Topic 10: Storytelling
Funcertain futures: building new worlds
Introduction
Funcertain Futures: Building New Worlds is a worldbuilding and storytelling game, to help us to envision the future of the place you live. It explores the theme of uncertainty.
The activity is designed for a group of about 5-25 students. It would work best either with a smaller group (e.g. an eco-council) or when there is more time to engage with a larger group (e.g. during an enrichment week or holiday club). You’ll need at least 90 minutes (and it can be longer): the game can be played in one big go or split over multiple sessions. In its current form, it is designed for older children and young people, but it could be adapted for others by having fewer prompts for the story to unfold.
Familiarise yourself with the rules beforehand. Make sure you have the appropriate materials (a standard deck of playing cards and some drawing materials).
More detailed tips and variations are available in the Appendix , including on timing, maps, prompts, and storytelling. These can help to simply or add a bit more complexity, adding some fun and interesting dimensions to the game.
Some students working at a higher level (e.g. A level, Undergraduates, PGCE Geographers) could try to identify the ideological perspectives on sustainability embedded in the game or that emerge from the players’ unfolding story. These might include ecofeminism, green consumerism, neoliberal economics, anarchism, anti-capitalism, eco-facism, etc.
Quick reference
- If this is your very first time reading this, you might want to start by skimming the ‘Prompts’ section below — that will give you a real sense of what the activity is like.
- To prepare, you’ll need a whiteboard or a large sheet of paper to draw a ‘map’ (which will really be a messy collection of doodles). See ‘Map Tips’ for more ideas.
- You’ll also need a standard deck of playing cards. Remove the Jokers. We won’t need these cards. Remove the Diamonds. We won’t need these cards.
- If playing in one session: shuffle all the cards. Distribute the cards among the students as equally as possible. It doesn’t matter if some students have more cards than others.
- If splitting the game over multiple sessions: Shuffle the cards you will be using in this session, and distribute them to students. (More details on ‘Timings Tips’ available online).
- Read the Prologue.
- Call out the first card from the recommended order (see ‘Card Order’). ‘Who has the 8 of Spades?’
- Look up the card (see ‘Prompts’), and ask the student the question.
- The questions give students opportunities to build the world and tell a story in it. The student can answer the question themselves, or they can ask the group to decide.
- When they are done answering, move to the next card. Sketch and doodle to illustrate the story: Interpret ‘map’ loosely. Use quick sketches, doodles, labels, speech bubbles, etc. (More details available online: see ‘Map Tips’).
- Try to spend an average of about two minutes per card.
- After a card is played, it should be discarded. (The student passes the card to you, who puts it on a discard pile).
- Spades will be played first, then Clubs, then Hearts.
- There are several Clubs cards that may end the game (go to the Final Scene). Alternatively, when all the Clubs are played, go to the Final Scene.
Before play, the teacher should familiarise themselves with the rules.
Storytelling tips
It is okay to make up your own rules and conventions to make the game run more smoothly. Encourage students to listen generously to each other. Remind students to listen to one another’s ideas. Even if they don’t like an idea at first, they can ask themselves, ‘How could we fit this into the story?
Getting started
Beforehand, the teacher will:
- Learn the rules
- Think about ways to localise the prompts
- Get some playing materials (a deck of cards, and whatever you’re using for the map)
- Prepare a map (mostly blank, to be filled in during the game)
During play, the teacher will:
- Distribute cards to the students
- Read out questions (see ‘The Questions’ below)
- Help the student whose turn it is to collect suggestions from the group, when appropriate
- Help shape the students’ answers into a cohesive story
- Draw on the map (or coordinate students to do so)
- Keep track of time and keep things moving
- Oversee the Final Scene at the end
Prologue
Read the Prologue out loud to your students. Replace the ________ with the name of the town, village or local area where the game is being played. You may want to alter other details to localise further.
