Activity 4.3.1:

Futures Games

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Overview

Curriculum linkage

Civics & Social Studies, Civics & Social Studies, Ethics, Religion & Philosophy, Ethics, Religion & Philosophy, Cross-Curricular & Global Competencies, Cross-Curricular & Global Competencies Sustainability & Climate Education that use projections and future scenarios

Competences built

Adaptability, Critical thinking, Exploratory thinking, Futures literacy, Imagination

Prep work

  • Think about some back up questions or scenarios in case you wish to create a future game with your learners.

Competences/activities to be practiced first by the teacher

Levels in the activity

  1. Play an existing Futures Game 
  2. Design and play a Futures Game with the learners 

Level 1: Play an existing game 

  1. There are multiple Future Games, and future card decks available on the market in multiple languages, which can support learners in exploring different scenarios of the future and asking new questions. Please check the resources section for ideas, knowing that our selection is not exhaustive and based on resources in the English language. Select a future card deck that encourages curiosity in relation to different possible futures. 
  2. In case you cannot access an existing Future Game, you, as a teacher, can design a very simple future game that consists in asking ‘what if’ questions in relation to various visions of a probable, desirable or a strange future, and inviting learners to reflect on new situations, challenges or questions that may arise in this world. Examples include:
    1. What if schools were about taking care of rivers and of the ocean? 
    2. What if there were more trees than inhabitants in cities? 
    3. What if fungi ruled the world? 
    4. What if our value in the world was determined by the amount of natural life we protect? 
    5. What if our houses were made of organic and recycled materials only? 
    6. …
  3. This exercise can help learners develop critical thinking, exploratory thinking and adaptability by enhancing their imagination and ability to contribute to constructive dialogues. 

Level 2: Design and play a Futures Game 

  1. Encourage learners to research existing games at the intersection of futures and climate change as preparation. 
  2. Invite small groups of learners to invent a game that could encourage others to explore multiple futures in a changing climate. Those futures could include probable futures based on current data, trends and climate scenarios and desirable futures that are just, peaceful, climate-resilient, regenerative and biodiverse.  
  3. Alternatively, invite small groups of learners to design a game that would encourage discussions about the different solutions and possibilities to build climate resilience and foster regeneration in response to the climate crisis. 
  4. Encourage learners to reflect on the process to win the game. This can mean reflecting on the values that would be shared and actions that would be rewarded in this type of future world. Winning the game could then depend on standing for those values and taking specific actions in favor of climate resilience and regeneration. 
  5. Another alternative for older learners would be to invite small groups of learners to design a game that focuses on staying with the trouble and the not-knowing when it comes to transformative change. What are the tricky questions and challenges that are difficult to grapple with when it comes to a deep societal transformation towards a more just, climate-resilient and regenerative world. How can we foster a playful exploration of those questions? How can we enjoy the process of not-knowing and exploration as an opening to new ways of being, knowing and doing in the world? 
  6. Encourage learners to prototype their future games and test it with learners from other groups. 
  7. Reflect collectively on the experience of creating and playing with the Future Games.

Dos and Don’ts

Do

  • Encourage creating games that imply spending some time in nature and/or in discussion with community members. Games do not have to be board games.  

Don’t

  • Don’t make the design of future games about listing and promoting all existing solutions to the climate crisis at individual level, and being the most responsible citizen. Instead encourage learners to look at solutions that require collective action and can have a larger and more transformative impact.

Adaptations

We invite you to adapt this activity to the specific needs of your learners, including by taking into account their neurodiversity. When adapting tools and activities for neurodivergent learners, please note it is not about treating others how you want to be treated, but how they want to be treated. Ask, listen, and stay open to different ways of learning and engaging. 

References

This activity was designed by One Resilient Earth. 

Resources 

Douglas, B. D., & Brauer, M. (2021). Gamification to prevent climate change: a review of games and apps for sustainability. Current Opinion in Psychology, 42, 89–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.04.008 

Ouariachi, T., Li, C., & Elving, W. J. L. (2020). Gamification Approaches for Education and Engagement on Pro-Environmental Behaviors: Searching for Best Practices. Sustainability, 12(11), 4565. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114565

Basic Info

  • Age range: 6+
  • Duration: Short (less than 45 minutes), One or two lessons (around 45-90 minutes)
  • Group size: Flexible

  • Level of difficulty: Basic

  • Materials/space required: Either a future game deck or material to create a game
  • Location: Indoors

  • Engagement of external stakeholders: No