Blob Busters
Blob Busters
Blobs—creatures spawned from a combination of science gone wrong and vocabulary homework—have taken over Lian’s house! They’re rowdy and clever, and they’re causing a mess. In this game, students use their vocabulary knowledge to help Lian clear her house of the blobs before her mom gets home. Students bust blobs by vacuuming up the word that correctly completes a cloze sentence and by launching a water balloon at the right answer to a vocabulary question related to the meaning of a word. Blob Busters is accessed from the Games & Challenges page of More to Explore. Blob Busters Lite is accessed from the Tools and Games icon (under Games) in the Navigation Bar.
Blob Busters: Full and Lite Versions Blob Busters and Blob Busters Lite are two versions of the same game. Both feature Vacuum Vocab and Balloon Blaster, but they differ in the way word lists are generated and how progress is tracked.
The full version of Blob Busters generates word lists based on the Biemiller ratings of the words. Words that are more frequently seen in reading materials at lower grades are given to students when they first begin the game, and gradually, as they master the words on each word list, students are exposed to words that are more frequently seen in reading materials from higher grades. Word mastery is tracked on a calendar—described in detail in the Blob Busters (Full) section below—and is accumulative. The full version of Blob Busters includes more vocabulary than the Lite version. Blob Busters Lite has predetermined word lists drawn from the unit readings and vocabulary addressed in particular units in Grades 3–8. Each unit included in Blob Busters Lite is divided into five lists, and the words on these lists correspond roughly with the words and readings as they are introduced in the lessons. Progress is tracked by unit as students master the words.
Blob Busters Lite Navigation Unit Selector Screen
The unit selector screen displays a list of grade-specific units on the left side. Each grade has five units (Grade 5 has six units). On the right side, the scene of Lian’s blob-infested kitchen shows five word lists associated with the selected unit. Students can choose to play either Vacuum Vocab or Balloon Blaster for a selected list by touching their choice of learning activity at the bottom of the screen.
Unit Selection
The selected unit in play is displayed in orange. Unselected units display in purple. Each unit has a progress bar that dynamically updates based on the student’s mastery of the words for that unit. Students are placed into a unit relative to the place in the Pearson System of Courses from which they launched the game. If students launch from any Pearson System of Courses unit beyond Unit 5, they will be placed into Unit 5. When students have achieved 100 percent mastery in both Vacuum Vocab and Balloon Blaster, the system will automatically select the next unit and corresponding lists. Students have the option to select and play any unit, regardless of where they are initially placed by the system. Word List Selection The blob-infested kitchen scene displays five highlighted areas. Each highlighted area represents a list of words. Each list is composed of 20 words for the students to master in both the Vacuum Vocab and Balloon Blaster learning activities. Each list of words corresponds with the vocabulary being learned in the unit readings. Words in List 1 are more likely to be learned at the beginning of a unit, while words in List 5 are more likely to be learned toward the end of a unit. Students can tell which list is selected by looking for the selector blob displayed over a highlighted area. Students can select another list by tapping on the list they want to play. A blue hourglass displayed on a list indicates that at least one of the learning activities has been played for that list, but that the word list has not been completely mastered yet. A green check mark displayed on a list indicates that the students have completed both learning activities for all 20 words on that list.
Blob Busters (Full) Navigation
This screen tracks students’ progress. The large star on the left keeps track of the total number of words that a student has mastered since he or she first began playing the game. The calendar tracks the number of words a student masters on any given day of a month. From this screen, students also begin play in either Vacuum Vocab or Balloon Blaster. When students open up either Vacuum Vocab or Balloon Blaster for the first time they begin a round of play. A round of play consists of a group of 20 words that students must master in both learning activities before they can move on to a new set of 20 words. The first round begins with words most commonly found in reading materials at early grade levels (based on their Biemiller rating), and each subsequent round exposes students to words most frequently found in reading materials in higher grades. Unlike Blob Busters Lite, the words do not match up with the lesson students are currently learning in class.
Vacuum Vocab
In the Vacuum Vocab learning activity, students use the vacuum to suck up the word that correctly completes the cloze sentence. The counter in the lower right corner of the screen counts down from 20 (the maximum number of cloze sentences) as students correctly complete each cloze sentence in the activity. The bar on the left side of the screen tracks students’ achievement of correct answers on Vacuum Vocab for the current list of words in play. To move the vacuum over a word, students can drag and hold the vacuum head above the word or tap and hold the word they want to select. Tapping and holding the word will automatically move the vacuum head into position to suck up that word. After the blob gets sucked into the vacuum, the activity will display one of two responses: Correct response: The word displays on a green background in the vacuum container, a sound signifying success plays, the correctly chosen word appears in the blank area of the cloze sentence, and a star with a vacuum head animates to the Word Guide icon. Incorrect response: The word displays on a red background in the vacuum container, a sound signifying an error plays, and the blob with the incorrectly chosen word on it bounces out of the vacuum and animates off the screen. The game automatically advances to the next sentence after the correct or incorrect sequence plays out for each cloze sentence.
