Pronghorns and Parrot Fish and Fruit Bats @ Girls Prep?

On Tuesday, June 20th Team Killer Snails play tested our latest game Biome Builder with the incredible middle school students at Girls Prep in NYC. Over the course of the school day 168 girls at this Bronx school played this fast-paced card game.

Students at Girls Prep Playing Biome Builder

 

Sixth-grade science teacher Ms. Hill looked on while her students engaged in gameplay and was excited to see that, “my students are actively applying what they’ve learned in my class about food webs!”

In our continued efforts to ensure that our games are as educational as they are fun, Girls Prep middle schoolers took quick pre- and post-tests around game play to see if building biomes and using effect cards really did improve learning.

Game Designer, Illustrator, & KS Team Member Noelle Posadas Play Tests with Students at Girls Prep!

 

Our results were astounding! After a single period of game play Girls Prep students demonstrated an impressive gain of knowledge of 14.8%! These incredible students were able to improve their ability to:

Explain a biome by 28%
Give examples of a biome by 33.9%
Define/explain herbivores by 5.9%
Define/explain omnivores by 5.9%
Define/explain apex predators by 38.1%
Provide concrete examples of the results of climate change by 13.6%
Explain a food chain by 8.5%

What is more, we were thrilled to see that 31.9% of the students we met in June could see themselves as scientists! These bright students gave a host of reasons why they could see themselves as scientists including:

"I enjoy discovering new things."
"I enjoy learning about the animal and plant kingdom and have thought about becoming a zoologist since 5th grade."
"I could see myself as a scientist because I like new inventions."
"I could see myself as a scientist because I like to explore."
"I could see myself as a scientist because I ask a lot of questions and want answers."

Stay tuned for more results from play testing this fast-paced, exciting new card game in more schools nationwide very soon!

KS Co-Founder Jessica Ochoa Hendrix Playtesting with Girls Prep Students