Core Skills Analysis
History
Tyler explored the history of video games through a comprehension activity, engaging with information about how video games developed over time. He practised identifying and understanding key information in a historical account, building awareness that games have a history of change and development. This connected a familiar part of modern culture with the study of the past and encouraged him to consider how entertainment has evolved.
English
Tyler completed comprehension about video-game history, practising how to read information and identify its meaning. He also completed a word search, which gave him a playful opportunity to recognise and locate relevant vocabulary. Redesigning the cover of his favourite video game let him communicate an idea visually and make creative choices connected to a text and its audience.
Art and Design
Tyler redesigned the cover of his favourite video game, using visual design to create a new interpretation of familiar material. He practised making choices about how a cover could represent a game and attract attention. The activity supported creative expression and helped him consider how images and design communicate ideas.
Tips
Tips Tyler could build on this activity by arranging important video-game milestones from his comprehension into a timeline, then comparing how game covers from different eras use images and lettering. He could interview a family member or friend about the games they remember and use the responses to create a short oral-history report. To extend his redesign, he could make a second cover aimed at a different audience and explain how his design choices changed. A mini exhibition of the original and redesigned covers, accompanied by brief captions, would bring together historical research, writing, and visual communication.
Book Recommendations
- The Comic Book Story of Video Games: The Incredible History of the Electronic Gaming Revolution by Jonathan Hennessey: An illustrated account of the development of video games and the culture surrounding them.
Learning Standards
- History — KS3: Engaging with the history of video games supported chronological understanding and the study of change over time, aligning with the programme of study to develop chronologically secure knowledge and understand historical concepts such as continuity and change.
- English — KS3: The comprehension activity aligned with understanding texts by identifying meaning and information. The word search reinforced vocabulary recognition, while the cover redesign provided a creative form of communication.
- Art and Design — supporting connection: Redesigning a game cover involved visual communication and creative design choices; this is a relevant cross-curricular connection rather than a listed standard in the supplied KS3 standards.
Try This Next
- Timeline worksheet: Put key video-game developments from the comprehension in chronological order.
- Cover-design challenge: Create a second cover for a different audience and add a short explanation of the design choices.
- Vocabulary quiz: Write clues for five words from the word search and ask someone to identify them.
- Gallery caption: Write a 100-word museum label for Tyler’s redesigned game cover.