Balloon Blaster
In the Balloon Blaster learning activity, students are presented with 40 questions (2 questions for each of the 20 words in the list). Each question uses one of the vocabulary words from a word list, and students must determine if the correct answer to the question is “yes” or “no.” The counter in the lower right corner of the screen counts down from 40 (the maximum number of questions) as the students correctly answer each question in the activity. The bar on the left side of the screen tracks students’ achievement of correct answers on Balloon Blaster for the current list of words in play. To pull back one of the slingshots, students drag down the chosen slingshot and then release it. Students pull back the slingshot that corresponds with their chosen answer to toss the water balloon. The activity will display one of two responses: Correct response: The water balloon hits the blob, the blob splatters, a sound signifying success plays, and a star with a water splatter animates to the Word Guide icon. Incorrect response: The water balloon rebounds off the blob, a sound signifying error plays, and the balloon animates off the screen. The game automatically advances to the next question after the correct or incorrect sequence plays out for each question.
Continuing Play in Blob Busters Lite When students master a list of words in the full version of Blob Busters they are simply given a new list of words. In the Lite version students have more options for replay. When students have completed a round on either Vacuum Vocab or Balloon Blaster, there will be one of two scenarios:
If students have achieved 100 percent correct answers, the “Awesome!” reward message appears. When students touch the reward message, it returns them to the Unit Selector screen. If students have not already achieved 100 percent correct answers on the other learning activity, that learning activity will be available for play on the Unit Selector screen. If students have not achieved 100 percent correct answers, they will be given the following options: o Close the activity. This returns students to the Unit Selector screen. o Replay the activity. This subsequent round of play presents students with only the sentences or questions that they answered incorrectly in the previous round of play. The progress bar and countdown meter reflect the students’ achievement thus far.
To master a word list, students have to achieve 100 percent correct answers for all 20 words on the word list in both Vacuum Vocab and Balloon Blaster. Students can replay the learning activities for a mastered list in Blob Busters Lite, but not in the full version. Word Guide
At any time during play of Vacuum Vocab or Balloon Blaster, students can access the Word Guide. The Word Guide lists the 20 words for the list currently selected on the Unit Selector Screen. Students can tap on a word in the list to display the word and corresponding information in a field at the bottom of the Word Guide display. Tapping anywhere on the information field about a word will play the audio for the selected word. Students can find the following information about each word on the list: audio pronunciation of the word, part of speech, definition, and a sample sentence using the word. The Word Guide also displays students’ progress through the words on the list in play. When students respond correctly in Vacuum Vocab or Balloon Blaster, a star displays next to the word in question. Three stars next to a word indicate that students have answered correctly all learning activities related to that word.
Blobs—creatures spawned from a combination of science gone wrong and vocabulary homework—have taken over Lian’s house! They’re rowdy and clever, and they’re causing a mess. In this game, students use their vocabulary knowledge to help Lian clear her house of the blobs before her mom gets home. Students bust blobs by vacuuming up the word that correctly completes a cloze sentence and by launching a water balloon at the right answer to a vocabulary question related to the meaning of a word. Blob Busters is accessed from the Games & Challenges page of More to Explore. Blob Busters Lite is accessed from the Tools and Games icon (under Games) in the Navigation Bar.
Blob Busters: Full and Lite Versions Blob Busters and Blob Busters Lite are two versions of the same game. Both feature Vacuum Vocab and Balloon Blaster, but they differ in the way word lists are generated and how progress is tracked.
The full version of Blob Busters generates word lists based on the Biemiller ratings of the words. Words that are more frequently seen in reading materials at lower grades are given to students when they first begin the game, and gradually, as they master the words on each word list, students are exposed to words that are more frequently seen in reading materials from higher grades. Word mastery is tracked on a calendar—described in detail in the Blob Busters (Full) section below—and is accumulative. The full version of Blob Busters includes more vocabulary than the Lite version. Blob Busters Lite has predetermined word lists drawn from the unit readings and vocabulary addressed in particular units in Grades 3–8. Each unit included in Blob Busters Lite is divided into five lists, and the words on these lists correspond roughly with the words and readings as they are introduced in the lessons. Progress is tracked by unit as students master the words.
Blob Busters Lite Navigation Unit Selector Screen
The unit selector screen displays a list of grade-specific units on the left side. Each grade has five units (Grade 5 has six units). On the right side, the scene of Lian’s blob-infested kitchen shows five word lists associated with the selected unit. Students can choose to play either Vacuum Vocab or Balloon Blaster for a selected list by touching their choice of learning activity at the bottom of the screen.
