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Teacher Review for POX: Save the People

Science Strategy Game

Rae F.
 Technology coordinator
Del Norte County Office of Education
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My Grades Pre-K, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
My Subjects Science
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My Rating
Learning Scores
Engagement
Pedagogy
Support
My Students Liked It Yes
My Students Learned No
I Would Recommend It No
Setup Time Less than 5 minutes
Great for Individual
Small group
Great with Advanced learners
ELL
General
Low literacy
Special needs
How I Use It
Students could play individually or in groups of up to four players. They liked being able to play against each other, but some were frustrated by how quickly the disease spread. I would use this game for students who finished early or had some free time. It is a thinking games and teaches strategy, but I didn't see any real learning gains about disease or vaccination.
My Take
Do students learn that vaccinating healthy people keeps disease from spreading? Yes, but that is about it. The game does offer some brief information about vaccines, but mostly it is just a strategy game. I think it is good for all students as here is not much reading and the game promotes systems thinking. If you facilitate discussions about the game or maybe track data on game play, students could reflect on strategy and the importance containing disease.