Construction of an Analog Educational Game: Exploring Card Game Mechanics to Create an Astronomy Game for Fourth and Fifth Graders

Abstract

The authors investigate deficiencies in the science curriculum for Fourth and Fifth graders in the King County school system, and in so doing discover that while students astronomy appears on standardized tests, there exists no corresponding standardized curriculum. In order to redress this deficiency, the authors propose, iterate, and test, an analog card game that might help students learn the required material, as well as set the stage for future learning in astronomy and astrophysics.