Filament Launches Game-Based Science Curriculum

Filament Learning, a division of Filament Games, has released the first collection of its new game-based science curriculum series, PLEx (play, learn, experiment).

According to the company, PLEx is an integrated curriculum that is aligned to Common Core State Standards, Benchmarks for Science Literacy and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The first suite, PLEx Life Science, is available now, and two more suites for physical and earth sciences are in the works.

PLEx Life Science includes units for teaching about cells, heredity, plants and diversity. Each unit includes interactive labs and "real-life" exercises for students, as well as tools for teachers, such as warm-up discussion suggestions, end-of-lesson activities and assessments. The Life Science suite includes six games, one associated with each unit, plus two bonus games.

PLEx Life Science games include:

  • Cell Command, which lets students navigate a cell ship through the human body and complete cellular function missions related to the cell membrane, mitochondria, golgi complex, ribosomes and DNA duplication;
  • Crazy Plant Shop, which lets students breed "crazy" plants to learn about dominant and recessive traits and how genetic traits get passed from one generation to the next;
  • Reach for the Sun, which lets students defend a plant from insects as it develops through the full life cycle;
  • Fossil Forensics, in which students become virtual prehistoric experts examining a collection of ancient fossils to assist the curator of a museum;
  • GUTS!, a bonus game that lets students assist Dr. Guts to conduct experiments on human organs; and
  • You Make Me Sick!, a bonus game the lets students take on the role of a pathogen to infect hosts with bacteria and viruses.

Further information about the PLEx Life Science suite can be found on Filament Learning's site.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

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