Game-Based Science Builds Collaborative Problem Solvers at Forbes Middle School
When you enter Julie Ward’s science class at Forbes Middle School, you’ll find that it feels more like a mission control center than a classroom. That’s because students aren’t just learning science, but they’re living it. Through a program called Mission.IO, sixth graders team up in randomly assigned groups to solve high-stakes challenges like saving an endangered ecosystem, retrieving a missing artifact, or regaining control of a stolen spaceship. With clear goals and a shared sense of purpose, student learning is maximized with every new mission.
“Students get full range of the classroom and have complete autonomy,” said Ward. “As I stand to the side and gently guide the mission, I watch the room turn into a dynamic environment filled with high-quality peer interactions.”
While students collaborate, Ward gathers data.
“One of our district goals is to use timely data and feedback to inform instruction,” said Ward. “During each mission, Mission.IO gives me real-time scores based on collaboration, resilience, innovation and knowledge, which allows me to give students immediate feedback that they can implement in the next round.”
Before students embark on their mission, Ward opens with an “I can…” statement to ensure that everyone is grounded in their learning goals for the day.
One recent morning, students entered the classroom to find, “I can collaborate with my peers and use critical thinking skills to be successful in our mission” written in big, bold letters at the front of the room.
For Sixth Grader Sadie Smart, this was an exciting discovery.
“My favorite missions are focused on critical thinking because we have to come together to solve a lot of riddles,” said Smart. “It’s cool to work as a team and share our ideas freely.”
This sense of teamwork and curiosity builds confidence in students, and opens opportunities for the future.
“Before I discovered Mission.IO, I wanted to be an interior designer,” said Smart. “But this class is making me reconsider things…I think I want to be a scientist now!”
If you ask Ward, Smart and her classmates have already earned that title.
“This classroom is a laboratory, and these students are scientists,” said Ward. “We use scientific syntax. We make mistakes. We fail, and we fix. Every scientist that walks through the door enters with a growth mindset, including myself.”
That mindset is having a noticeable impact beyond daily missions.
“Attendance is up because students really want to be here on the days we are doing a mission,” said Ward. “Forbes has high attendance numbers, and I think it’s because we are going out of our way to engage students with activities like Mission.IO.”
The National Competition
On March 23, Ward’s classes used their knowledge and skills to compete in Mission League, a global event where teachers run a special Mission with their class and compete for prizes, bragging rights, and a spot on the leaderboard.
One of the missions ended in cheers and high-fives as the class watched their team climb to the top of the leaderboard, finishing 10th in the nation.
You can learn more about Mission.IO and see samples of missions on their website.
