Learning Focus: Thermal Energy
Funded by the Dayton Regional STEM Center through a Race to the Top Award
Grade Levels: 6 and 9

The Thermbot Project will create curriculum, simulation, gameplay, and game-programming activities designed to give learners a deep conceptual understanding of the physics of thermal energy at the molecular level, including conduction, convection, and radiation.

Thermbot will challenge students to design their own robot’s thermometer and molecular simulator and build fun and engaging games around heat transfer.  The modules are designed to reinforce rigorous content standards around thermal energy and heat transfer.  Educators consistently cite these topics as being among the most difficult for students to grasp. By linking these concepts to rich and varied visualizations and interactions, the GameDesk design methodology brings students’ common misconceptions to the surface and supports students in developing accurate and transferable knowledge.

The project will be used in its first trials in partnership with the Dayton STEM CENTER (Race to the Top Partner) and advanced modules later in the Spring at a Motorola partnered school in San Diego, CA.

Here are screenshots of two prototypes: Build-a-Bot and Wave Blaster.

The GameDesk Team is in the process of building:

4 HIGH QUALITY GAME MODULES FOR PC, iPHONE, & iPAD
1. Measurement, Temperature, Scale, Conversion.
2. Conduction
3. Convection
4. Radiation

SUPPORTING CURRICULUM
1. Game Design and Programming Support Materials
2. Integrated Thermal Energy in class exercises and science game instruction

The four modules can be played as a stand-alone gameplay learning experience to teach and reinforce concepts (6th grade), and/or  the games can be designed and programmed with additional and more advanced Thermal Energy (9th grade) science standards embedded into the process. The design and programming modules will contain student/teacher support materials (paper and digital assets provided).

See some of the current Concept and Level Art below.

The games will center around the construction and control of a robot that must master all the critical concepts and procedures that relate to various heat transfer phenomenon.