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This is a game about a question: “What could life be like in __________ in the year 2070?” Let’s imagine the future together. How big or small is _________? Has biodiversity increased or decreased? Are there plants and animals we’ve never seen before? Are there solar panels everywhere? Have old buildings been put to new uses? What is in the sky, on the water and on land? Are there communal kitchens and gardens? Amphibious houseboats? Diagonal farms? Domes woven from living branches? Towering skyscrapers? Underground tunnels? All these and more? In a moment, we’ll start to imagine _________ in the year 2070. What about the future inhabitants of __________? How do they dress, talk, and act? What do people love to do? What are their hopes, cares, and fears? What adventures do they have? Together, we will tell a story set in __________’s future. Let us play to find out …. |
Prompts
Distribute the cards among the students. The left column is to be read out loud. You may want to read the choices out loud twice. The right column gives you (the teacher) explanatory notes and ideas. Use the right-hand column in any way you want (or ignore it).
Tip. If the question just does not fit the story or the situation, use one of these generic prompts instead.
- Add a detail to something already on the map.
- What is this character doing right now?
- What’s happening over here right now?
- What does the Main Character do next?
The ‘plot’ will probably dot around a bit. It’s OK to leave threads hanging. But be on the look-out for opportunities to tie things together!
Act 1: Spades
| ♠ K | Let’s imagine that the school we’re in now is no longer a school. What has it become instead?
(1) Community debate hall (2) Mutual aid hub (3) Bioengineering research lab (4) Vegetable polytunnel (5) Public baths (6) Ancient ruins from the year 2023 (7) Make up your own location |
You may want to get the student to choose one, and then open it up to the whole group to discuss what it means.
Some suggested definitions that may be useful.
‘Mutual aid is when a group of people take responsibility for caring for one another. You don’t necessarily get anything in return, except to be part of a group of people who look after one another.’
‘A polytunnel is kind of like a long greenhouse that gets warmed by the sun. You grow plants in it.’
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| ♠ 7 | Let’s add two more locations.
(1) Robot zoo (2) Repair cafe (3) Space elevator (under construction) (4) Algae fuel station (5) Drone library (6) A mushroom farm (7) Make up your own location
What’s the first one? What’s the second one?
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You may want to get the student to choose the locations, and then open it up to the whole class to discuss what they mean.
Some background: Mushrooms can be used to create sustainable alternatives to plastics. Back in the 2020s, we still used plastics. But plastics were made using fossil fuels, contributing to climate change.[1[1]] In the future, algae might be a sustainable alternative to petrol, although back in the 2020s this was still controversial, and hadn’t yet been scientifically proven. A space elevator is a proposed technology
Here are even more suggestions: A wildlife monitoring station, a seed bank, an animal shelter, an animal crossing, a theatre where actors perform historic internet memes, a treehouse with free housing, a bank where you can go to legally paint your own money, an arena for a new future sport, a low carbon Virtual Reality arena, a place called ‘Naps, Maps and Apps’, a treehouse social housing project, a Citizen’s Really Bad Advice Bureau, a Ghost Tour featuring hologram ghosts, a mystery object swap hub, a place called Castle Kindness.
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| ♠ 6 | In the future, climate change has finally been stopped. However, because we left it so late, some effects have already happened. One effect is more storms and floods.
What is ONE way that future _____ is prepared to deal with floods?
(1) Life jacket stations on every street corner (2) A system of water turbines, pumps and sluices (3) Some houses have adjustable ‘legs’ (4) Giant sponges (5) A giant living seawall, made of mangrove trees (6) Something else
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This could be a good one to probe for more detail. How does the chosen adaptation work in practice?
