Extension activities

Creating a game to teach others about the orangutan

Explain to students that they are going to use this learning object to find out about the issues around the endangerment of the orangutan, and then use this information to create a game to teach other students about it.

Decide for yourself whether students are going to create this game:

• in English, outside Indonesian lesson time - to present the issues to other students who are not learning Indonesian. (In which case they are gaining the information from the Indonesian text, but expressing their ideas through the game format in English) OR
• in Indonesian, using some class time from other disciplines - perhaps to share with other students of Indonesian OR
• in Indonesian, only in Indonesian class time. (Be prepared for the time that will be taken to create the game.)

Give students the 'Positive, Negative, Interesting' sheet (in Word or PDF) and have students work in small groups to go through the learning object collecting examples of situations or actions that have positive, negative or interesting (but neutral) effects on the orangutan population in Indonesia. Explain to students that this will give them the information they need to create good, bad or neutral points in their game. For example, positive points may lead to players getting an extra turn, moving ahead some spaces or gaining extra points or 'lives'.

List with students some different types of board games, then bring a selection of these into the classroom to support students in designing their own games. Students may be able to invent a non-board game, so try not to restrict their ideas too much.

Brainstorm the parameters or criteria for a successful game. For example:

• How much of the game must be in Indonesian?
• Any Indonesian must be accurate and as easy as possible. How can this be achieved?
• What should the players learn about the orangutan by playing the game? Are you going to set a minimum number of information points?
• How many people should be able to play?
• What instructions / rules are needed for playing the game? Will the instructions be in English or Indonesian?
• What is the time frame a) for the draft plan and b) for the finished game?
• What materials can be used?

You will need to support students in writing their chance cards / clues in simple Indonesian. For example, a negative occurrence might be simply 'Ada pemburu' (There is a hunter). This language of playing games sheet (in Word or PDF) will support students in their writing.

It is a good idea for students to draw up a rough draft or plan of their game and cards, then play it themselves to see where any problems are.

The final games can be played within the class, then shared with other Indonesian classes.