OTS+and+Other+Games

Off the Shelf (OTS) games are standard video games you can purchase at any big-box store and use for instructional purposes. Perhaps the best known example is [|Civilization, used in history classes.]A basic historical scenario game, the player works from ancient time to present time through a series of challenges that require political skills, critical thinking, and knowledge of the historical context. Most teachers who use OTS games in their classrooms, structure the experience to be collaborative.

There are other web-based games that are similar to OTS games with the exception of the box. Example of this would be [|Windward, a sailing game created by Discovery and The Weather Channel.]In addition to weather conditions, players must in gauge critical thinking and knowledge of navigation and geography in order to succeed.

On this page, we are going to catalog OTS and other games. Make your entry with the name of the game, a summary of what players do (short summary of the rules) and what could be learned from the game. Add to this summary specifics you would need to know as a teacher. Don't forget to tell us what ages this game is most appropriate for! End your entry with your name.

I chose the game “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?”. This game can be purchased for different computer programs and there are also some online versions of it but not the exact program. Carmen Sandiego is a former ACME employee who had been catching criminals, but then she switched sides to become a thief and challenge the ACME agents all across the world to find her. The game itself is designed for 3rd-5th graders (I can remember playing it myself at that age), but many adults still like to play this game. The game teaches a variety of subjects including math, geography, history, civics and language as ACME agents, the students solve crimes by tracking clues and using critical thinking. Margie Laketa

Quandry is a free online game suitable for ages 8+. The player represents the Captain of a new civilization and is tasked with providing making decisions regarding ethical issues that arise during the creation of the new civilization. The game is presented with comic book style images and text, with audio available making it accessible to those with limited bandwidth as well as limited reading ability. The player encounters card-style characters that offer information, advice and options from which as Captain the player must make decisions that affect the new civilization. According to the game website which provides resources for teachers, Quandry teaches problem solving, communication, information literacy, global awareness, collaboration and creative thinking. The game can be played individually but could also be played in small groups or on a screen in the classroom to promote discussion with the class making collective decisions. Marnie Castle