If the student (or the whole class) is torn between these options, you could let them pick two or three. Emphasise that there isn’t just one solution. Skip option (5) if you don’t think it fits your local area. Some background information. The good news is that recent science suggests that once we get to global net zero (i.e. any remaining greenhouse gas emissions are balanced by removals), then the planet will quickly stop heating. However, even in the best-case scenarios, where we manage to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, we will still need to contend with increased risks. These include higher sea levels and more volatile weather. The main greenhouse gas is carbon. Methane is also important, and there are some other greenhouse gases too. Back in the 2020s, greenhouse gases were emitted into the atmosphere when we burned fossil fuels (oil, coal, gas) or biomass (trees) to create energy. There were other sources too, for example industrial processes (manufacturing cement and plastics) and agricultural expansion (cows’ farts and burps). But greenhouse gases are also constantly leaving the atmosphere. Carbon is absorbed by trees, plants, soil, and the ocean. Back in the 2020s, there were also some experimental technologies that could absorb carbon. (It is a simplification to describe all such technologies as experimental, since some of them definitely worked in a technical sense and were already being used on a small scale. However, there was controversy around whether they could grow quickly and efficiently enough to really help stop climate change, so they were ‘experimental’ in a looser sense). |
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| ♠ 9 | Choose one of these locations, and decide how it has changed in the year 2070:
(1) Stanmer Park (2) Devil’s Dyke (3) The University of Sussex (4) North Laine (5) Palace Pier (6) Lewes (7) Choose somewhere else |
Modify this list to give the student a choice of local locations they may be familiar with.
Once the student has nominated a location, you can open it up to the group to suggest how it might have changed in the future. Let the student holding the card choose the suggestion(s) they like the most. |
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| ♠ 3 | What is the Main Character’s name? Listen to these options, and choose one you like, or make up your own name.
(1) Efe (2) Dr Sprout (3) Esmerelda (4) Ziggy (5) Make up your own name (6) Ask the whole class for suggestions |
Make a note on the map.
Some more name ideas: Brad Plant, Carly Carbonsink, Jessica Algae, Józef Jones, Kamala Nanda, Katarina Clockwork, Korneliusz Kubacki, Kool Keith, Luna Lustrous, Lotus McPotus, Voluble Vonneglut, Xia Meifen. |
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| ♠ 4 | What are the Main Character’s pronouns?
(1) He / him (2) She / her (3) They / them (4) Something else You can choose one, or you can ask everybody to vote. |
Make a note on the map.
(‘They’ is used as a default in the prompts). |
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| ♠ 10 | How old is the Main Character?
(1) About twelve? (2) About sixteen? (3) About thirty? (4) About fifty? (5) About ninety? (6) Or choose a different age |
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| ♠ 8 | Let’s add another character who lives in future __________. First, what is their name?
(1) Zafi Krebite (2) Mr Moonshine (3) Ms Epic (4) Hrada Honeybadgers (5) Make up your own name for them Second, what is their relationship to the Main Character? (1) They’re friends (2) They work together (3) They are family (4) They have never met the Main Character, but they’re trying to find them (we’ll think of a reason later) (5) They once were best friends, but now they are bitter enemies (6) Make up a different relationship |
Draw them on the map.
Some more name ideas: Cladin Spam, Natalya Tarasivna Melnyk, Miley Recyclerus, Nicky Nikelord, Norbert Jakubik, Noriko Splinterwaif, Opal McOmelas, Patricia Woklid, Pendrassil Hanglantern, Posie Rider, Salma Hydroyek, Toggy Fumes, Valentyna Stepanova, Vin Biodiesel. |
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| ♠ 5 | In the future, there are multiple modes of transport. Which one does our Main Character use the most?
(1) Bicycle (2) Mono-rail solar train (3) Cable car (4) Solar-powered micro-car (5) Canal boat (6) Hang glider (7) Underground shuttle (8) Something else |
Use the students’ suggestions to add to the map. | ||
| ♠ J | Let’s add another character who lives in future __________. What is their name?
(1) Danky Strunks (2) Gavin Marble (3) Nuggets Harrison (4) Isabella Strangle (5) Make up your own name for them What is their role? (1) A future version of a mayor (2) A future version of a teacher (3) A future version of a chef (4) A future version of a journalist (5) A future version of a fashion designer (6) A future version of a care worker (7) Something else
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Some more name ideas: Admiral Inks, Anah Andra, Anala Shroff, Apurva Ram, Ben Brown, Cecilia Clouds, Countessa Indicenta Von Spangle-Strangles, Dai Jian, Dorcas Crebharrow, Feechi Kolashk, Floréal Swarm, Hipolit Gogola, Ice Sliv, Jonathan Stevenson, Jory Barrowe.
