Diana Havens
World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 1
World of Warcraft: Using Video Games for Writing Assignments in
English Language Arts Curriculum,
Grades 11-12
Written by
Diana Havens
National University
September, 2013
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 2
Table of Contents
Teaching Guide Overview .................................................................................. 3
World of Warcraft Description ...................................................................................... 4
Using World of Warcraft in the Classroom ................................................................... 5
The Advantages of Teaching with Games ................................................................... 7
Grade Level Standards................................................................................................ 9
Learning Objectives ................................................................................................... 10
Where the Game fits into the Curriculum ................................................................... 11
What Teachers Need to Know Before Beginning ....................................................... 11
Hardware Requirements............................................................................................ 13
Lessons Overview ............................................................................................ 15
Lesson One ............................................................................................................... 17
Lesson One Learning Objectives .......................................................................................... 17
Lesson One Setup ................................................................................................................ 17
Lesson One Activity/Gameplay ............................................................................................. 19
Lesson One Follow-up/Debriefing ........................................................................................ 21
Lesson One Extensions ........................................................................................................ 22
Lesson Two ............................................................................................................... 23
Lesson Two Learning Objectives .......................................................................................... 23
Lesson Two Setup ................................................................................................................ 23
Lesson Two Activity/Gameplay ............................................................................................. 24
Lesson Two Follow-up/Debriefing ........................................................................................ 25
Lesson Two Extensions ........................................................................................................ 25
References ........................................................................................................ 26
About the Author .............................................................................................. 28
Appendices ....................................................................................................... 29
Appendix A: Parental Controls................................................................................... 29
Appendix B: Parental Consent Example Form ........................................................... 30
Appendix C: ESRB Rating ......................................................................................... 32
Appendix D: Software Requirement Notes ................................................................ 33
Appendix E: Key Terms ............................................................................................. 35
Appendix F: Game Geography .................................................................................. 36
Appendix G: Lore ...................................................................................................... 37
Appendix H: Quest Chains ........................................................................................ 39
Appendix I: Gameplay Tutorial .................................................................................. 40
Appendix J: Points of Interest .................................................................................... 43
Appendix K: Journaling.............................................................................................. 44
Appendix L: Other Resources.................................................................................... 45
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 3
Teaching Guide Overview
World of Warcraft? Video games? Writing assignments? Curriculum? Yes, you read that
correctly. With over 7 million subscribers, World of Warcraft is the #1 subscription-based game
and there is a reason for that (Activision Blizzard, Inc., 2013). This game is exciting, challenging,
fun, engaging, and so much more. Players can create and customize their own characters,
explore a beautiful fantasy world, create their own adventures by completing quests, running
1
through instances , earning achievements, learning professions, training battle pets, and more.
World of Warcraft has been around since 2004 with several expansions, the latest one in 2012
(Blizzard Entertainment, 2012). One aspect of the game that has contributed to its success is that
this game has a rich and engaging environment with engrossing storylines and great character
development.
The Lich King from the Wrath of the Lich King expansion
Around 20 full-length novels have been released that are based on the content within the game
(Blizzard Entertainment, n.d.b). That is a significant amount of content and is a testament of how
1
Dungeons, Raids, Battlegrounds, and Scenarios are all instances where the game creates a special copy of
that instance for the player and/or group of players that is not accessible to anyone not in that group [cite
official game guide].
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 4
involved and in-depth the storylines are within this game. It is for this reason that World of
Warcraft was chosen for this teaching guide.
Video games can be excellent resources for educators. In particular, World of Warcraft
has many learning opportunities that span cross-content. This guide will focus on using World of
Warcraft as a tool for writing. Included in this guide is a brief description of the game, how this
game in general can be used in the classroom, a general discussion on using video games in the
classroom that is research driven, the Common Core Standards that these lessons are related to,
specific and standard-based learning objectives, a brief discussion on where this game and these
lessons fit into the English Language Arts curriculum, what teachers need to know before using
these lessons, hardware requirements, two lesson plans, references, and appendices with
th
additional information and handouts for teachers and students. This guide was written with 11 or
th
12 grade English students in mind, but may be adapted for other grades by altering the
assignments as the teacher deems necessary.
