When browsing through the games provided, I wanted to find a game that was information as well as fun. I have always been a huge fan of geography, and I found an awesome game from PBS Kids that takes you on a journey to different cities throughout the world. This game is called “Lets Go Luna” where an adorable moon guides to you through the cities New Orleans, London, Paris, Juneau, and Rio de Janeiro. https://pbskids.org/luna/games/lunas-seek-and-find
Each city that we traveled to had different tasks to complete while visiting. In Juneau, Alaska we had to help a photographer take pictures of the animals that lived there. Every time we took a picture, Luna the Moon would give information and random facts about that animal. In New Orleans, Louisiana we collected instruments for a jazz band. When collecting the instruments we were able to hear how it sounds and the impact it has on the jazz culture. In Paris, France we entered a bakery and made some delicious French cuisine while also learning the french words for that food. In London, United Kingdom we helped a street performer collect items for his juggling act. I really liked this city because the items used to juggle were objects that we have in America, but are called something different in the UK. For example, we had to find the soccer ball which is actually called a football in London and chips that are actually called crisps. Lastly, we traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While visiting Rio de Janeiro we helped an artist create a float for the city festival called “Carnival.” Luna explained what this event is and how it is important to the Brazilian culture. I absolutely loved this game because every task that we did involved valuable information about that city and their culture which might not be familiar to students especially at a young age.
I could definitely see myself incorporating this game in a geography lesson to give the students the feel as if they are actually traveling to the country. This game reminds me of other games I use to play as a child, but with better graphics. A couple games that I remember playing in elementary school were games on coolmath.com and study island. Many of those games were considered “drill and practice” games which I got bored of very easily. “Drill and practice” games can be beneficial when used for a short amount of time or in a group setting but for an individual, they need a more complex or puzzling game to keep their interest. Looking through this PBS platform, I would highly recommend using it in the classroom because it provides games for all ages and most subject areas. Not only that, but PBS has very intricate games that allow the student to feel like they are really inside the activity.
Below are some pictures of the game. As you can see, the first picture shows all the cities and where they are placed on a world map. You should check this game out!
Hannah's Blog 
Hi Hannah!
While reading your post, I was fascinated by this game. It is a cute idea, that is also informative and useful for geography lessons. This is a great find of a game. Secondly, I think this game could be extremely beneficial especially during the pandemic. Many students previous to the last year or so may have gotten the opportunity to travel, therefore they are able to relate to geography lessons more effectively. However, now that travel is not an option and we do not know how long this will stay in place, this game could help familiarize people with different parts of the world. Even in a time when the pandemic was not occurring, it would serve the same purpose. Students will have a way of associating what they are learning with the game. Going back to what we discussed in class, I think it is fascinating that students can explore a fully simulated version of the entire world. This is an awesome post!
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Thank you for your comment Catie!
The fact that this game allows you to travel to certain areas in the world during a time when travel is not possible, was part of my reasoning for picking this game. I also really love learning geography and hope that this game will give students that same love for learning about the world that I have! I appreciate the feedback!!
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Hannah,
I love how the game you chose provides students with a lot of factual information in a really logical way. I also love how the game brings kids around the world, as they are able to learn about places they may not even know about. I also talked about this in my post, because I think it’s important to give student accessibility to information that may not reach them at home for a multitude of reasons.
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Thank you for your comment Megan!
I agree with you on how this game can give the students access to information that they might not be able to reach at home. That why incorporating video games in learning is so beneficial. Videos games give students a virtual world that can simulate a multitude of different scenarios that students might not ever have the opportunity to go through!
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Hi Hannah! I explored the PBS Kids website as well! I think the PBS Kids platform is a wonderful tool to use in the classroom because it does provide games for many age groups and subject areas. I liked how you said that it also has very intricate games that allow children to feel like they are inside the game because I was thinking the same thing when exploring PBS Kids games! Reading through your blog post, I found this game to be so cool and interesting. “Lets Go Luna” seems like a perfect way for students to learn about geography and different cultures and countries around the world. I remember in school many students did not like geography and thought it was so boring but this game would be a fun and engaging way to learn about geography. Also, it can give students a picture of what other parts of the world are like and look like if they have never been to those other parts of the world. Overall, I really liked reading about “Lets Go Luna” and will definitely add this to my list of games I could use in my future classroom when teaching about geography and all the different countries around the world.
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Thank you for your comment Julia!
The PBS platform is amazing! I will definitely be using it in my future classroom as well. This game would be a great way to spice up a geography lesson and I can use so many different way to incorporate it in my lesson plans. I appreciate your feedback!
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