary | Cross-curricular | The lesson is an attempt to make known to students the story of Mohammad Aljaleel, The cat man of Aleppo. His story touched the hearts of millions when his sanctuary featured in a BBC video in 2016. He had to leave the city when it fell to Syrian government forces, but he went back - in an area nearby - and helped children as well as animals. The students will attempt to recreate Alaa's story as a game in Minecraft and try to figure out ways to create a digital version of Ernesto's Sanctuary, the shelter he built for cats in the middle of a war crisis. The general aim of the lesson is to make students sensitive to social and controversial issues such as the implications of war, refugees, animals and children as victims of war, solidarity, volunteering, and the power of social media in the 21st century. The lesson also aims to familiarize students with the Minecraft digital environment and make them practice their English language skills for narrating a story (reading and writing) as well as their ICT skills. | Sofronia Maravelaki |
| Celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the World’s first Circumnavigation (1519-1522) – a cross-curricular learning design | Secondary | Cross-curricular | Students develop a cross-curricular project, designed in collaboration with teachers and other students about our knowledge of the World: the Seas, the Earth and the Skies, concerning the topic “The world around us/ the world seen by Magellan/ Del Cano”. The subjects involved are: Portuguese Language; English Foreign Language, Spanish Foreign Language, Biology, History, Geography, Maths, Physics and Citizenship Education. | Candida Pompo |
| House and Furniture in English | Primary | Languages | The lesson is designed for a 4th grade, English as a Foreign Language class. The students will learn key English vocabulary for parts of a house and some furniture. | Cristiana Lopes |
| Kung Pao Chicken Recipe | Primary/Secondary | Languages | The recipe of the Kung Pao Chicken is within the game called "World Cuisine". This game will help the students to have fun and learn at the same time. The students will be able to use the vocabulary about ingredients and instructions to write a recipe. | Güniz Çalışkan Kılıç |
| Minecraft Village | Secondary | Cross-curricular | To teach students the importance of collaboration and division of labor by taking advantage of group experiences on digital gaming. The course will be taught in 2 stages. Phase 1 is the uncoordinated phase in which individual actions are carried out, and the second phase is the planned implementation phase where the division of labor and cooperation are emphasized. | Barış Ertuğrul |
Other Lesson Plans
| Lesson Plan | Level | Subjects | Author |
| London needs us! | Primary/Secondary | Languages | Sara Antolin Mediavilla |
| Program Design - Application of Algorithmic Thinking | Secondary | Computer Science | Marinela Schatten |
| Learning Scratch | Primary | Computer Science | Luís Costa |
| Christmas around the World | Primary | Languages | Diana Pádua |
| Dinosaur Adventure | Primary | Languages | Nevra Sezgin |
| Space Programmers | Primary/Secondary | Computer Science, Physics | Dalia Kager |
| Living Things and the Environment | Primary | Sciences | Duncan Ciappara |
| A Digestive System on Minecraft | Secondary | Sciences | Laura Paltrinieri |
| Wild Animals | Primary | Cross-curricular | Basak Bircan |
| Sea Animals | Primary | Cross-curricular | Renata Kos |
| Gain Aim Manage Enjoy | Primary | Languages | Bahar Güner |
| Means of Transportation | Primary | Languages | Clara Chambel |
| Natural Disasters | Secondary | Cross-curricular | Tiago Silva |
| Body Parts | Primary | Languages | Meric Tutucu |
| Wildlife | Secondary | Cross-curricular | Aimilia Apostolidou |