Life Sim Intro Slides LIFE SIM
Quest for Balance
PRESS START TO BEGIN
Your Mission
You are about to enter a 1-week simulation. Your goal is to keep your avatar successful and healthy .
Gain Achievement XP (Grades, Sports, Hobbies)
Maintain Well-being HP (Sleep, Relaxation, Fun)
Victory Condition
Don't let your HP hit zero while chasing XP!
Choose Your Player
The Athlete
BONUS:
High social status and athletic skill.
CONSTRAINT:
Must spend 15 hours/week at practice.
The Scholar
BONUS:
Quick at finishing homework (+2 XP).
CONSTRAINT:
Struggles with stress (HP drops faster).
The Helper
BONUS:
Extra HP from family time.
CONSTRAINT:
Must work a part-time job or help at home.
What is Success?
Before we start, your avatar needs a Goal Profile .
High Grades
Focus on study tasks
Pro Player
Focus on training/practice
Social Star
Focus on friends/hobbies
Warning: If you choose all three, your HP might drop dangerously low!
Build Your Character
Open your Character Build Sheet . Give your avatar a name, choose their base stats, and set your goals for the week.
Character Build Sheet CHARACTER BUILD SHEET
Life Sim: Balance Quest
Player Name:
Date:
1. AVATAR IDENTITY
AVATAR NAME
CHOOSE ARCHETYPE
The Athlete (15 hrs Practice)
The Scholar (Fast HW, High Stress)
The Helper (Work/Home Job)
2. STARTING STATS
Distribute 10 points between these three categories.
🧠 BRAINS (Grades)
⚡ SPEED (Efficiency)
❤️ CALM (Stress Res.)
Draw Your Avatar Here
3. WINNING THE WEEK
What does a "Good Week" look like for your character? Pick ONE primary goal and ONE secondary goal.
Primary Goal
Secondary Goal
The Trade-Off:
"To achieve my primary goal, I might have to spend less time on..."
Phase 1 Complete. Ready for Scheduling?
Game Master Guide 1 TEACHER GUIDE: LESSON 1
SIMULATION PHASE 1
Select Your Player: Avatar Creation & Goal Setting
Instructional Focus
In this lesson, students step into the shoes of a fictional character. This "masking" technique allows them to practice scheduling and decision-making without the anxiety of their own real-life pressures. The goal is to establish the Avatar Profile which will be used for the next 4 lessons.
1. The Hook (10 mins)
Present the "Life Sim Intro Slides". Use the video game analogy. Ask students: "Have you ever played a game like The Sims, Minecraft, or an RPG where you had to manage resources?" Explain that time is the most valuable resource in this game.
2. Choose Your Archetype (15 mins)
Distribute the "Character Build Sheet". Guide students through the three archetypes. Emphasize the constraints :
The Athlete: Locked-in time (Practices). High XP potential in sports.The Scholar: Fast worker, but higher risk of "HP Drain" (burnout).The Helper: Family obligations. Higher "HP Bonus" but less free time.
3. Stat Distribution (10 mins)
Students have 10 points to distribute.Brains: Adds bonus XP to academic tasks.Speed: Reduces time needed for tasks.Calm: Reduces HP loss during "Chaos Mode" (Lesson 3).
4. Defining Victory (15 mins)
This is the critical step. Students must declare what they want to achieve. Use the "Primary vs Secondary" goal structure to force a hierarchy of importance.
Discussion Prompts
PROMPT A
"Why can't our characters be perfect at everything? Why did we have to choose between Brains, Speed, and Calm?"
PROMPT B
"How does your character's constraint (like the Athlete's practice) change the way they have to think about their week?"
SPED ADAPTATIONS
Visual Support
Use colored counters or blocks to represent the 10 "Stat Points" before writing them down.
Guided Choice
Limit options to 2 archetypes for students who struggle with executive overload.
Scribing
Allow students to dictate their "Goal Profile" and "Trade-Off" statement.
Planning Basics Slides The 168 Hour Map
Level 2: Strategic Planning
QUEST: Mapping Reality
The Fixed Cost
Every avatar starts with 168 hours per week. But some hours are already spent!
Sleep 56 Hours
School 35 Hours
Hygiene & Meals 14 Hours
63
Hours Left
This is your "Free-to-Play" time.
Your Mission List
Main Quests (Academic)
Homework Sessions +2 XP / hr
Studying for Exams +4 XP / hr
Side Quests (Well-being)
Hanging with Friends +2 HP / hr
Hobbies/Gaming/Sports +3 HP / hr
System Overload!
