Innovative learning methodologies
A galactic mission where 2nd-year ESO students conquer numbers with strategy, storytelling, and teamwork.
Can a math class become an epic battle between the Empire and the Rebels?
At Fontenebro International School, the answer is a resounding yes.
2nd-year ESO students participated in an innovative educational experience that transformed curricular content into a true outdoor adventure. A fun, collaborative, and action-packed activity in which mathematics and the Star Wars universe came together to offer a different and meaningful way of learning.
An active and unique learning experience
During this activity, students worked on key concepts such as the Pythagorean theorem, Thales’ theorem, and solving first-degree equations. All of this was framed within an immersive narrative that made them the protagonists of a story that unfolds in three phases:
Phase 1: The Empire’s Advance
The Empire begins its offensive on the battlefield, while the Rebels attempt to halt their advance with a single weapon: mathematics. Using ingenuity and strategy, the Rebels must solve numerical challenges to slow the enemy and protect their base.
Phase 2: The Attack on the Shield Generator
Imperial forces approach the Rebel base’s shield generator. To prevent its destruction, students representing the Rebels must solve a series of math problems, while the Empire team advances using logic, reasoning, and calculations to disable the enemy defenses.
Phase 3: The Final Defense and Evacuation
With the base invaded, the Rebels face their final challenge: protecting key areas and evacuating their team. Successfully solving the exercises will allow them to rejoin the game after being eliminated, making cooperative work, mental agility, and strategy their best allies.
A gamified experience at the service of learning
This activity integrates multiple innovative methodologies:
- Educational gamification, using game elements (narrative, roles, objectives, rewards) as a driver of motivation.
- Project-based learning, with a clear structure, well-defined phases, and a final purpose.
- Cooperative learning, which fosters collaboration, dialogue, and team decision-making.
- Meaningful and experiential learning, which connects content with functional and real-life situations in a setting other than the classroom.
Strength lies in knowledge
Thanks to this experience, students were able to experience mathematics from a different, more relatable, fun, and participatory perspective. An activity that not only reinforces knowledge but also promotes values such as teamwork, resilience, planning, and creativity.
Because when learning becomes an adventure, motivation and understanding grow… and so does the power of knowledge.