Unit Selection
The selected unit in play is displayed in orange. Unselected units display in purple. Each unit has a progress bar that dynamically updates based on the student’s mastery of the words for that unit. Students are placed into a unit relative to the place in the Pearson System of Courses from which they launched the game. If students launch from any Pearson System of Courses unit beyond Unit 5, they will be placed into Unit 5. When students have achieved 100 percent mastery in both Vacuum Vocab and Balloon Blaster, the system will automatically select the next unit and corresponding lists. Students have the option to select and play any unit, regardless of where they are initially placed by the system. Word List Selection The blob-infested kitchen scene displays five highlighted areas. Each highlighted area represents a list of words. Each list is composed of 20 words for the students to master in both the Vacuum Vocab and Balloon Blaster learning activities. Each list of words corresponds with the vocabulary being learned in the unit readings. Words in List 1 are more likely to be learned at the beginning of a unit, while words in List 5 are more likely to be learned toward the end of a unit. Students can tell which list is selected by looking for the selector blob displayed over a highlighted area. Students can select another list by tapping on the list they want to play. A blue hourglass displayed on a list indicates that at least one of the learning activities has been played for that list, but that the word list has not been completely mastered yet. A green check mark displayed on a list indicates that the students have completed both learning activities for all 20 words on that list.
Blob Busters (Full) Navigation
This screen tracks students’ progress. The large star on the left keeps track of the total number of words that a student has mastered since he or she first began playing the game. The calendar tracks the number of words a student masters on any given day of a month. From this screen, students also begin play in either Vacuum Vocab or Balloon Blaster. When students open up either Vacuum Vocab or Balloon Blaster for the first time they begin a round of play. A round of play consists of a group of 20 words that students must master in both learning activities before they can move on to a new set of 20 words. The first round begins with words most commonly found in reading materials at early grade levels (based on their Biemiller rating), and each subsequent round exposes students to words most frequently found in reading materials in higher grades. Unlike Blob Busters Lite, the words do not match up with the lesson students are currently learning in class.
Vacuum Vocab
In the Vacuum Vocab learning activity, students use the vacuum to suck up the word that correctly completes the cloze sentence. The counter in the lower right corner of the screen counts down from 20 (the maximum number of cloze sentences) as students correctly complete each cloze sentence in the activity. The bar on the left side of the screen tracks students’ achievement of correct answers on Vacuum Vocab for the current list of words in play. To move the vacuum over a word, students can drag and hold the vacuum head above the word or tap and hold the word they want to select. Tapping and holding the word will automatically move the vacuum head into position to suck up that word. After the blob gets sucked into the vacuum, the activity will display one of two responses: Correct response: The word displays on a green background in the vacuum container, a sound signifying success plays, the correctly chosen word appears in the blank area of the cloze sentence, and a star with a vacuum head animates to the Word Guide icon. Incorrect response: The word displays on a red background in the vacuum container, a sound signifying an error plays, and the blob with the incorrectly chosen word on it bounces out of the vacuum and animates off the screen. The game automatically advances to the next sentence after the correct or incorrect sequence plays out for each cloze sentence.
Balloon Blaster
In the Balloon Blaster learning activity, students are presented with 40 questions (2 questions for each of the 20 words in the list). Each question uses one of the vocabulary words from a word list, and students must determine if the correct answer to the question is “yes” or “no.” The counter in the lower right corner of the screen counts down from 40 (the maximum number of questions) as the students correctly answer each question in the activity. The bar on the left side of the screen tracks students’ achievement of correct answers on Balloon Blaster for the current list of words in play. To pull back one of the slingshots, students drag down the chosen slingshot and then release it. Students pull back the slingshot that corresponds with their chosen answer to toss the water balloon. The activity will display one of two responses: Correct response: The water balloon hits the blob, the blob splatters, a sound signifying success plays, and a star with a water splatter animates to the Word Guide icon. Incorrect response: The water balloon rebounds off the blob, a sound signifying error plays, and the balloon animates off the screen. The game automatically advances to the next question after the correct or incorrect sequence plays out for each question.
Continuing Play in Blob Busters Lite When students master a list of words in the full version of Blob Busters they are simply given a new list of words. In the Lite version students have more options for replay. When students have completed a round on either Vacuum Vocab or Balloon Blaster, there will be one of two scenarios:
If students have achieved 100 percent correct answers, the “Awesome!” reward message appears. When students touch the reward message, it returns them to the Unit Selector screen. If students have not already achieved 100 percent correct answers on the other learning activity, that learning activity will be available for play on the Unit Selector screen. If students have not achieved 100 percent correct answers, they will be given the following options: o Close the activity. This returns students to the Unit Selector screen. o Replay the activity. This subsequent round of play presents students with only the sentences or questions that they answered incorrectly in the previous round of play. The progress bar and countdown meter reflect the students’ achievement thus far.
To master a word list, students have to achieve 100 percent correct answers for all 20 words on the word list in both Vacuum Vocab and Balloon Blaster. Students can replay the learning activities for a mastered list in Blob Busters Lite, but not in the full version. Word Guide
At any time during play of Vacuum Vocab or Balloon Blaster, students can access the Word Guide. The Word Guide lists the 20 words for the list currently selected on the Unit Selector Screen. Students can tap on a word in the list to display the word and corresponding information in a field at the bottom of the Word Guide display. Tapping anywhere on the information field about a word will play the audio for the selected word. Students can find the following information about each word on the list: audio pronunciation of the word, part of speech, definition, and a sample sentence using the word. The Word Guide also displays students’ progress through the words on the list in play. When students respond correctly in Vacuum Vocab or Balloon Blaster, a star displays next to the word in question. Three stars next to a word indicate that students have answered correctly all learning activities related to that word.
