GAME OF AWESOME – WRITING AND VOCABULARY
Game of Awesome is a card game designed to engage and inspire kids, specifically boys, to tell stories and learn to write. Four sets of cards contain topics, themes and ideas that students Years 5-8 will find interesting, involving, and often ridiculous!
The main features of the game are outlined below.
- Suitable for 3 to 6 players.
- Helps students generate ideas for writing a story.
- Use the cards independently or mix-and-match to create new combinations.
- Easy to learn for both students and teachers, quick to play, and fosters a range of learning outcomes.
- Use new rules, templates, and other teacher support materials provided as free downloadable, printable files.
Order Game of Awesome for your school Down The Back Of The Chair
Or parents and tutors can Download the Game of Awesome below.
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Stories of action, bravery, and quests
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Adventures in space and time
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Ordinary days become extraordinary
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Stories that use logic and facts
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Teacher support material
Suggestions for how to use the game effectively |
Downloadable writing planner template Use this to help students structure their story. The categories of cards support this planning. |
Downloadable writing planner template. Use this to help students structure their hero quest writing. The categories of cards support this planning. |
Downloadable writing planner template. Use this to help students structure their opinion piece. The categories of cards support this planning. |
Downloadable writing planner template. Use this to help students structure their poem. The categories of cards support this planning. |
Awesome cards and new ways to play
Game of Awesome is designed to be expanded and remixed by teachers and students.
Use the blank card templates and rules variations to shape the game to suit your students’ learning needs.
Awesome card templates
Downloadable template for creating new “Awesome” cards. |
Downloadable template for creating new “Idea” cards. Can be used with “Write is Might” rules variation below. |
New ways to play
 Keep TalkingStorytelling is centre-stage in this variant where players take turns continuing a shared story, trying to include elements from their secret cards. |
 Write is MightPlayers build and change one story in the middle of the table. |
 Story ShowdownPlayers refine their story by deciding over and over again whether to swap out a current card for a new one. |
 Ultimate AwesomeEmphasises tactics and strategies Players have to make the best use of their entire hand of cards. |
 Mixing BowlPlayers pull Idea Cards out of a bowl and act them out for their team to guess. |
 Edit as you GoPlayers build and change one story in the middle of the table. |
 Talk the TalkPlayers get to make their case to the judge before they make their final decision. |
Thank you
Thank you to the boys from Te Aro School (Wellington) and St. Patrick’s College (Wellington) who developed the ideas on the cards. Special thanks to the teachers of Newtown, Houghton Valley, Korokoro, and Kilbirnie Schools who helped with the design of the game.
This information has been taken from the the Success for boys teaching learning resources page on the Ministry of Education website.