The Games We Play
Begin by asking students how many of them play video games, board or card games or tabletop role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons.
Next, ask students to name some games they’ve played or have heard of and make a list on the board or on chart paper. (If you have already delivered the lesson Video Game Verbs, you can re-use the list from that lesson. Since that list was exclusively video games, you can add examples of other kinds of games if you like.)
Ask students to identify which of the games listed either have you play a character or simulate a world that has other people in it. Erase or cross off the games that do not have either of these (these will likely be more abstract games like Candy Crush or Tetris).
Once you’ve collected some examples, ask students to name or describe the main characters of the games; if there is more than one possible main character, ask them to name the “default” character (the one you play if you don’t indicate otherwise, or the one that is featured in ads or game art.) If there is no “default” character, list all of the possible characters.
When you have characters from about a dozen games listed, ask students to describe each one – first generally (sex, occupation, etc.) and then specifically in terms of diversity representation:
- Race/ethnicity
- Sexual orientation or gender identity
- Religion
- Disability
Some of the games students will name, such as such as Minecraft, Fortnite or The Sims, will have customizable avatars as protagonists; in those cases, ask how much they can be customized in those terms. Ask students if any of the characters in the list are racialized, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQINA, have a disability, or are identified as belonging to a religion that is important to their character. Then ask if they can think of any other video game characters that are in any of those categories.
Ask students if they have ever done a similar exercise, in class or elsewhere. If so, ask them to reflect on what has changed since the last time they did.