You can look for suggestions about how this future vocation may be different. But also, try to leave it a bit open. Maybe you can fill in more details as you go. It’s very tricky to imagine transformations in the division of labour, since jobs imply so much about society at large. Would a medieval chandler or barber-surgeon have been able to dream up the roles of bus driver, mental health nurse, SEO copywriter? |
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| ♠ Q | To make a really good story, we’ll need some things to be connected. Choose two things or people that are already on the map. Then as a group, we’ll decide how they are connected. | This one may be a bit tricky. Get the student to choose two things that have already been mentioned, then immediately open it up to the group to explore possible connections.
A ‘connection’ could be anything. Do they interact with each other? Does the Main Character interact with them both? How are they similar and different? Maybe you can invent a third thing that You may have to play storyteller yourself. Guide the group to come up with some options, and then get approval from the student whose turn it is. Add something to the map. |
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| ♠ A | Choose one of these to add to the map.
(1) A robot (2) A ghost (3) A pet (4) A wild animal (5) A bird drone (6) A tree spirit (7) A monster |
You could probe further, or come back to this later.
Some later prompts will ask students to choose things on the map to add more detail to. |
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| ♠ 2 | In the future, jobs have changed a lot. What is the Main Character’s job?
(1) They don’t have a job (2) A future version of a farmer (3) A future version of a police officer (4) A future version of an artist (5) A future version of an engineer (6) Something else
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You may want to follow up this one by asking the student, and/or the group, to suggest ways that the job might be different.
Try probing the suggestions too, gently challenging the presupposition. Ask, ‘OK, but will they have x in our future?’ You can guide the group to give the futuristic vocation a more specific name. For example: pollination operator, meat cultivator, violence interrupter, mystery troubleshooter, drone dancer, dream artist, AI therapist, wind farm engineer. Draw or make a note on the map. You might also want to draw some of the wider implications. E.g. if they are an artist, you could add a public artwork somewhere on the map. |
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The table below is the recommended order for selecting cards (although you can experiment with your own order).
Act 2: Clubs
Quickly summarise the world the students have imagined. Think especially about connections between the different parts. These could be trivial, everyday connections, or they could be more ingenious, strange, secret. Now in this world, our Main Character is about to have an adventure . . .
Design note: You'll notice that the prompts now begin to become a bit more open-ended. The idea is to build up some story ingredients in Act 1 (and perhaps to build the students’ confidence as storytellers).
The recommended order of cards is in the table below.
| ♣ 6 | What is the Main Character’s plan for today?
(1) The same thing they do every day (2) Cook a dish for a community feast this evening (3) Deliver a package (4) Build a birdhouse (5) Go to the repair cafe (6) Something else |
You could follow up with a few more questions, to create a planned route across the town. For example:
(1) What do they do every day? OK, so where do they go first? And where do they go next? (2) First they will need to gather some ingredients from three different places. Where do they need to go? Also, they’re not using just any recipe. They are using a secret recipe. Who will they fetch the recipe from? (3) First they’ll have to go to another part of town to pick up the package. Where do they go? Next they’ll have to deliver it. Where are they headed? (4) Where will they get their materials and tools from? Where are they building the birdhouse? (5) Why are they going to the repair cafe? Do they have something they need fixed, or do they want to help somebody fix something? Or both? If this card comes up while the Main Character is already in the midst of an adventure, you may want to frame it differently. E.g. What was the Main Character’s plan for today, before all this stuff started happening? Is there somebody who is wondering why the Main Character hasn’t shown up? Can the Main Character fulfil their original plans and deal with the new incidents? |
| ♣ 4 | Things don’t always go according to plan. Something that was supposed to improve the situation better has only made it worse! How does the situation get worse? | This will probably relate to the Main Character.
You might want to help the student explore unintended side-effects. |
| ♣ 3 |
What does the Main Character decide to do next?
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You probably want to steer the student to come up with an action, but don’t determine the results yet. Leave that for the next card (or a future card).
