Subject: Math/game design

Title: Aperture Science Training Program

Author: Lisa Castaneda and Geoff Moore

Grade Level: 6th

Common Core Standards :

Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area, surface area, and volume.

CCSS.Math.Content.6.G.A.2 Find the volume of a right rectangular prism with fractional edge lengths by packing it with unit cubes of the appropriate unit fraction edge lengths, and show that the volume is the same as would be found by multiplying the edge lengths of the prism. Apply the formulas V = l w h and V = b h to find volumes of right rectangular prisms with fractional edge lengths in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems.

CCSS.Math.Content.6.G.A.3 Draw polygons in the coordinate plane given coordinates for the vertices; use coordinates to find the length of a side joining points with the same first coordinate or the same second coordinate. Apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems.

Mathematical Practices

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

7. Look for and make use of structure.

8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

Time needed for lesson: Two class periods.

Overarching Question and Objectives:

In this lesson students are gaining familiarity with the Puzzle Maker, thinking about what it means to create a puzzle and using 2-D and 3-D geometry to identify and place objects. They are learning basic elements of game design and logical thinking and sequencing. The overarching questions are:

What makes a challenging and engaging puzzle for others to solve? How does mathematical language and basic geometric calculation help in the design and

construction of these rooms?

Summary of lesson:

This lesson is a great beginning lesson in game design and using the Puzzle Maker. Students work through progressively more challenging test chamber design constraints as they gain familiarity with the asset panel and learn what it means to create an intellectually challenging puzzle.

Suggestions: I would suggest passing out the rooms individually so that students can check-in with you after each room and you can assess their understanding of the math and room construction. As another suggestion, students should be required to ask two peers for assistance prior to coming to the teacher for help. This helps to set the collaborative tone for upcoming lessons. Also, have students check off each item on the list as they go. This will help them to keep track of the changes they have made to each room.

Teacher materials needed:

The teacher should carefully review the following packet and teacher notes. It is helpful for teachers to build these chambers along with students so that the teacher can also experience the challenges of designing and fixing levels. Additional screenshots of the first couple of rooms are included after the packet for teacher reference as well as follow-up questions for discussion with the class.

Student materials needed:

* The Puzzle Maker

* Printed copies of the Aperture Science Training packet

Lesson Plan:

Begin by talking with students about the premise of the game. Students are

playing a character who is stuck in a series of scientific test chambers, with the

ultimate goal of getting out of each test chamber in as few tries as possible. This

is a puzzle game, and that is why the level editing tool is called the Puzzle Maker.

Reiterate the concept of portals, and how they might seem foreign if you haven’t

played the game before, they actually add some really cool elements to the

puzzles within each test chamber.

Explain that the purpose of this series of activities is to familiarize them both with

the game design elements of the Puzzle Maker as well as how to successfully play

the game.

Explain that we will do the first one together so that they can see how these

lessons progress.

First, each student will be given a list of room attributes that they must put in

place (the attributes become more flexible as they proceed through the various

activities). In order to make sure that they are indeed creating test chambers

according to the outline, they need to pair up with a “Test Chamber Checker”

buddy who will verify that their room does indeed meet the qualifications for

successful design.

Test Chamber 1:

o Create a test chamber that is rectangular, with a length of 10 cubic units

and a width of 8 cubic units, leave the height the same

o Move the observation room to the opposite wall but in the same position (a

mirror image)

o From the asset panel, select a Pedestal button. Place it 4 units over and 3

units down from the exit door

o Right click on the Pedestal button…change the time on the timer to 10

seconds

o Right click again on the Pedestal button, click “Connect to” and drag the

dotted line to the exit door (a heart should appear over the door)

Have your Test Chamber Buddy verify that your room meets the required

qualifications.

What do you anticipate will happen when you play this room?

Build your test chamber by clicking on the “play” button that appears on the top

of your screen.

Remember, when playing on a PC, “W” moves you forward, “A” moves you left,

“S” moves you back, “D” moves you right. The space bar lets you jump. The

mouse allows you to look up and down.

At this point, give students the following packet (one room at a time) to work

through together. Keep in mind that it is vital that they continue to check-in with

their Test Chamber Buddy to ensure their room matches the qualifications given

for each chamber. It is also important that students play each room they create.

Aperture Science Training Program

T e s t C h a m b e r # 1 : P o r t a l s m a k e g r e a t h o l e s

o Create a room that has a volume of 288 cubic units.

o Notice how around the entrance and exit doors the square panels are a

dark gray. This means that they are “non-portalable,” you can’t shoot

portals in them. You can only shoot portals in panels that are light gray. By

right clicking on a highlighted panel you can choose to make it portable or

not.

o Make the panels around the exit cover the same area as the panels around

the entrance

o From the asset panel, select a laser field, place it on the third row of panels

from the entrance, running across the room (parallel to the entrance and

exit)

o Drag the laser panel up three units so that it covers a height of 3 square

units

o What will happen when you try to play this room?

o Play it and see. Do you need to change anything?