If you try to fit 80 hours of activities into 63 hours, your avatar will suffer HP Penalty from burnout.
Less Sleep = -5 HP
Skipping Meals = -2 HP
Begin Mapping
Open your Weekly Mission Log . Fill in the Fixed Costs first, then choose your quests.
Weekly Mission Log WEEKLY MISSION LOG
Life Sim Round 1: The Perfect Plan
Available Energy
TIME
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
SUN
MORNING
SCHOOL
3PM-5PM
5PM-7PM
7PM-9PM
NIGHT
Morning Prep
School Hours
Sleep/Rest
QUEST TRACKER
📚 Study Sessions x ___ hrs
⚽ Practice/Gym x ___ hrs
🎮 Fun/Relaxation x ___ hrs
🏠 Home Chores x ___ hrs
XP Calculation
___ XP Achievement
Game Master Check
Before finishing Round 1, ensure you haven't booked two things at once!
No Double-Booking?
Enough Sleep (8 hrs)?
Meals Included?
Capacity Warning
If you fill every white box, your "CALM" stat will drop by 2 in the next round!
Game Master Guide 2 TEACHER GUIDE: LESSON 2
SIMULATION PHASE 2
The 168 Hour Map: Managing Capacity
Instructional Focus
Students will practice resource allocation . In this round, they are aiming for the "Perfect Plan." They will learn that time is finite and that adding one thing usually requires removing another. This sets the baseline for the chaos that will follow in Lesson 3.
1. Fixed Costs Math (15 mins)
Use "Planning Basics Slides" to walk through the math.choice happens.
2. Mapping the "Hard" Blocks (10 mins)
Distribute "Weekly Mission Log". Have students color in the fixed blocks first (Morning, School, Night).Archetype Constraint Check:
Athletes must add 15 hrs of practice.
Helpers must add 10 hrs of chores/work.
3. Quest Selection (15 mins)
Students fill in their "Quests" (Homework, Friends, Hobbies).SPED Strategy: Encourage them to use 1-hour "increments" or "tokens" to visualize the time before writing it in the boxes.
4. The "Capacity" Check (10 mins)
Have students look for white space. If there is no white space left, tell them: "You have zero margin for error. If anything goes wrong next week, you will lose HP immediately."
Scoring Guide (Round 1)
Activity Cost Reward Intense Study 1 hr +4 XP Casual Homework 1 hr +2 XP Socializing 1 hr +2 HP Dedicated Hobby/Sport 1 hr +3 HP
DIFFERENTIATION
Executive Functioning Support
Provide a "Pre-Filled" template with the Fixed Costs already grayed out so students only focus on the 63 free hours.
Advanced Learners
Challenge them to account for "Transition Time" (bus rides, walking between classes) as an extra fixed cost.
Chaos Control Slides CHAOS MODE
Level 3: Activated
WRENCH IN THE GEARS
The Randomness of Life
In Round 1, your plan was perfect. But in Round 2 , reality happens.
Enter: Chance Cards
Random events that take away your time, your energy (HP), or both.
The Flu
-20 Hours, -10 HP
Pop Quiz
-5 Hours (Study Prep)
Broken Phone
-3 HP (Stress)
Survival > Perfection
Cut Tasks
What is the least important thing on your schedule?
Move Blocks
Can you do it later? Is there a gap in your map?
Protect HP
Don't sacrifice sleep just to win a quest.
The Crisis Round
"It's not about the plan, it's about how you react when the plan fails."
Next: Draw your Chance Cards!
Chance Cards Deck CHANCE CARD DECK
Life Sim: Chaos Mode Printables
THE SUDDEN FLU
You woke up feeling like a zombie. Bed rest is required.
EFFECT:
-15 HOURS from your week | -10 HP
POP QUIZ ALARM
Science teacher announced a major test on Thursday.
EFFECT:
-5 HOURS (Must add study blocks) | -2 HP
BROKEN PHONE
Screen cracked. You lost your schedule and your music.
EFFECT:
-2 HOURS (Repair shop) | -5 HP (STRESS)
FAMILY SURPRISE
Dinner at your favorite spot! Good vibes all around.
EFFECT:
-3 HOURS | +10 HP (BONUS!)
Teachers: Cut these cards out and have students draw them randomly.
Pivot Plan Worksheet EMERGENCY PIVOT PLAN
Life Sim Round 2: Surviving Chaos
Alert Status
CRITICAL
DAMAGE REPORT
CARD(S) DRAWN:
TOTAL TIME LOST
___ hrs
TOTAL HP LOST
___ HP
The Hard Choice
To recover the lost hours, you must delete activities from your schedule. What goes first?
