Planet Play: Designing a Game for Children to Promote Environmental Awareness

Abstract

Due to a progressive deterioration of our planet and its resources, environmental education has become crucial and children should be trained to understand environmental issues at an early age so they can cultivate positive change in the future. Children attending Alberta-based schools are introduced to ecological conservation issues in the fourth grade through an inquiry-based, active-learning curriculum. This study combines research in child development & educational strategies with environmentally related issues into a game that promotes active learning. Data for the study is gathered in a qualitative manner, introducing child participants to existing environmental games and collecting their feedback into graphic organizers. A prototype of an environmental education game that combines various styles of play will then be designed based on the gathered data. The game aims to explore concepts, scenarios, and strategies of environmental preservation, encouraging children to become active participants in preserving the planet and promoting environmentally responsible behavior.