Many middle-schoolers love to play games, from the most dramatic and tech-savvy video games to simplistic yet challenging board games. Teens today can never get enough of gaming, so keeping the interests of the school’s population in mind, Mayfield Middle School has introduced a new semester-long elective for eighth graders: Gaming. 

This class offers a variety of games including board games such as chess, checkers, Risk, and Monopoly as well as video games for the Xbox360 and Wii U systems.  Computer games include Minecraft, Sim City, and Civilization V. Students rotate among  stations in order to gain exposure to each of the games.  Bracket tournaments are organized for many of the games as well.

Gaming is held in a collaborative lab equipped with two televisions, game systems, tables, and personal computers.

The class isn’t all fun and games: there are assignments to be completed. One includes writing thorough reviews about the games being played and evaluating effects, playability, and difficulty. If the students are playing Minecraft, they are to build replicas of buildings and monuments. Additionally, students will have to  use knowledge of coding to create their own games.

All students in the class have had a positive response to the course. One of the students attending this class, Ricky Chilson, says “We learn by playing,” and another student, Paul Zito added, “These games include strategizing and critical thinking.”

When asked to rate the class on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best, the class received an average rating of 8.5. Though the students unanimously enjoy the class, some games received mixed reviews.

Students who attend this class say that there are challenges and difficulties included with fun.  They advise that future students who want to take this class should not assume that there is only going to be fun involved in this class and no work.