Hobby/Gaming Time
Social Time w/ Friends
Study Time (Risk lower XP)
Sleep (Risk burnout/penalty)
3. EMERGENCY ADJUSTMENTS
Activities I am Cutting:
Activities I am Moving/Shortening:
The Pivot Rational:
Why did you choose to cut these specific things? What were you trying to save?
Warning: If your Well-being HP hits 0, your avatar defaults!
Game Master Guide 3 TEACHER GUIDE: LESSON 3
Chaos Mode Facilitator
Chaos Mode Activated: Facilitating Strategy and Pivot
The Lesson Goal
This is the heart of the simulation. Students will feel the stress of a disrupted plan. Your role is to guide them through the "Pivot" process, helping them see that sacrificing a low-priority goal is a survival strategy, not a failure.
1. Drawing Chaos (10 mins)
Distribute the "Chance Cards" randomly (or have students draw from a hat).Tip: For a higher challenge, have students draw TWO cards. For SPED students struggling with overload, give them one "Positive Surprise" card along with one "Chaos" card.
2. Damage Assessment (10 mins)
Students use the "Pivot Plan Worksheet" to total their losses.
3. The Rapid Pivot (20 mins)
Students must cross out items on their Lesson 2 "Mission Log" and write in the new disruptions.Questioning Strategy:
"If you cut your sleep to 4 hours, what happens to your 'Calm' stat?"
"Is getting an A on the quiz worth losing 10 HP points from stress?"
Game Master Script
"Attention players! The week has turned into a storm. You can't do everything. You have 5 minutes to make your cuts and save your avatar's health. Choose wisely—every cut has a cost."
Chaos Mechanic: The HP Drain
Sleep Deprivation
Less than 6 hrs/night = -5 HP daily
Total Burnout
Zero white space on log = -2 HP daily
Social Isolation
Cutting all social quests = -3 HP bonus loss
SPED Adaptations for Chaos
Visual Cues
Use a red marker to physically cross out "Dead Time" so the student can clearly see what's available.
Choice Board
Give the student 3 pre-written "Emergency Solutions" to pick from instead of having them invent one.
Pacing
Announce the disruptions one by one rather than all at once to avoid sensory/executive overload.
Scoring Success Slides FINAL SCORE
Level 4: The Report Card
Calculating Trade-Offs
The Math of Success
Step 1: Achievement XP
Add up all hours spent on study quests and academic missions. Multiply by your 'Brains' stat bonus.
Step 2: Well-being HP
Start with 100 HP. Subtract points from Chaos Cards and Burnout. Add points from social/hobby quests.
Victory Condition
"You only 'win' if BOTH scores are above zero. If you have 1000 XP but 0 HP, your character burned out!"
What Kind of Week Was It?
🏆
The High Achiever
High XP, Low HP. You got the grades, but you are exhausted.
🧘
The Zen Master
Low XP, High HP. You are well-rested, but maybe didn't reach your goals.
⚖️
The Balancer
Medium XP, Medium HP. You made trade-offs to keep both stable.
The Debrief
"Was it worth it? If you could redo the week, what would you change first?"
Scoreboard Analysis Sheet SCOREBOARD & ANALYSIS
Life Sim Round 3: The Results
Avatar Standing
LEVEL COMPLETE
ACHIEVEMENT XP
Study/Homework Hours: ___ x 2 XP = ___
Practice/Skill Hours: ___ x 2 XP = ___
Primary Goal Bonus: + ___ XP
TOTAL XP: _______
WELL-BEING HP
Starting HP: 100 HP
Social/Hobby Quests: + ___ HP
Chaos Card Penalties: - ___ HP
Burnout (No Free Time): - ___ HP
FINAL HP: _______
THE AFTER-ACTION REPORT
1. The Biggest Trade-Off
What was the hardest thing to cut from your schedule? How did it make your avatar feel?
2. Success Assessment
Look at your XP and HP. Do you consider this week a "Win"? Why or why not?
3. Redo Button
If you could go back to Lesson 2 (The Perfect Plan) and change one thing before Chaos started, what would it be?
End of Simulation. Victory Achieved.
Well-being vs Results Guide TEACHER GUIDE: LESSON 4
Results Analyst
Calculating the Costs: Debriefing the Simulation
The Lesson Goal
This lesson shifts from doing to evaluating . Students need to understand that a high academic score (XP) is not a true victory if it came at the cost of total well-being (HP). This is the key insight needed for real-world transfer in the next lesson.
1. Final Tally (15 mins)
Guide students through the "Scoreboard & Analysis Sheet".Scoring Reminder:
XP = Study hrs x 2 + Practice hrs x 2.
