Teaching with D&D: D&D for Kids - Science Lessons? #4

D&D mostly takes place in a world of fantasy where dragons roam the skies and magic is real. Can we bring science teaching into our games? Yes, but there is no need as science is already present on many levels. Every weapon needs to be forged. Through extensive travel different biomes are encountered. We see that monsters have adaptations. Plants and animals exist, and agriculture is advanced.

In the typical medieval D&D setting science is not a huge theme. However, there are other D&D settings where science matters more. The Eberron campaign setting is a world of magical technology. There are flying cars, skyscrapers and warforged automata. I have never played in this “dungonpunk” setting as I prefer a true sci-fi setting like Esper Genesis that has spaceships and laser weapons. Once you move away from a traditional medieval setting, science plays a larger role, and there are increased opportunities to weave science teaching into your game.

Rather than type out one specific science lesson plan I present three units of science study. Each unit is separated by actions that happen in your game. Each unit has different learning opportunities as seen below.

Unit 1: Visiting the Forge. I need a new armor!