You Make Me Sick!

In You Make Me Sick, students take on the role of a pathogen and custom design their disease to infiltrate a variety of unique target hosts. As they progress, they must improve their infectious properties in order to infect hosts that have progressively stronger defenses (like antibiotics and stellar hygiene), ultimately learning about the anatomy and function of bacteria and viruses and how they are spread.

This game is designed to be used in inclusive science classrooms that have a diverse range of students (e.g., average and above average students, students with high incidence disabilities, English language learners, and students who struggle with reading). It is designed using the Universal Design for Learning framework, strategically aligned to key state standards, and formulated to integrate seamlessly with existing curricula.

(The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program contract ED-IES-10-C-0023 to Filament Games. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute of the U.S. Department of Education.)