HP = 100 + Social hrs - (Chaos losses + Burnout).
2. Category Sorting (10 mins)
Ask students to raise their hands if they fit the "High Achiever," "Zen Master," or "Balancer" profiles from the slides. This helps them see they aren't alone in their results.
3. The Trade-Off Discussion (20 mins)
Key Questions to Ask:
"Was the Achievement XP worth the loss of HP? Why or why not?"
"If you had drawn a different Chance Card, would your result be better or worse?"
"Who had 'Margin' (empty space) in their Lesson 2 schedule? Did that margin help you survive the chaos?"
Crucial Point to Make
"In life, we can't always control the 'Chance Cards' (like getting sick). But we CAN control how much 'Margin' we leave in our plan so that one card doesn't ruin our whole week."
The Burnout Check
Did anyone hit 0 HP? What happened in the game that caused that?
The Success Check
Did anyone meet their Primary Goal? What did you have to give up for it?
The Pivot Check
What was the smartest decision you made during Chaos Mode?
SPED Adaptations for Scoring
Calculation Support
Use a calculator or provide a "Cheat Sheet" that pre-multiplies hours (e.g., 5 hrs = 10 XP).
Visual Reflection
Allow students to draw a "Face Emoji" to represent their avatar's final state instead of writing a paragraph.
Level Up Slides REAL WORLD
Final Level: The Transfer
Applying the Simulation
The Simulator Ends...
The game is over, but the skills are real. Let's look at the "Life Sim" tools you used:
Your New Strategy
XP = Real Goals
HP = Your Stress Level
CHANCE CARDS = Life's Surprises
REAL LIFE CHEAT CODES
The "Buffer" Code
Never schedule 100% of your time. Leave 15% empty for the "Wrenches" that life will throw at you.
The "Priority" Code
Know your "Primary Quest" (The ONE thing you must do). If everything else fails, save that one thing first.
Mastery Challenge
"It's time to map your actual week. Use the Life Sim strategies to win your real life."
My Real Life Quest Log REAL LIFE QUEST LOG
Applying the Life Sim Strategies
Strategy: Survival & Success
PLAYER READY
My Reality Stats
MY FIXED COSTS (Must Do)
Sleep (Goal: 8-9 hrs)
School (35 hrs)
MY PRIMARY QUEST (Goal)
The Buffer Strategy
In the simulation, we learned that a full schedule breaks easily. Identify your "Buffer Zones":
"If a pop quiz happens, I will cut ____."
"If I am too tired, I will sacrifice ____."
My Balanced Week
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
SUN
After School Focus
One thing from the simulation I will use in real life:
Master of the 168
You have the tools. Now go win the week.
GAME OVER
Game Master Guide 5 TEACHER GUIDE: LESSON 5
Mastery Coach
Real Life Level Up: Transferring Mastery
The Final Goal
This final lesson is about bridge-building . We move the gamified concepts into the student's actual daily routine. The "Quest Log" serves as a bridge from simulation to real executive functioning support.
1. Debrief to Reality (15 mins)
Use the "Level Up Slides" to review the simulation's "Cheat Codes". Ask: "When did your avatar feel the most stressed? When do YOU feel that same way in real life?"
Key Connection: Help them see that stress usually happens when a "Chance Card" (like a surprise project) hits a schedule with "Zero Margin".
2. Mapping the REAL Week (20 mins)
Distribute "My Real Life Quest Log". Students should focus on the next 7 days.Sequence:
Block off Sleep (The most important HP saver).
Block off School (Fixed Cost).
Add ONE Primary Quest (Major goal for the week).
3. The Buffer Strategy (10 mins)
Challenge students to identify at least 3 hours of "Empty Space" or "Buffer".Strategy: "This isn't lazy time. This is 'Pivot Prep'. If Tuesday goes wrong, you have this Wednesday gap to fix it."
The Closing Script
"You are no longer playing a character. You are the player in your own life. Every choice has a trade-off. Every plan needs margin. You've practiced for the chaos—now you're ready to handle it."
Real World Executive Functions
Time Management
"Identifying Fixed Costs helps reduce the 'Time Blindness' that many 7th graders experience."
Inhibitory Control
"Making trade-offs in the simulation builds the muscle for saying 'no' to low-priority distractions."
SPED Adaptations for Real-Life
Scaffolded Planning
Provide a printed list of common 7th-grade tasks (Chores, Sports, specific classes) that they can cut and paste onto their log.
Ongoing Support
Check the "Quest Log" daily for one week after the simulation to see if they are using their "Buffer" time.