T e s t C h a m b e r # 2 : Y i k e s ! T h a t c o u l d b e b a d

o Create a new chamber and leave the dimensions of the room alone.

o Drop an area of the floor that is 24 square units down 3 units (this should

be in the center of the room)

o Move the exit door up 3 additional units (at height 4) and make the entire

exit wall non-portable

o Create a ledge of 2 cubic units directly in front of the exit door

o Select a turret from the asset panel, adjust the turret so it faces the wall

opposite the observation room and place it in the dropped area of the floor

(the idea being that the turret will discourage people from jumping down

into that lower area…if you don’t know what a turret does, you’ll soon find

out)

o On the side of the room where the exit is, select a faith plate from the asset

panel. Place the aerial faith plate on one of the portable cubes that lies

against the exit wall (perpendicular to it).

o Place the target that appears from the faith plate on the ledge you put in

front of your exit

o What do you anticipate will happen when you play this room? Play it. Does

it go as planned? Do you need to change anything (perhaps the arc of the

faith plate)?

T e s t C h a m b e r # 3 : O h , t h o s e c o m p a n i o n c u b e s

o On the wall with the observation room, drag a 3 x 3 section of the wall back 5

cubic units

o The observation room turns red when you do this…that means you need to move

the observation room, so move it

o On the exit door wall, opposite from the entry door, drag a 4 x 2 section of wall

back 5 units

o Select a weighted cube from your asset panel and place it in the 4 x 2 x 5 hallway

you just created

o Right click on the dropper, and uncheck the box marked “auto-drop first cube”

(that means a cube won’t automatically fall down)

o If we consider the exit wall to be North, select a pedestal button and place it on

the east side of the room. Connect the button to your cube dropper.

o On the wall that is furthest east, place a laser beam in the middle panel on the

floor. Adjust the laser beam so that it shoots across the floor (a little circle will

appear to help guide you).

o Grab a button from the asset panel, place it somewhere in the center of the

room. Connect it to your laser.

o From the asset panel, select a reflection cube. Place the dropper in any location

in the room.

o On the east wall, perpendicular to the exit door, place a laser catcher. Drop it to

the floor.

o Connect the laser catcher to the exit door.

o What do you think will happen when you play this room? Is there anything you

anticipate may not work so well?

O k , n o w t h e t r a i n i n g r e g i m e n i s g o i n g t o b e s l i g h t l y

d i ff e r e n t . Y o u w i l l r e c e i v e s c r e e n s h o t s o f a r o o m . Y o u

m u s t r e p l i c a t e t h e r o o m , u s e t h e a s s e t p a n e l t o c r e a t e a

p l a y a b l e r o o m , p l a y i t a n d s e e w h a t y o u l e a r n a b o u t t h e

g a m e .

T e s t C h a m b e r 4 : T o x i c A c i d o f D O O M !

T o p V i e w

S i d e V i e w

* Build the room to the specifications of the screen shot provided (non-portable)

* Connect the button to the door on a 7 second timer.

* You may raise no more the 4 panels to be above the acid.

* This room is incomplete. Use the asset panel to select another item that will make your room playable.

* Play your level. What is the surface area that the “acid of doom” occupies in your test chamber?

T e s t C h a m b e r 5 : G o o E v e r y w h e r e

F r o n t V i e w

B o tt o m V i e w

T o p V i e w

T e s t C h a m b e r 5 : G o o E v e r y w h e r e ( c o n ti n u e d )

o Build the room as depicted, what can you add to enable yourself to

complete the room.

o What worked well?

o Is there anything you would change about the design of this chamber?

o This chamber is titled: Goo Everywhere. One could argue that Goo is not

everywhere….what surface area does the goo actually come into contact

with?

L a s t C h a m b e r : A r e y o u r e a d y ?

You will be creating your own room this time.

First, look at the asset panel and select three items to use that you have not yet tried in

the training rooms.

Also, you must change the width, length and height of your room in some way.

Be thoughtful about your room design….

What is your primary goal for this room? Do you want people to have to find their way

through a complex structure? Do you want them to have to overcome a particular

obstacle? Do you want to focus on the sequence of events (things must occur in a

certain order so that the room works?).

Keep the room relatively clutter free. Lots of objects do not make a fun test chamber, a

well-thought out puzzle makes a fun test chamber.

Once you have designed and played your room so that it works to your satisfaction,

have a classmate play your room and have them answer the following questions:

(1) What worked well in this room?

(2) What was confusing?

(3) Talk with the room designer…how did they think you would approach the room?

Did you think about the room the way they were thinking about it?

(4) What might make the room even better?

Images for teachers to help with first three rooms:

Portals make great holes

Yikes, that could be bad!

To wrap up the lesson, bring the group back together. Discuss student answers to the

mathematical questions, did everyone agree? Were there disagreements because their

rooms looked different?

Have students articulate what made rooms successful test chambers. If possible, make

a list of things they bring up on the whiteboard…look for common themes.

Discuss the asset panel. What did students use (particularly in test chamber 4)? What

assets were they intrigued by?

Which was easier for students to work with: the list of room attributes or screenshot

images? Pros and cons of each?

Also, what did they notice about their own chambers from the grand finale? Going

forward, what would they think about when designing test chambers?

A great next step from this lesson would be the broken levels lesson also listed on the

Portals to Education site. It builds on these concepts but also incorporates some more

complex higher order thinking skills and more advanced 3-D geometry.

It is vitally important to debrief these concepts.