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A professor shares his experiences creating TTRPG materials inspired by real-world biology to teach scientific concepts and problem solving to students in grades 6-12 in both class and club settings.

Reasoning, problem solving and teamwork/collaboration are vital skills for scientific inquiry and learning in general. These same skills are a key part of most table-top role playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. It is this overlap that opens a door to exploring new ways of building these skills both in and out of the classroom. In this presentation, Dr. Phil Anderson, an associate professor of biology at the University of Illinois, will present the conception, development and application of D&D and other TTRPG materials for use in 6-12 science education. These include homebrew mechanics for creatures and player items based in actual biology as well as a series of connected modules which introduce core concepts in biology such as biomechanics, ecology, genetics and invasive species. All the materials will eventually be freely available for download by educators and gamers alike.

• Event Type TRD - Trade Day Events
• Game System —
• Rules Edition —
• Day Wednesday
• Start Time 10:00 AM
• End Time 11:00 AM
• Duration 1 hours
• Location JW
• Room White River Ballroom E
• Table —
• Age Required Everyone (6+)
• Experience Required None (You've never played before - rules will be taught)
• Min Players 1
• Max Players 25
• Cost Free
• Tickets Available 25
• GM / Organizer Philip Anderson, Lisa Lundgren
• Group Cosplay for Science
• Tournament No
• Round 1 of 1
• Materials Required No
• Materials Details —
• Website —
• Email philipslanderson@gmail.com
• Special Category none
• Last Modified —