Fantasy Writing ... in STEM Education? - PBL, Science, & Writing

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQbUrFo8WG8

As a learning designer, I love finding connections between seemingly disparate subjects. Recently, I collaborated with Sean Smith, a 5th-grade teacher, to merge two unlikely partners: NGSS Science standards (Ecosystems & Earth’s Systems) and Fantasy Writing. The result? A project-based learning experience centered on Worldbuilding.

The Challenge: Connecting Middle-Earth to Science 

We needed to integrate standards about matter, energy flow in ecosystems, and the interaction of Earth’s spheres (geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere). Looking at these concepts through an “eduPermaculture” lens, I realized they are essentially the rules that govern a world.

This led me to J.R.R. Tolkien. His creation of Middle-earth wasn’t just about characters; it was about geography, history, and systems. This process is called “worldbuilding.” We used this real-world creative process to frame our driving question: How might we create a fantasy story that includes its own unique fantasy world?

The Learning Narrative 

The project was the unit, not an add-on. Here is how it unfolded:

  1. Writing: Students dissected exemplar fantasy stories, identifying themes and character archetypes. They sketched characters and defined their magical abilities.

  2. Science Investigation: Simultaneously, students investigated how energy flows from the sun to plants and animals. They visited a rainforest to trace food chains and observed how rain (hydrosphere) shapes the land (geosphere) to support life (biosphere).

  3. Transfer: This is where the magic happened. Sean asked students to apply these science concepts to their fantasy worlds. If a student designed a world with floating islands, they had to explain how the geosphere interacted with the atmosphere. They mapped out food webs for their fictional creatures, describing the flow of energy within their invented ecosystems.

Bringing Worlds to Life with Minecraft 

For the final product, students wrote their fantasy stories and then built their worlds in MinecraftEdu. They created screen recordings explaining the science behind their fantasy environments — detailing the interactions of spheres and energy cycles in the worlds they designed.

Why It Worked 

This project succeeded because the science wasn’t separate from the creative writing; it enhanced it. Understanding how an ecosystem works allowed students to build richer, more believable fantasy worlds. By giving students voice and choice within an authentic context, engagement skyrocketed.

When we let students be the architects of their own learning (and their own worlds), the results are truly magical.

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