Tech Attack

Technology has changed our lives, but is it good for developing brains? In this quick card game, kids learn more about how technology is specially designed to appeal to Brain Drivers. As kids learn more about themselves, they can evaluate their feelings about tech to make better decisions about its role and how to use it.

Goal

For children to learn about Brain Drivers and develop more critical thinking about technology use in their lives.

Resources

Colored pens/pencils/crayons
Tech Attack card set (Letter Size) – 30 Brain Facts and 12 Tech Facts click to download
Brain Driver Cards (Letter Size) – 1 per player click to download
Learn to Grow Sheet (Letter Size) click to download
Tech Attack card set (A4 Size) – 30 Brain Facts and 12 Tech Facts click to download
Brain Driver Cards (A4 Size) – 1 per player click to download
Learn to Grow Sheet (A4 Size) click to download
Activity Instruction Sheet ( optional ) click to download

Instructions

Each player gets a brain card with an illustration of a brain with 4 quadrants showing 4 Brain Drivers (To Feel Connected, To Feel Understood, To Feel Energized, To Feel Safe,)
Players take turns drawing Brain Fact cards from the deck, reading the fact out loud to determine which Brain Driver to color on a player’s brain card (answers may vary).
The player colors in ONE section on their brain card to show which Brain Driver is activated in the situation.
Players are racing to completely color in their brains first. If they get a repeat Brain Driver, they do not color again, but pass their turn to the next player.
Randomly in the deck are TECH ATTACK cards which are super-powered to affect all players.
If a player draws a TECH ATTACK card, that player reads the card out loud and all players discuss and decide which Brain Driver(s) is/are affected (answers may vary). TECH ATTACKs may affect more than one Brain Driver. All players circle the Brain Driver section(s) on their brain card to show it’s been affected by the TECH ATTACK.
The game is over at a preset amount of time (5-8 min). The objective of the game is to color in the Brain Driver card first but learning rather than “winning” is the goal of the game.

Discussion

How do you feel about technology? Do you have too little, too much or just the right amount of tech in your life? Why?
How did you feel when you experienced a TECH ATTACK?
How do your friends use tech? What are the troubles they experience with tech?
How is the consumption of technology like or unlike our consumption of sugar or fast food (and if appropriate with you may ask older kids to discuss things like nicotine or alcohol)?
What can kids do? If you were able to share your ideas on a global platform through POP-UP Festival and UNICEF World Children’s Day, what would you say to Big Tech? To parents?

Activity Source

Patty Freedman & Teodora Pavkovic