World of Warcraft Description
World of Warcraft, sometimes abbreviated as WoW, is a massively multiplayer online
role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment, originally
released in 2004 with additional expansions released in 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2012 (Blizzard
Entertainment, 2012). The official World of Warcraft beginner’s game guide describe the game as
an “online game where players from around the world assume the roles of heroic fantasy
characters and explore a virtual world full of mystery, magic, and endless adventure” (Blizzard
Entertainment, n.d.c).
This game has a lot of different activities for players to
participate in. Players can create their own characters by
choosing different races, classes, customizing their
appearance and name, and choosing a faction. Players can
level their characters by completing quests, running instances
with other players, or joining a team and battling players on
WoW Art, King Varian Wrynn
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 5
the opposite faction. There are also hundreds of achievements that can be earned, professions to
learn and level, and players can even train battle pets.
This game is rated for teens ages 13 and up by the Entertainment Software Rating Board
(ESRB). The detailed ESRB rating can be found in Appendix C. However, this is an online game
where players can interact with other players.
These interactions are not rated. However,
parental controls can be enabled to restrict a
player’s ability to communicate with other
players. For this lesson, restricting in-game
communication should not interfere with
student learning and their experience with the
game. Information on parental controls can be
Blizzard Entertainment Parental Controls
found in Appendix A.
WoW Art: Battlegrounds
Please note, according to Blizzard’s terms of use, parents or legal guardians of players
over the age of 13 and under the age of 18 must agree to the games terms of use on behalf of
their child (Blizzard Entertainment, 2013). For this reason, it is recommended that teachers ask
parents and guardians to sign a consent form that acknowledges this clause in the Terms of Use
Policy and the ESRB rating. This form may include a short description of the game, addresses
any concerns, information on parental controls, and options for parental consent. See Appendix B
for more information and a sample form.
Using World of Warcraft in the Classroom
World of Warcraft is a complicated game with an environment that can easily be adapted
for use in the classroom. Some benefits to using this game as a teaching tool are cognitive skill
development and the ability to apply learning opportunities across content areas. Regular
gameplay requires players to actively use problem-solving skills, strategic reasoning, prioritizing,
critical thinking, collaboration, and planning. James Paul Gee, leading researcher in the
applications of video games in education, discusses cognitive skill use in World of Warcraft and
how players need to develop a “deep skill set” to play their character as well as be familiar with
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the skill sets of their team members in order to complete instance challenges (edutopia, 2012).
Gee goes on to say that in the real world, in “high tech work,” this is referred to as “cross
functional teams” and is a highly desirable skill.
Besides general cognitive skill use, using World of Warcraft in the classroom has the
benefit of being applicable across different content areas. Teachers can easily apply this game to
lessons in mathematics, economics, English and literature, and social studies and interactions.
For mathematics there is a great deal of data analysis, statistics, and probability involved. The
game will automatically compile a character’s statistics based on the gear (e.g., armor and
weapons) that is being used; however, students could be required to
analyze data to calculate their own statistics, compare the effect that
different gear has on their character’s statistics, or even how changing
the way they play (changing which abilities they use or in which order
they use them) affects the amount of damage or healing they are able
to do. Another interesting aspect of this game is that it supports its own
virtual economy. Players must earn gold, the in-game currency, in
order to support their character’s adventures. Players can get gold
through questing, instances, professions, and using the in-game
Character Statistics
auction house where players can buy and sell items they have gathered or crafted with their
professions or obtained in
gameplay. The functions of the
auction house and the virtual
economy within the game
would work well with lessons in
economics, particularly studies
on supply and demand,
production costs, and elasticity.