If you like, you can narrate back-and-forth a bit until you come to what feels like a good cliff-hanger. Then move to the next card. |
| ♣ A | Let’s give our story a villain. Please choose one of the characters on the map, or make up a new one.
Now think of two different rumours about the bad guy’s motives. |
You may want to remind the student of the available cast.
You could also use locations as inspiration. E.g. if students have invented a Library for Birds, is there a Library for Birds Librarian? Is there a Library for Cats across town? Note the rumours on the map using keywords. Later in the story, one or both rumours could turn out to be true. Or neither. Or they could both contain a grain of truth. |
| ♣ 2 | The Main Character stumbles across something interesting! First, where are they?
(1) Out on the water on their solar-powered boat? (2) On a rooftop garden? (3) Exploring an old abandoned oil rig? (4) At the Repair Cafe? (5) Salvaging material from the old landfill site? (6) Somewhere else? Second, what does the Main Character find? (1) Treasure? (2) A relic from long ago? (3) Garbage that can be made into something new? (4) A species thought to be extinct? (5) An invitation to join an elite training programme? (6) A message intended for someone else? (7) Something else? |
Add to the map as necessary.
You might want to linger on this one. Weave it into the story so far. It could be a turning point. You could ask some follow-ups to bring the scene to life. And/or invite one or two students to roleplay making the discovery. |
| ♣ 7 | Of course, in this town, many things are happening at once. Let’s cut to another scene. First, choose a character from the story. It could be the Main Character or somebody else. Then decide what this character is going to do next. | Leave this hanging, and resolve it whenever makes sense for the story (there won’t be another prompt that refers back to it specifically). |
| ♣ 5 |
Let’s add some more detail to the map. Here, the community is coming together to convert something into something else. For example, refurbishing an old building for a new purpose. What did it used to be? What are people turning it into?
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Choose a location that you think the Main Character could feasibly visit now (or soon).
If the student isn’t sure, support them to choose or invent a derelict building. Then ask the class for suggestions about what it’s being turned into. If you like, potential follow-ups: ● How will this new creation serve the needs of the community? The Main Character is passing by or through the busy work site. What do they see? Who greets them? |
| ♣ K | Things don’t always go according to plan. Something that’s already on the map has a bad effect that endangers somebody.
First, what is it? Second, who does it endanger? The Main Character, and/or somebody else? |
Ask the student whose card it is to nominate something on the map.
Then open it up to the whole group to make suggestions. The student whose card it is can pick their favourite, or invent one of their own. Help the group to seek out less obvious options. Focus on something that has been positive so far, and explore unexpected side-effects. And/or explore unexpected interactions between two or more things. |
| ♣ Q | Pick somebody on the map. This could be the Main Character, or somebody else.
What do they do next? |
As usual, add something to the map.
As usual, leave the action somewhat unresolved. The results should still be mysterious as you move to the next card. |
| ♣ 9 | Eureka! A technological breakthrough has occurred. What prototype has just been created?
(1) Solar tree (2) Emotional hologram hat (3) A temporal disruptor toaster (4) Flavour transfer tube (5) Carbon sequestration crystal (6) Dream synchroniser
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(1) Solar trees are new bioengineered trees that convert sunshine directly into electricity.
(2) An emotional hologram hat projects an image above your head, to show the world exactly how you’re feeling. (3) This toaster exploits irregularities in the fabric of timespace so that your toast pops up two minutes before you put in the bread. (4) Connect two different food items with the flavour transfer tube, and they will switch flavours. (5) This crystal can suck carbon directly out of the atmosphere. Does this mean we can go back to burning fossil fuels? (6) This device turns dreaming into a kind of social media site. |
| ♣ J | Let’s add even more details to something that is already on the map. What would we like to develop further for our story? | You may want to give the student a choice of three or four elements that are underdeveloped.
