Have you ever thought about how much we rely on measurements?  We travel in miles, and our road signs tell us how far we have to go.  We buy gasoline by the gallon, so we can get places.  We weigh ourselves to know how much we have grown.  We depend on measurements everyday of our lives.  What would life be
like without them?  How would we sell things?  After all, money is a form of measurement.  Look at the labels of the food and drink you consume everyday; they all contain measurements.  Measurements are all over the world.  You can't escape them!!  When you travel to another country, often you need to know the language they speak.  The same is true with measurements.  Most of the rest of the world uses a different measuring system than the U.S.  Its called the Metric System.  So, do you feel left out yet?  That's right.  The U.S. is behind.  We are not the leader when it comes to measurement.  This is your chance to get caught up.  Take a look at both systems and decide for yourself.  Which is easier for you to use?

The Task

Humans love games.  All kinds of games:  board games, game shows, sport games.  They are great to watch, and they are fun to play.  In order to get to know the two systems well, your team will be divided into four experts, each one researching a different aspect of measurement.  Your task in this quest is to develop a board game which incorporates measurements from both systems: their definitions, comparisons of different units, how to switch between systems, how to switch within both systems and common examples of objects from everyday life and their measurements.   This game will be mainly used by Americans of all ages to help them have fun while learning the Metric System.

Process

Please read all of the process section before you begin.

Brainstorm attributes that you like about specific board games, and attributes that you do not like about specific board games.

Decide on a general idea of how your game will work, consider the objective of the game and game layout as well.  Once you decide on an idea, you will be ready to start your research.

There are 4 experts on your team.  Each person on your team must choose one of the following expert categories.

                          *  Mass and expert

                          *  Volume expert

                          *  Length and Distance expert

                          *  U.S. Metric Historian

Each expert must print out the Guiding Questions Sheet from the provided links to their category in the Resource section of this quest.

When all 4 experts have researched and become experts on their section, your team will get together to share what you have learned.  Each member of your team should be familiar and comfortable with ALL the researched material.

When all experts have shared their findings, the team should develop a plan used to construct a board game that incorporates all you have discovered.  A list of tasks that will need to be done along with the name of the expert responsible for that task will be of use in dividing up the chores.  Remember your game will also need written directions in order for people to know how to play, what the objective is, etc.

Construct the game keeping in mind your purpose and your audience.  Use of humor, music, art or anything you desire to make the game entertaining is highly valued.

Have FUN playing!  We will be sharing our games, and I will be using them for future reference and fun. 

The Conclusion