In-Game Auction House
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As previously mentioned, World of Warcraft has a rich and engaging environment with
engrossing storylines and great character development. The complexities and in-depth content of
this game will work well within the English Language Arts curriculum. Teachers can use the game
in conjunction with lessons on character
studies, analyzing character archetypes,
storytelling techniques, literary analysis,
comparative analysis, themes, setting, and
perspective. Another example for application
would be in social studies and social
interactions. This game is played by millions of
people around the world. Players are able to
Former Horde Warchief Thrall and his wife, Aggra
connect with other players and work together to complete tasks. Teachers can use the
cooperative play aspect of the game and have students work in groups to solve problems and
complete tasks. Students could also discuss the social features of the game, such as in-game
social etiquette and communication and how that affects gameplay. Overall, World of Warcraft
has many educational applications and can be a great learning tool in a variety of content areas.
The Advantages of Teaching with Games
There are many advantages of teaching with games which includes, but is not limited to,
providing students with an engaging learning experience, using a medium that has proven
st
popularity among consumers, actively using cognitive skills, building 21 Century skills, and
applying theories of constructivism.
The video game industry is a multi-billion dollar industry (ESA, 2012). Students are
already playing many of these games. Video games are fun and must be engaging and hold the
attention of players or the game is not going to be successful. This also means that students are
already using cognitive skills through their gameplay and what they need is a way to bridge this
skill usage to their formal education by integrating video games into the curriculum. Why are
these skills so important? More often researchers, educators, and even economists, stress the
st
importance of students becoming proficient in 21 Century skills in order for the U.S. to remain
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 8
st
competitive in a global economy (Partnership for 21 Century Skills, n.d.). Francoise LeGoues,
IBM Vice President of Innovation states in an interview by Frontline, that World of Warcraft
players are building “sophisticated virtual teams with very sophisticated skills” and building “virtual
strategies” in a way that mimics the kind of collaboration that is necessary for global businesses
today (2010b). Furthermore, innovative game designer Jane McGonigal argues that the skills and
process of playing video games can actually lead to solving real-life problems (TED, 2010). She
isn’t referring to just in-game
challenges or solving small workrelated tasks, she means global
issues of hunger, scarcity of
resources, and curing diseases. In
fact, in 2011 gamers were able to
use a specially designed online,
Jane McGonigal
collaborative game that allows
players to “manipulate virtual molecular structures” to create a model for the molecular structure
of a protein in an HIV-like virus in around 10 days where scientist tried for several years
unsuccessfully (Boyle, 2011).
From an educational standpoint, some of the principal elements of constructivism
learning pedagogy include active learning, learning-by-doing, collaborative learning, problembased learning, inquiry-based learning, role-play simulation, and game-based learning (Harasim,
2012, pp. 68-71). Playing video games involves many of these principles as players must learn
how to play the game through actual hands-on gameplay, use problem-solving techniques to
progress through the different stages of a game, some online games require cooperative team
work, and many video games allow for different kinds of role-play simulations. Marc Prensky,
technology and education expert, discussed in an interview with Frontline how video games
promote decision-making and provide immediate feedback to players (2010a). He goes on to
discuss that the engagement and environment offered by video games, in a hands-on approach
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to learning based on solving problems and making decisions coupled with immediate feedback, is
the kind of learning that students need to be actively doing to increase learning.
Finally, consider this last statement from Gee (2003) when thinking about the advantages
of teaching with games:
We don't often think about videogames as relevant
to education reform, but maybe we should. Game
designers don't often think of themselves as
learning theorists. Maybe they should. Kids often
say it doesn't feel like learning when they're gaming
James Paul Gee
- they're much too focused on playing. If kids were to say that about a science lesson, our
country's education problems would be solved. (para 7)
Grade Level Standards
The following Common Core Standards, adopted for California, were chosen to address
a variety of different writing techniques and exercises used when reading and writing about
Literature and will work well with the fantasy environment provided by World of Warcraft.
Reading Standards for Literature 6-12 (page 49):
RL. 11-12.2 Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their
development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to
produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL. 11-12.3 Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate
elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the
characters/archetypes are introduced and developed).
