Space Bears Anyone? Learning the Goldilocks Zone of Human Existence

Our newest game is out of this world… literally! We’re developing our first social VR immersive experience in which students role play as planetary scientists on a mission to terraform planets to find the key ingredients necessary for sustaining human life and for combatting climate change on planet Earth.

The working title for the experience is GeoForge, and it’s supported by our recent Department of Education SBIR award. In developing GeoForge we went to the source of classroom angst via a survey sent to members of the National Science Teachers Association to gauge their pain points for STEM topics. Rising to the top of list was teaching Earth Science and Geology. Specifically concepts about the relationships of variables, seeing how landforms change over time, greenhouse gases, ozone layer… All the moving parts that help make our planet the “Goldilocks” of our solar system. Which planet is just right?

Using the all female NASA international space station walk as inspiration, we’re designing a hybrid digital/VR experience where students in the classroom work as a team on a collaborative space mission to learn Earth Science and Geology topics such as the importance of magnetosphere, the hell planet, and volcanoes. While developing knowledge of how diverse variables affect planets, students will also apply that understanding to how Earth has changed and the role that humanity has played in the progression.

If you're an Earth Science teacher and would like to pilot GeoForge as we develop it give us a shout out at info@killersnails.com.

To infinity and beyond with Killer Snails and Space Bears!