Class Information
- Grades: 8–10 (students must be 13 or older to participate in this class)
- Lesson timeframe: Four to six class periods, depending on student familiarity with Fortnite Creative
- Featured tool: Fortnite Creative
- Class / learning environment: A Fortnite-capable device with a one-to-one device-to-student ratio, and with Internet connectivity. A computer lab or mobile laptop cart should provide the ideal environment.
This lesson works in a middle school science or STEM class, and is quite adaptable. It was created for a 6th grade science class in a small, rural K-12 public school, but also works for kids in high school or even lower elementary grades.
Author Contact
Author, Organization/Role: Alfonso Gonzalez, Chimacum Elementary School, 6th Grade Science and STEM
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: https://twitter.com/educatoral
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfonso-gonzalez-24307023/
Lesson Overview
Scientists use a variety of means to develop and run experiments. Physics experiments, for example, can be carried out in both physical and virtual environments. Have you ever considered the physics in video games like Fortnite? In this lesson, students will do just that!
Fortnite Creative allows players to build and use a variety of elements to create immersive environ-ments. Students will test Fortnite Creative objects and devices to determine whether they react to gravity and laws of physics like real objects. In the process, students will develop and test their own hypotheses to conduct authentic NGSS experiments in Fortnite.
Students will use the scientific method to test different objects in Fortnite Creative and establish which objects work best for physics experiments.
With Fortnite Creative, students will use a virtual sandbox to design and carry out experiments and simulations. Once students determine which objects best follow the laws of physics, they will write a report using Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) to convince others.
As a class, students will use the information from the reports to determine which objects best follow the laws of physics. They will then design and conduct physics experiments using the se-lected objects in Fortnite Creative, collect data, and use that data to draw conclusions about real-world physics.
Link to Introductory Video: Fortnite Creative Scientific Method
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS/BIG IDEAS
- How do objects respond to gravity? How do objects fall? What do different objects do when they hit the ground?
- How do objects roll down ramps? What do objects do when they reach the bottom of a ramp?
- How do objects react when they hit each other?
- How can you prove which objects in Fortnite Creative work best for physics simulations and experiments?
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students will be able to:
- Design experiments to show which objects in Fortnite Creative respond best to gravity, including falls and bounces, like objects in real life.
- Design experiments to show which objects roll best down ramps, including whether they continue to roll after they reach the bottom.
- Design experiments to show which objects react the most accurately to impact relative to their mass. For example, when bounced off each other, objects with greater mass should move less than those with lesser mass.
- Write a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) conclusion based on the results of the experiments to prove which objects in Fortnite Creative are best for physics simulations and experiments.
- Use the selected Fortnite Creative objects to conduct NGSS experiments and simulations.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Materials Needed
Each student or small group should have:
- A device capable of running the Fortnite Game, such as a PC, tablet, or gaming console
- Fortnite installed on the device
- An Epic Games account created by the student or school
- CER Conclusion Graphic Organizer
- CER Conclusion Graphic Organizer with Sentence Starters
- Access to screencasting software
LESSON OBJECTIVES
In Fortnite Creative, students will conduct experiments to determine which objects in the game world behave most like objects in the real world.
- Students will generate a list of Fortnite Creative objects with information about how they fall, how they roll, and how they react when running into each other.
- Students will write Claims, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) conclusions to share which Fortnite Creative objects work the best to conduct physics experiments and simulations in the game’s virtual world.
- Using Fortnite Creative objects that most react like real-world objects, students will conduct experiments in the virtual game world to “provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object” (NGSS MS-PS2-2). Other Physical Science NGSS standards can also be applied, as necessary.
ANTICIPATORY SET
- Ask students if they have played Fortnite or used Fortnite Creative. Students who have used it can help those who are unfamiliar with the program.for
- Provide a brief demo of Fortnite Creative as follows:
- Create an island in Fortnite Creative
- Demonstrate navigation and motion
- Show placement of items on the island
- Explain prefabs, galleries, and devices
- Ask students which objects in Fortnite Creative fall like real objects, roll like real objects, and bounce off each other like real objects.
- Provide opportunities for students to explore and experiment with different objects in Fortnite Creative. This will allow students to determine how the objects function, and which objects they want to use for their experiment.
- Teachers can share this video on Fortnite ramps and rolling objects for clarification.
LESSON WITH MULTIPLE MEANS OF ENGAGEMENT
Let students begin by answering the essential physics questions and big ideas. Students can use objects in the classroom to see how they fall, bounce, roll down ramps, and react when they hit each other. When they understand how real objects respond to gravity in the real world, students are ready to begin working in Fortnite Creative. Show students how to access different objects in Fortnite Creative.