Writing Standards 6-12 (page 63):
W. 11-12.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
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Speaking and Listening Standards 6-12 (page 69):
SL. 11-12.5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and
interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and
evidence and to add interest. (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices &
Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010)
Learning Objectives
After successfully completing the lessons in the teaching guide, students will be able to:
1. Analyze character archetypes by writing an essay on a character within the game which
identifies and discusses that character’s archetype that is at least five paragraphs in
length and contains no more than two spelling or grammatical errors.
2. Write an essay that identifies, summarizes, and discusses two different themes found
within the game that is at least five paragraphs in length and contains no more than two
spelling or grammatical errors.
3. Write an essay that compares and contrasts an event or character from the point of view
of both factions that is at least five paragraphs in length and contains no more than two
spelling or grammatical errors.
4. Write a first-person narrative that describes the World of Warcraft character students
created that includes details on the character’s history, race, personality, and current
status that is at least five paragraphs in length and contains no more than two spelling or
grammatical errors.
5. Illustrate a first-person narrative by creating a presentation that summarizes the student’s
first-person narrative based on their World of Warcraft character that includes at least
four strategic uses of digital media and contains no more than two spelling or
grammatical errors.
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Where the Game fits into the Curriculum
The lessons in this guide will focus on using the game’s content to explore character
archetypes, themes, perspective, and creative writing in the first-person narrative. In order to
explore these topics students will also need to conduct literary and comparative analysis.
Therefore, students should have a good understanding of how to read, summarize, compare, and
discuss fiction. Students should also be familiar with the different types of point-of-view, be able
to identify themes, and have been introduced to archetypes and perspective. Additionally,
students should be able to compose short essays, conduct Internet research, and create
presentations.
What Teachers Need to Know Before Beginning
Any teacher who is going to use these lessons in their classroom with the World of
Warcraft game needs to have a basic understanding of how to play the game, how to traverse the
in-game world, be familiar with the different races, classes, and factions, and learn a good
amount of game lore. Please see [Appendix E-H] for more information on key terms, game
2
geography, game lore, and quest chains in the starting zones. There is a lot of content in this
game and different things to learn about, so teachers should review these appendices but the
most important thing is to start playing the game and learn a lot of these
mechanics as you play.
The first step to playing the game is creating a new Battle.net
3
account and then downloading and installing the game. Here is a list of
instructions for this process:
1. Go to https://us.battle.net/account/creation/wow/signup/
2. Fill in the information on the right of the page to sign up for a
new starter edition account.
3. Review the Terms of Use, accept by checking the box, and then
New Account
2
3
A quest chain is a series of quests that must be completed in order and typically unlock more quests.
Battle.net refers to the account system Blizzard Entertainment uses for all its games.
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 12
click on the “Play it Free” button.
4. On the next screen, Windows users can click on the “Download this Game” button, other
platform users will need to follow the link under this button for the appropriate version. It
can several minutes for the game to download.
5. After the game is done downloading, navigate to the location on your computer where the
file was downloaded and double-click to launch the installer. Follow the instructions and
prompts. This is a large game and can take several minutes or hours to install, depending
on your system specifications and your Internet connection speed.
6. You should have also received an email to the address you provided when you created
your account with World of Warcraft – Starter Edition Activated in the subject line. If you
did not receive this email in your inbox, please check your SPAM folder. Save this email
as it contains your battle.net account name (your email address) and some important
links to help you get started.
7. When the game is done installing the bar at the bottom of the launch window will turn
green and be at the 100% mark, press the “Play” button.
8. On the Login screen click on the “System” button which is located on the right side of the
screen on the top of a series of buttons.
9. In the System screen, it is
recommended that you adjust
the Graphics settings to “Fair.”
The rest of the default settings
are usually fine, but this will
help the game run a little
smoother. Click on “Okay” to
return to the previous screen. (If
you are on a laptop you may
System Setting Screen
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 13
also want to change your power settings so you are not in a power saver mode,
preferably a high performance mode.)
You are now ready to enter your Login information and start playing the game. For a basic tutorial
on how to get started playing the game please see [Appendix I].
