Module 1: How does gaming make me feel?

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About this module

Online games can be fun, exciting, challenging and engaging. They can also make us feel anxious and irritable.

Why does this happen?

This module explores how online gaming can affect our physical and mental health and wellbeing. In the first video of the series, students are introduced to a child character named Helmette who receives a voucher for a fictitious online video game called, The Bridge.

An animated figure in a bedroom. A door and a guitar is visible in the background.

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Explore Module 1: How does gaming make me feel?

Target audience:

Upper primary students (years 5 and 6)

Lesson duration:

3 x 90-min lessons

Note: Not all kinaesthetic learning activities will be achievable within this timeframe, so teachers may select a smaller number of activities, or extend the number of classes taken, to further explore each module.

Discussion themes:

  • Games and play
  • Treasure
  • Getting drawn into the game
  • Emotional responses
  • Is there more to lose than the game?

The discussion themes refer directly to events in each video and are provided as suggestions for teachers to identify issues and lead discussions with students.

Key terms:

Adrenaline, avatar, dopamine, escape, getting drawn into the game, loot boxes, skins, treasure.

Video resource:

Video 1: The Gift.

Play the video in full and allow some time for quick comments afterwards. Note: the videos include captions that can be turned on or off.

Starters:

Introduction to the program, pre-assessment Know / Wonder / Learned (KWL) charts, key words chart, watch video.

Kinaesthetic learning activities:

30-60 mins each

  • 1.1 Personal values cards (art) What do I value? What is important to me?
  • 1.2 The full picture (art/drama) What are the differences and similarities between me and an avatar?
  • 1.3 Create your own avatar (art activity) Who would I like to be if I had superpowers?
  • 1.4 Emotional statues (drama) How do our bodies express emotions?
  • 1.5 Body mapping (art) Identifying the effects of dopamine, adrenaline and game playing on our minds and bodies.

Kinaesthetic learning is about learning through hands-on experience - touching, doing, experiencing or being physically engaged. The activities are linked to points in the videos, discussion starters and themes.

Related resources:

  • To acknowledge that playing online games can be fun.
  • To understand the emotional landscape of online games, including:
    • uncomfortable emotions and situations in real life – such as anger, frustration, arguments at home, and loneliness – can make us want to ‘disappear’ into the online gaming world
    • our physical and emotional responses to playing online games
    • exciting and uncomfortable emotions we can experience
    • the release of adrenaline and dopamine, where we feel them in our body and how they affect us.
  • Acknowledged that playing online games can be fun.
  • Understood the kinds of uncomfortable emotions we can have in real life that can make us want to ‘disappear’ into the online gaming world.
  • Identified physical and emotional responses to playing online games.
  • Recognised the exciting and uncomfortable emotions that playing online games can elicit.
  • Understood what adrenaline and dopamine are, identified where they feel these in their bodies and their effects.

Critical and creative thinking, drama, English, ethical capability, personal and social capability, visual arts, health and physical education.

Download Module 1 teaching resources

THE BRIDGE QUICK LINKS

A partnership between: Kids Thrive and Be Ahead of the game with additional funding from Creative Victoria