You could get the student to choose somebody or something, and then open it up to the group to suggest details. The student picks their favourite suggestions. You could also try steering the students to things that might be relevant to the Main Character’s predicament and/or motives. If probe questions feel helpful, you could try these: ● What is it like? ● What can it do? ● Where did it come from? ● How has it changed over the years? ● How is this person’s job different from fifty years ago? ● What do they wish for more than anything? ● What are they doing right now? ● What is their favourite part of the day? How about least favourite? Once the details are in place, you could use them to advance the story in some way. Or you could just leave them and move onto the next card. |
| ♣ 6 | What is the Main Character’s plan for today?
(1) The same thing they do every day (2) Cook a dish for a community feast this evening (3) Deliver a package (4) Build a birdhouse (5) Go to the repair cafe (6) Something else |
You could follow up with a few more questions, to create a planned route across the town. For example:
(1) What do they do every day? OK, so where do they go first? And where do they go next? (2) First they will need to gather some ingredients from three different places. Where do they need to go? Also, they’re not using just any recipe. They are using a secret recipe. Who will they fetch the recipe from? (3) First they’ll have to go to another part of town to pick up the package. Where do they go? Next they’ll have to deliver it. Where are they headed? (4) Where will they get their materials and tools from? Where are they building the birdhouse? (5) Why are they going to the repair cafe? Do they have something they need fixed, or do they want to help somebody fix something? Or both? If this card comes up while the Main Character is already in the midst of an adventure, you may want to frame it differently. E.g. What was the Main Character’s plan for today, before all this stuff started happening? Is there somebody who is wondering why the Main Character hasn’t shown up? Can the Main Character fulfil their original plans and deal with the new incidents? |
| ♣ 10 | Let’s return to our Main Character. Unfortunately, something has gone wrong! First, is it:
(1) Some kind of ambush (2) Some kind of accident (3) A malfunction (4) A misunderstanding (5) Something’s gone missing (6) Something else Second, what are the details? |
Get the details of the mishap, but don’t resolve it. Leave that for another card. |
| ♣ 8 | There’s more to all this than meets the eye. Do we know what greenwashing is? Greenwashing is when a company says that it is acting in environmentally sustainable ways, when in fact it is doing harm to people and the environment.
Take a look at the whole map. Now, few people in future _______ know this yet, but there is some greenwashing going on here. Who do you think it is? |
If greenwashing really doesn’t fit the story here, you could ask a more generic question about secrets and lies.
Either way, mark something on the map as usual.
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Act 3: Hearts
Design note: There are fewer prompts here about the Main Character’s actions and results. The hope is that the motives and challenges are now quite clear. These cards layer on further drama, and also opportunities and alliances that might help lead to a happy ending (or an uncertain one?).
Follow the recommended order below:
| ❤ 5 | Someone in the city is not all they seem. First, add a new person, or choose someone who is already there.
Second, what is their secret? (1) Corruption (2) They are a spy (3) They are a witch (4) They are a hologram (5) They are a selkie (6) They are a whistleblower (7) Something else |
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| ❤ J | Today gets even more chaotic. Why?
(1) Riots (2) Pandemic (3) Escaped science experiment (4) Toxic spillage (5) Land eviction (6) Heatwave (7) Something from earlier we’ve all forgotten about (8) Something else |
You’ll probably want to use this prompt to create even more problems for the Main Character.
You might want to follow up by asking what the Main Character does in response. |
| ❤ 4 | In this next scene, the Main Character will get a sidekick. Who or what should the sidekick be?
(1) Somebody or something already on the map? (2) Or somebody or something new? How do they meet? Is the Main Character pleased to have a sidekick, or are they reluctant at first? |
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| ❤ 2 | What is the villain doing right now? Why? | You may need to remind everybody who the villain character is supposed to be.
You’ll probably want to use this prompt to create even more problems for the Main Character. This might also be a good card to reveal the villain’s true plan (you can always reveal their true true plan later). |
| ❤ 9 | Maybe our villain isn’t as bad as they seem?
(1) Twist — they were on our side all along! (2) They do bad things for good reasons. (3) They do good things and bad things. (4) They want to change! (5) They’re just evil, but you kind of have to love them anyway. (6) Something else. |
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| ❤ 3 | Uh-oh. A new technology has a dangerous side effect.
