# Game Development with Cultural Themes ```html Game Development with Cultural Themes
Te Kete Ako

Learning Objectives

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:

Cultural Context & Safety Considerations

When creating games with Māori cultural themes, it's essential to:

Recommended cultural themes for beginners: navigation (wayfinding), traditional games (e.g., mū tōrere), nature connections, or creation stories (with guidance).

Lesson Content

1. Exploring Māori Themes in Games

Before creating your own game, let's examine some examples of games with Māori cultural elements:

Interactive Activity: Game Analysis

Play one of these sample games (provided by teacher) and answer:

  1. What cultural elements are included in the game?
  2. How does the game design reflect Māori values?
  3. What aspects would you like to include in your own game?

2. Planning Your Game

Use this template to plan your culturally themed game:

  1. Game Concept: What is the basic idea? (e.g., "A game where players navigate the Pacific using stars")
  2. Cultural Theme: Which aspect of Māori culture are you representing?
  3. Game Mechanics: How will the game work? (controls, rules, scoring)
  4. Visual Style: What will the game look like? (colors, characters, environment)
  5. Cultural Accuracy Check: What research or consultation is needed?

3. Game Development with Scratch

We'll use Scratch (scratch.mit.edu) for our game development platform as it works well on Chromebooks and has low technical barriers.

Basic Game Structure

All games need:

Tutorial: Creating a Simple Navigation Game

Follow these steps to create a basic wayfinding game:

  1. Create a sprite for your waka (canoe)
  2. Add arrow key controls for movement
  3. Create star sprites as navigation points
  4. Program the stars to give points when touched
  5. Add a background of the ocean
  6. Include simple instructions in te reo Māori (e.g., "Haere mai" for welcome)

Open Scratch Editor

4. Testing and Refining

Game development is an iterative process. Test your game with classmates and ask:

Assessment

Students will be assessed on:

Criteria Excellent (4) Proficient (3) Developing (2) Beginning (1)
Cultural Integration Game demonstrates deep understanding and respectful representation of Māori culture Game includes appropriate cultural elements with mostly accurate representation Game includes some cultural elements but may have minor inaccuracies Cultural elements are minimal or potentially inappropriate
Game Design Game is engaging, with clear objectives and smooth mechanics Game is functional with understandable objectives and mechanics Game is playable but may have some technical or design issues Game is incomplete or largely non-functional
Technical Implementation Code is efficient, well-organized, and demonstrates advanced techniques Code is functional and appropriately organized Code works but may have some inefficiencies or organizational issues Code is incomplete or largely non-functional
Creativity & Originality Game shows highly original concept and innovative approach Game shows good originality within the assignment parameters Game follows basic concepts with some original elements Game shows minimal original thought

Teacher Tip: Consider having students present their games to the class and explain their cultural choices. This can be part of the assessment process.

Extension Activities

For Advanced Students

  1. Multi-level Game: Expand your game to include multiple levels with increasing difficulty.
  2. Te Reo Māori Version: Create a fully bilingual version of your game with all text in both English and te reo Māori.
  3. Cultural Consultation: Interview a Māori elder or cultural expert about your game concept and document their feedback.
  4. Advanced Platform: Port your game to a more advanced platform like Unity or Godot with 3D elements.
  5. Educational Value: Develop supplementary materials explaining the cultural aspects of your game for younger students.

Adaptations for Different Learners

For Students Needing Additional Support

For Students with Limited Tech Access

Teacher Implementation Guide

Suggested Timeline (5-8 lessons)

  1. Lesson 1: Introduction to cultural game design, analysis of existing examples
  2. Lesson 2: Game planning and cultural research
  3. Lessons 3-4: Game development in Scratch
  4. Lesson 5: Peer testing and refinement
  5. Lesson 6: Final presentations and reflections

Resources Needed

Cultural Connection Tip: Consider beginning each lesson with a relevant whakataukī (Māori proverb) about learning, creativity, or technology to set the cultural context.

``` ## Additional Implementation Notes ### Curriculum Alignment This resource aligns with the New Zealand Digital Technologies Curriculum at Levels 4-6, specifically: - **Progress Outcome 4-5:** Developing digital outcomes using appropriate tools and techniques - **Progress Outcome 5-6:** Designing and developing increasingly complex digital outcomes - **Technological Practice:** Brief development, planning for practice, outcome development and evaluation ### Cultural Safety Protocol 1. **Pre-lesson Preparation:** - Consult with your school's Māori liaison or local iwi representatives about appropriate cultural themes - Prepare a list of approved cultural elements students may use - Identify potential cultural advisors who can review student projects 2. **During Implementation:** - Begin with a karakia (prayer) if appropriate for your school context - Establish clear guidelines about respectful use of cultural elements - Monitor student work for potential cultural inaccuracies or appropriations 3. **Post-lesson Follow-up:** - Share student work with cultural advisors for feedback - Consider displaying exemplary work at school cultural events - Document the process for future cultural consultation reference ### Technical Considerations - All activities are designed to work on Chromebooks with minimal requirements - Scratch was chosen as it's free, web-based, and accessible - The HTML resource itself is lightweight and should load quickly on school networks ### Differentiation Strategies - **For visual learners:** Provide more diagrammatic representations of game mechanics - **For kinesthetic learners:** Include physical prototyping before digital development - **For auditory learners:** Incorporate podcasts or interviews with Māori game developers - **For advanced students:** Offer pathways to more complex game engines or programming concepts This resource provides a complete, ready-to-use unit that respects Māori culture while engaging students in meaningful digital technologies learning.