Students will investigate a Pennsylvania social studies topic and use evidence from texts, maps, photographs, and other reliable sources to build knowledge. They will consider how to turn Pennsylvania facts into an exciting, understandable fair game and how to teach their topic through a fun, informative game and display. In small groups, students will create a playable topic-aligned game and a trifold board, then present both at a community-wide Pennsylvania State Fair for other classes, families, and community members.

Students will conduct focused research on a Pennsylvania topic, using facts from texts, maps, photographs, and relevant stories or folktales to answer questions and build knowledge. Teams will use shared decision-making to create, test, and revise a playable fair game that turns accurate information into an engaging learning experience. Students will organize key facts and descriptive visuals on a trifold board, then explain their topic clearly and answer visitors’ questions with relevant details. At the community-wide Pennsylvania State Fair, students will present and reflect on how effectively their game and display helped other classes, families, and community members learn.

Each group will create focused research questions, source notes, fact cards, and labeled visuals such as maps, photographs, or timelines about its Pennsylvania topic. Students will co-design, build, test, and revise a playable fair game that accurately turns researched facts into an engaging learning experience. The final game will include clear rules, accessible materials, and speaking roles so every group member can help visitors play and understand the topic. Groups will also create a trifold display with key facts, evidence, and visuals to present alongside the game at a community-wide Pennsylvania State Fair for classes, families, and community members.

Transform the classroom into a mini Pennsylvania fair with sample games, maps, photographs, and short fact cards about the state. In teams, students rotate through stations, play each game, and record what made it fun, fair, and informative. Introduce the challenge: “How can we turn facts about Pennsylvania into an exciting game and display that others can play, understand, and learn from?” Reveal that each team will research a Pennsylvania topic, create a playable fair game and trifold board, and host them at a community-wide fair for other classes, families, and community members.

Host a community-wide “Pennsylvania State Fair” where families, other classes, and community members rotate through student-run booths. Each group will display its research trifold, explain how it answers the project’s essential questions, and invite visitors to play its Pennsylvania-themed fair game. Students will rotate roles as greeters, game facilitators, topic experts, and audience-question responders so every student contributes. Visitors can leave brief feedback about one new Pennsylvania fact they learned and how effectively each game was both fun and informative.