3D Hangman Game
By Lochlan Fitzgerald
My game is a new way to play hangman without drawing. This 3D version is tactile for both the letters and "man". You have to guess the letters of the word before the whole body is put together. It's a great way to learn spelling.
Type: Education
About them: I'm Kezia, Lochlan's Mom entering on his behalf. I'll let him tell you about himself. He answered all the below questions as well, and is the one in the video. He's 8 (almost 9) years old. I'm Lochlan and I like Titanic and dinosaurs. I know a lot about those. I also like doing math and building things. I like Minecraft and hot wheels cars. I'm 8 years old and in "third grade" but I do homeschool. We have been traveling in our camper around the US and we have seen a lot of national parks - like Big Bend - and met a lot of people. I like to make games, and make things out of cardboard like boats and rockets and tractor trailer trucks. I like to build with legos and I built a lego Titanic that I had fun making. I get my ideas for projects from things I see on TV or I make them up on my own. I like to paint and draw and be creative. I like to hang out with my mommy and daddy and help around the camper. I love hanging out with friends and playing baseball.
What inspired you or what is the idea that got you started?
I wanted to build something in my Grampa's wood shop. When I saw two pieces of wood that slotted together, I came up with the idea of a 3D hangman game. My Grampa (Craig Liversidge) showed me how to use the machines to drill holes, sand the edges, cut the wood to size and shape, and put it together with nails and put on the hooks. I had fun working in the wood shop.
What is your project about and how does it work?
This is a new way to play hangman. The stand has a slot to hold scrabble/bananagrams letter tiles backwards of the word the "speller" chooses. There is a set of tiles showing the full alphabet next to the game. As each player chooses a letter, the speller turns it over if it's in the word, or puts it on the lower shelf if it isn't and adds part of the man to the hook on the post. Each letter guessed either adds to the word or the man. If you don't guess all the letters before the man is put together, you loose the game. This game could be built with other characters - a snowman, a shark - anything with parts that you could separate and put back together.
What did you learn by doing this project?
I learned that making games is fun. I had to describe my idea to my mom and Grampa so they could help me learn how to build what was in my mind. I learned how to cut wood with a band saw, drill with a drill press, and sand with a sander. I learned how to measure the right length with a tape measure using fractions. I learned how to try different ways to build different parts so they worked together to make the game playable. I had to solve the problem of how to attach the letter tiles, and that took a few tries but it came out great.
What impact does your project have on others as well as yourself?
It helps to learn words and learn how to spell. And learning math and measurements too if you build one. It's a tactile and tangible way to learn spelling rather than simply writing letters down. This helps kids connect spelling and words with a different part of their brain. It has helped me figure out how to spell different words and remember how letters form words.