It is recommended that teachers using this game should level at least one character to
level 20 at minimum. In addition, teachers should read as much game lore as possible, see
4
[Appendix G], and watch official trailers, recorded gameplay, and cinematics , see [Appendix L].
The more time spent playing and learning about the game, the more resources teachers can
draw upon for use with their students. It would be ideal if the teacher could level a character on
both factions to at least level 20. It would be even better if one of those characters were leveled
higher so the teacher could experience more content hands-on.
Hardware Requirements
The requirements for using World of Warcraft for this lesson would include the game
software (at minimum the Starter Edition), a computer with a mouse to play the game,
presentation software, and students will need access to their own email account to create a game
account. It would be beneficial for the teacher to have access to a digital projector in order to
demonstrate the game for the class. Ideally, there would be enough computers for every student
and the teacher to play the game at the same time during class sessions. If the teacher does not
have access to one computer per student, students can take turns using the computers that are
available. This lesson does require that each student create their own character, so each student
will need individual time using the game. The number of computers available will affect how long
this lesson will take to complete. Access to the game at home would be extremely helpful,
particularly if there are a limited number of computers in the classroom.
4
Cinematics are in-game cut scenes where the player has little or no control.
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 14
The following table details the system requirements necessary to install and play the
game:
Minimum Requirements
PC
Mac
15 GB available HD space
15 GB available HD space
512 MB RAM (1 GB required for Vista
1 GB RAM
users)
Broadband Internet connection
Broadband Internet connection
Windows® XP/Windows Vista® (latest
Mac® OS X 10.4.11 or newer
service packs)
Intel Pentium® 4 1.3 GHz or AMD Athlon
Intel processor 1.8GHz or better
Recommended Specifications
XP 1500+
32 MB 3D GPU, such as an ATI Radeon
128 MB VRAM 3D graphics processor
7200 or better
such as an ATI Radeon X1600
1 GB RAM (2 GB recommended for Vista
1 GB RAM
Users)
Two-button scroll-wheel mouse
Two-button scroll-wheel mouse
Dual Core Processor
Dual Core Processor
128 MB VRAM 3D graphics processor
128MB Video card such as an ATI
such as an ATI Radeon X1600
Radeon X1600 or better
(Blizzard Entertainment, n.d.a)
In addition to these requirements, it is recommended that students use headphones while playing
the game to listen to dialogue during cinematics, special effects and sounds, and the game
music.
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 15
Lessons Overview
These lessons will introduce students to the lore found in World of Warcraft. Students will
first explore the game’s history and learn about the different factions, characters, races, classes,
and important events. In the first lesson, students will create three essays that summarize and
discuss their findings. In the second lesson, students will take what they have learned about
World of Warcraft lore and create their own story with their own character. Students will write a
first-person narrative to describe their character and create a multi-media presentation that will be
given to the class at the end of the lesson.
Student interaction with the game is an integral part of this lesson. Teachers should first
introduce the game to students through live-gameplay demonstrations, prerecorded gameplay,
official trailers, and recorded in-game cinematics. Many of these resources are available on the
Internet; please refer to [Appendix G, J, and L] for a list of resources. Students will also need
individual time playing the game. If there are not enough computers for all students to play
individually at the same time, the teacher should have students take turns. If students are taking
turns, the teacher can show the students who are not playing additional game footage, review a
list of characters, events, and/or places that the students should explore for themselves. This
would be a good time for the teacher to show students areas of the game that are not accessible
to players with the starter edition (higher level zones, Monks, and Death Knights) and outside
resources that students will need to access in order to read more in-depth details about the
game’s lore.
As previously mentioned, there is a lot of content and different mechanics of this game to
learn. It would be very easy for students to lose focus or get distracted. The teacher’s role for
these lessons will be to keep students on task by providing them with important information
before, during, and after gameplay, monitoring game play, demonstrating the game, and
introducing the game to the students. The following is a detailed list of what the teacher should do
throughout the lessons:
1. Ensure that parental controls have been established, if applicable.
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 16
2. Determine how and when students will be playing the game and create a schedule. Be
sure to schedule individual gameplay time for each student.
