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Among Us has begun to invade schools now, as students and teachers alike have found ways to incorporate crewmates and imposters into their scholastic lives.
Widespread availability and accessibility has allowed Among Us to earn a massive following from young gamers on a budget, with players able to purchase the game for cheap on Steam, or play for free on a handheld device. Teachers, in response, have found fun and creative ways to use Among Us to teach their students.
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Teachers have been using Among Us to teach
Some teachers have been taking a direct approach with Among Us by making Among Us themed lessons. One teacher used Google Slides to create an Among Us themed educational game, while others have given traditional classwork an Among Us theme. One New York Times writer even published a potential lesson plan for how to use articles about Among Us to teach writing, grammar, English, and critical thinking skills.
Popular culture has a tendency to become a part of school life, even under normal circumstances. This year however, schools have the added obstacle of having to educate many students online. Without the limiting factors associated with having a facility to work with, many teachers have had to find creative ways to keep students engaged.
For many teachers, it seems like an easy sacrifice to make. If using a simple Among Us theme can get students to do their work, then there’s understandably no reason not to.
Other times, Among Us is a reward
Of course, sometimes a simple carrot-and-stick approach is all that’s needed to get students to do their work. Teachers, eager to connect with students online, have also been using Among Us as a way to make their school time more enjoyable.
These kinds of social games give students, now stuck at home with limited opportunities to play, a way to make connections and find friends in a similar way to being able to meet them in person. While not perfect, the lack of sociability for students is a major concern this year, and even if playing Among Us isn’t strictly educational, it can still be important in helping students build healthy relationships with their peers.
Among Us has inspired students
Even if Among Us never makes its way into the classroom, or into the lessons, it will almost certainly still make it into most schools. Students everywhere, many of whom play the game in their own free time, have been taking Among Us to school with them in the form of costumes and other artistic creations. One school even allowed students to plan out an Among Us themed school dance.
Although it might not seem like it, this game has become a good fit for schools, in part due to being a game where the core mechanic is social interactions. Social skills, while often learned in schools, are not commonly taught by teachers, and must instead be learned through trial and error by the students.
Among Us also features a certain degree of intrigue, and a semi-violent aesthetic, which students can find alluring while not being cynical or edgy in a way that young players like to emulate. While players are not always polite, the game itself isn’t really to blame for poor behaviour on behalf of its players.
Overall, Among Us has found a niche in schools, both those that have remained in person and those which have fully migrated to online education. It’s impossible to say how long it will last as school fads move at an incredibly rapid pace and the status quo can be upended seemingly overnight, but for the time being at least, it seems to be right at home.
