Web2.0 Tool- FarmVille
One of my reflections from a previous discussion post was about using gaming systems in the classroom. In this post, I included my thoughts of using Farmville in my health classes. Farmville is included in Go2Web2.0 toolbox, in which, I immediately wanted to search through this particular tool and create a lesson for my elementary students to use during health classes. With this educational game, students plow their land, choose fruits and vegetables to grow, and harvest their crops. With their harvested crops, students sell their crops in return for coins. With their extra earnings, students can build more crops to sell.
My ten-year old son is an advocate player of Farmville. So my son explained the ins and outs of Farmville. With a class of twenty-five students, I would provide twelve teams with a Farmville account. (Students may not have access to computers at home.) I would have students partner and name their farm.
Farmville supplies new farmers with a small amount of coins to purchase fruits and vegetables from the market. The market explains how long it takes for the fruits and vegetables to grow in Farmville, (which in reality takes much longer). With their hearty purchases, students will begin plowing their farmland, and planting their crops. Within a few days, students can harvest their crops to sell. With their earnings, students can continue farming by purchasing more fruits, vegetables, and land. Other ways to earn more coins are to help neighbors with their crops, if they are unable to tend to their farm.
Farmville is appropriate for my second, third, and fourth grade health students. Since my health classes are in two-week increments, I would hold a contest for the best farmer at the end of the two-week period. The farm that makes the most currency would be the best farmer of the class.
This Farmville lesson would increase students’ health knowledge of the variety of fruits and vegetables; learn about a monetary system and the ability to earn money. Along with health and math standards, students would increase basic technology skills and interact with other students. They would also use problem solving and critical thinking skills to insure their farm would be the best farm of the class.
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