Class Information
Grades: 8–12 (students must be 13 or older to participate in this class)
Lesson timeframe: Three weeks
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. Students could also complete the assignment with access to a classroom, lab, or home machine after school.
Author Contact
Author: Caleb Clark, Putney Central School, Putney, VT, Para Educator and Educational Technologist
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: https://twitter.com/calebjc
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebjc/
Lesson Overview
Do your students love Fortnite? How would they like to put their passion to work as they develop a variety of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and math) skills? This lesson plan is designed to do just that by guiding Fortnite players through the building process to create one of the Wonders of the World in Fortnite Creative. Students can work in groups or individually to create their Wonder.
For inspiration, students can explore some of the Wonders of the World that have been built by their favorite creators on YouTube!
Fortnite Creative’s powerful tools allow builders to construct almost any structure, terrain, or environment. By building a Wonder of the World, students will learn about its history, size, location, and purpose. In addition, they will establish the original appearance of their Wonder and compare it with its current look. To accomplish these tasks, students will find photos, graphics, dimensions and floor plans, then translate that information to a scale replica for Fortnite avatars to explore.
We have determined that the following Wonders of the World are the most educational and best suited for Fortnite Creative Island's capabilities.
One of the three Great Pyramids of Egypt. The Pyramid of Menkaure is ideal, due to its manageable size.
A section of The Great Wall of China. We recommend the section of extremely steep slopes in Jinshanling.
Chichén Itzá's El Castillo (Temple of Kukulcan)
Machu Picchu (part or all)
The Colosseum
Stonehenge
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The Temple of Artemis
Desired Results
What are the learning outcomes for students?
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS/BIG IDEAS
What is the significance of the Wonders of the World?
Can students demonstrate creativity with purpose using Fortnite Creative?
Can Fortnite be used as a tool to create a scaled replica of a structure?
What accommodations and compromises are necessary to create a replica in Fortnite Creative?Can students learn and demonstrate their understanding to others through a build in Fortnite Creative?
How can students employ research skills to create an authentic replica of one of the Wonders of the World in Fortnite Creative?
LEARNING OUTCOMES/OBJECTIVES
Students will learn:
What the Wonders of the World in this lesson plan are, what they look like, where they are, which one they like the most, and why.
Their chosen Wonder’s materials, building dates, and purpose.
The exterior and interior design and dimensions of their structure’s walls, doors, windows, halls, rooms, and building site.
What their structure looked like when it was new, as compared to today.
How to convert measurements in order to create a scale replica in Fortnite Creative.
The concept of computer memory usage in relation to the size of a game build.
Which materials were available at the time of construction, and how to simulate materials, objects, and plants in Fortnite.
Construction practices of the builders, and the engineering techniques they used.
The significance of the Wonders of the World.
Details about the Wonder they create, as well as those created by their peers.
Lesson Plan
Hook
Show the Pyramid of Menkaure: Educational Fortnite Creative Pyramid Build Video
INSTRUCTION / DISCUSSION
Discussion: What is a Wonder of the World? Allow students to do cursory research on the Wonders of the World and participate in a class discussion.
EXPLORATION
There are different lists of the Wonders of the World available. Below are the Wonders with the best size and construction to build and play in Fortnite Creative.
Have students explore the Wonders of the World and choose one to recreate in Fortnite Creative:
Jinshanling slopes of The Great Wall of China
Chichén Itzá's El Castillo (Temple of Kukulcan)
All or part of Machu Picchu
Interpretation of The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Explore each Wonder in class and for homework. Students choose one Wonder and gather the following information:
When, where, why, and by whom was your Wonder built?
What does your Wonder look like now, and what did it look like when it was first built?
Establish your Wonder of the World's rough dimensions.
Find any floor plans, photos, schematics, etc. available and record them.
Establish the number of meters that make up a grid square in Fortnite.
View the Wakelet resources, and use the information to recreate one of the Wonders of the World in Fortnite Creative.
ITERATIVE DESIGN PROCESS
Sketch the Wonder you have chosen and label it with the actual dimensions.
Start a new Fortnite Creative Island using the Grid Island Template.
Start the foundation of your Wonder of the World to the correct dimensions.
Share progress with a peer and recruit feedback.
Build each day and engage in “pair share,” in which you and a peer explore each other’s Wonders. After you explore, provide verbal feedback to each other.
The completed project will be a walkthrough that provides information about the Wonder and incorpo-rates game mechanics to create an immersive Fortnite Creative experience.
Reminder: "Perfect is the enemy of done."
EXTENSION ACTIVITY
Students with extra time should further develop their Wonder to include game mechanics. Ideas could include:
Wonder of the World Scavenger Hunt: Students incorporate objects for players to find in and around their Wonder of the World.
Escape the Wonder! Students incorporate game mechanics that require players to find a key to open doors, avoid traps, and solve other puzzles in order to escape.
CULMINATING ACTIVITY
Record a screen capture of a narrated walkthrough of your Wonder of the World.
Submit the walkthrough as a video.
Post a short write-up to accompany your video walkthrough submission. The write-up should explain when, where, why, and by whom your Wonder was built.
With permission from your teacher and parents, post a video of your creation publicly to help other students and teachers learn with Fortnite Creative Island.
EXTERNAL RESOURCES
Wakelet resources, including information on each Wonder of the World and examples on YouTube of similar structures built by Fortnite players and captured in speed-build videos https://wke.lt/w/s/VIvxlM
Jinshanling slopes of The Great Wall of China
Chichén Itzá's El Castillo (Temple of Kukulcan)
All or part of Machu Picchu
Interpretation of The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Artemis Temple created by Darkous Gaming: https://youtu.be/nMlDuy-9qu8
ASSESSMENT
Use the downloadable rubric included with this lesson.
STANDARDS MAPPING
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 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
Create a developers account and submit Island to Epic Games to be considered for inclusion as a Featured Island.
Post a live stream or screen capture of the full gameplay and explanation to Twitch or YouTube.
Provide students with the option to use a different game development tool to create a Wonder of the World.
Incorporate an adaptive controller / game controller if necessary.
ADDITIONAL TEACHING MATERIALS
Please include other teaching materials as separate documents (handouts, etc.) Wakelet Resources provided throughout template (videos of FN Creators’ Builds) https://wke.lt/w/s/VIvxlM