First, let’s choose a new technology. It could be something that is already on the map, or we could create something new. Second, what is the side effect? |
There was a breakthrough earlier, so it could definitely be that!
But there are probably plenty of other options too. You’ll probably want to use this prompt to create even more problems for the Main Character. |
| ❤ 6 | The Main Character makes a plan. What is the plan? | |
| ❤ A | Today __________ is struck by a major natural disaster. What is it?
(1) Storm surges overtopping the flood barriers? (2) Wildfires? (3) A landslide? (4) A meteorite? (5) Something else? Decide what the disaster is. |
You may want to ask the student to decide on the disaster, and then get suggestions from the whole group about its effects.
You’ll probably want to use it to create even more problems for the Main Character.
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| ❤ Q | The Main Character gets some much-needed help. From whom?
(1) Somebody on the map (2) An old friend (3) A group of activists (4) Somebody who has been in disguise or undercover (5) The last person they would expect (6) Someone else After this card has been played, the class takes a vote. Does the story end (go to the Final Scene), or continue a little longer? |
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| ❤ 10 | A container ship carrying hazardous waste has arrived. A generation ago, a local company shipped the waste to a storage site in the Global South. The current inhabitants are returning it now. What was it — nuclear waste, nanowaste, medical waste, or something else? Mark it on the map. | With everything else that is going on, it might turn out to be tricky to resolve this subplot by the end.
Maybe you will, or maybe you can allude to it in the Final Scene as a teaser for a sequel. |
| ❤ 8 | The Main Character and the villain will now encounter each other. First, choose where this will happen on the map.
Second, decide how they get there. Third, decide what happens. After this card has been played, the class takes a vote. Does the story end (go to the Final Scene), or continue a little longer? |
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| ❤ 7 | The Main Character has received something.
Is it: (1) A message (2) A gift (3) A tool they need (4) A warning (5) An offer (6) An impossible choice What is it? Who could it be from? Look at the map for ideas. |
Create some context to weave this into the story. What is the Main Character doing? How is it going? How does this lead them to the situation where they receive whatever-it-is? |
| ❤ K | The Main Character has a major success. What is it? How do they achieve it?
After this card has been played, the class takes a vote. Does the story end (go to the Final Scene) or continue a little longer? |
The Final Scene
Can you hear the music playing? The end is near.
There are three ways to trigger the end of the game.
- When all the cards are used up, then it is time for the Final Scene.
- Some Hearts cards give the students the option to trigger the Final Scene. When someone draws such a card, students should discuss whether to have the Final Scene now, or continue telling the story.
- If you are running out of time and all agree, you can move to the Final Scene.
By now, you might have a story that is sprawling in many different directions. In the Final Scene, you do your best to create some closure. There are different approaches you could take:
- A big finale, focusing on the ‘how’: how will our hero and their allies get out of this seemingly impossible situation, while protecting what really matters?
- Create a dilemma. Will the story end this way, or that way? Create a conversation. Then maybe get the class to vote.
- Sure, we’ve had a Main Character, but this has really been a story about a place. You could end with a closing montage. Ask the class to imagine the closing music (or choose a song … or really play it softly in the background). Give us one last final glimpse of each of the important characters or places.
Remember, not everything needs to be resolved. You could point out the loose threads, and then end with something like: ________ is a place of a hundred thousand stories, and there are many yet to be told. But for now, as music floats on the evening breeze, and stars begin to brighten the sky, we bid farewell to our friends in the year 2070, and we return to our own time, a time every bit as rich with possibilities, with stories, and with wonder. And that, everybody, is the end! Give yourselves a huge round of applause!
After the game
If there’s time, you may wish to talk to students about how the story unfolded. What parts did they like best? What was realistic or unrealistic? Can storytelling and imagination help us to change our mind about what is realistic or unrealistic? How did the story make them feel? Did they learn anything new? Did it create new questions? How might the story have gone differently? Can they think of actions they could take now for climate justice?
Jo Walton
- See for example The Center for Environmental Law, 'Fueling Plastics' report. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fueling-Plastics-Petrochemical-Feddstocks.pdf ↵