If possible, place students in groups where at least one student is familiar with Fortnite. Once students have worked with different objects in Fortnite, have them compare how objects in the real world behave under similar circumstances using YouTube videos.
Students should experiment with the following variables:
- Which Fortnite Creative objects fall like real objects?
- Which Fortnite Creative objects roll down a ramp like real objects?
- Which Fortnite Creative objects react like real objects when running into each other?
Students can work in teams in which everyone works on the same variable, or each team member works with a different variable.
Once students decide which objects work better than others, they will plan and conduct more controlled investigations. Teachers may wa to approve investigation plans before students continue. Data they collect during the investigation will help students convince their classmates that they have the best objects for physics experiments.
To plan their investigation, students will document data using one or more of the following tools: Paper notebooks Google Docs Mind Mapping software such as LucidChart Google Drawings
Using the data they have collected, students will prepare their arguments and write a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) conclusion to present to the class. Evidence can include videos they record showing how objects behave in the virtual game world, qualitative data, and quantitative data. Once students have presented their findings, the class will make a collective list of the best objects for different physics experiments.
Note: NGSS performance expectation to design physics experiments with the selected object is MS-PS2-2: Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
To establish a controlled variable, teachers can make sure students only use the object selected by the class in their NGSS experiments and simulations.
This simple lesson plan can be augmented to support highly sophisticated and complex experimentation for Science and STEM classes.
EXTERNAL RESOURCES
Wakelet collection with PDF files referred to in this lesson plan: https://wke.lt/w/s/nxPDKi
Fortnite ramps and rolling objects video
Assessments
Student assessments are based on the quality of their written CER conclusions.
Use the downloadable rubric PDF included with this lesson plan to assess and grade your students.
You can also find the rubric in the downloadable PDF version of this lesson.
Standards Mapping
The first set of experiments will focus on the follow Science and Engineering Practices (SEP) of the NGSS:
- Planning and carrying out investigations
- Analyzing and interpreting data
- Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
- Engaging in argument from evidence
- Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Once students in the class determine which objects will work the best for physics experiments, they will design and carry out investigations in the virtual game world to address the following NGSS per-formance expectation:
MS-PS2-2. Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
Other NGSS Physical Standards can be used as well.
INTERDISCIPLINARY AND 21ST CENTURY CONNECTIONS
This lesson can work in a middle or high school setting because it integrates writing, math, science, and the scientific method. Students completing this project will use communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. This lesson is flexible enough to be carried out in multiple classrooms with different teachers working together.
MODIFICATIONS AND ACCOMMODATIONS
Teachers can establish modifications for students with special needs during the planning phase of this project and for CER writing.
If teachers must approve a plan before students use Fortnite Creative, they can provide support to students who don’t know how to use the program.
If students struggle with Fortnite, teachers can encourage experienced students to provide game support. Once students figure out how to use Fortnite Creative to run their experiments, some may need help collecting data and/or recording screencasts of their results.
When students have data and video evidence, teachers can help students write their claim. The reasoning section of the conclusion will be challenging for most students, so teachers may wish to provide a model of the reasoning section.
ADDITIONAL TEACHING MATERIALS
Please include other teaching materials as separate documents (handouts, and so on.) https://wke.lt/w/s/nxPDKi
ISTE Standards
3 Knowledge Constructor
- Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories, and pursuing answers and solutions.
4 Innovative Designer
- 4a: Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.
- 4c: Students develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process.
- 4d: Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open-ended problems.
5 Computational Thinker
- 5c: Students break problems into component parts, extract key information, and develop descriptive models to understand complex systems or facilitate problem-solving.
- 5d: Students understand how automation works and use algorithmic thinking to develop a sequence of steps to create and test automated solutions.
6 Creative Communicator
- 6c: Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or simulations.
Next Gen Science Standards
Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
- MS-PS2-1: Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects. Energy
- HS-PS3-3: Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy.
Engineering Design
- HS-ETS1-2: Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
Interdisciplinary and 21st Century Connections
This lesson covers areas related to engineering, science, and multimedia design. This lesson integrates all areas of STEM / STEAM.
21st Century Connections:
- Critical thinking
- Creativity
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Technology literacy
- Flexibility
- Leadership
- Initiative
- Social skills
Modifications and Accommodations
Provide students with the option to use a different tool to create a Rube Goldberg Machine:
- Use a different digital tool to create a Rube Goldberg Machine
- Create a physical Rube Goldberg Machine
- Incorporate adaptive controller / game controller if necessary.