3. Briefly discuss with students Internet safety, Battle.net account safety, online etiquette,
and the game’s parental controls, if applicable. Include classroom behavior and
expectations during gameplay.
4. Provide definitions of key terms and a brief description of the game. Define MMORPG
and the fantasy game environment. Refer to relevant appendices as necessary.
5. Provide detailed instructions on all assignments, game activities, and expectations.
6. Prepare sample completed assignments to show students your expectations.
7. Provide students with all necessary handouts and instructional sheets.
8. Be prepared with a list of important characters, events, and places in the game that you
would like students to discover.
9. Demonstrate to the class how to create their own Battle.net account, download and install
the game (for home users, if applicable), and adjust the graphics settings, if necessary.
10. Show students how to choose the realm selected for the class and create their own
character.
11. Demonstrate how to play the game by walking students through the tutorial found in
[Appendix I].
12. If students will be taking turns using the computer, provide further demonstration, videos,
discussions, outside resources, and/or writing activities (e.g., journaling, outlines for
essays) for students waiting their turn.
13. During gameplay sessions, monitor students on the computers, when possible, to check
that they are staying on task.
14. Be prepared to assist students with locating quest chains that lead to capital cities within
the game.
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 17
15. Remind students to take screenshots and write down notes throughout their gameplay.
Lesson One
In Lesson One, students will explore the fantasy world of World of Warcraft. This will
include examining the various character archetypes, finding literary themes, and looking at game
lore from the point of view of both factions. This lesson will allow students to explore literary
analysis through a different type of medium than the traditional novel or short story.
Lesson One Learning Objectives
After successfully completing this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Analyze character archetypes by writing an essay on a character within the game
which identifies and discusses that character’s archetype that is at least five
paragraphs in length and contains no more than two spelling or grammatical
errors.
2. Write an essay that identifies, summarizes, and discusses two different themes
found within the game that is at least five paragraphs in length and contains no
more than two spelling or grammatical errors.
3. Write an essay that compares and contrasts an event or character from the point
of view of both factions that is at least five paragraphs in length and contains no
more than two spelling or grammatical errors.
Lesson One Setup
This lesson will focus on World of Warcraft lore by introducing students to
prominent characters in the game, important events, and the different factions. This will
allow students to explore such topics as character archetypes, themes, setting, and
perspective. The teacher may want to review these concepts prior to starting this lesson.
Students will also be able to practice the writing process through planning, revising,
editing, and rewriting activities.
In the Lesson One Activity/Gameplay, students will be creating their own
characters. Prior to this, the teacher should review the two different factions, all the
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 18
different races, and classes. Teachers can decide if they want to assign each student a
specific faction, race, and class, allow students to choose their own combination, or have
students randomly draw a combination (a card with a faction, race, and class) or draw for
each category (faction, race, and class). Since players can create more than one
character, teachers could choose to allow students to create their own character first and
then be assigned a different combination for a second character on the opposite faction.
Please also note that the Worgen, Goblin, and Pandaren races’ starting zones are
5
phased and players are unable to access other zones within the game until they
complete all of their starting zone quests and are taken out of the phased portion of the
starting zone. These races require players to reach approximately level 12 or higher in
order to move on and players will not be able to revisit these starting zones once they
leave. Teachers may want to restrict students from choosing these races or plan
accordingly.
Lesson One requires students to write a total of three essays and should be
given at least one week per essay plus gameplay time. Students should be provided with
instructions, requirements, and any examples of these essays prior to starting the game
so they can have these essays in mind while they play. Students should also be shown
the requirements for the Lesson Two activities so they can keep track of their characters
experiences through journaling and in-game screenshots.
Teachers should ensure that the game has been downloaded and installed on
each computer that students will be playing the game on. This process can take time and
the teacher should plan accordingly. Furthermore, the teacher should adjust the graphics
and any other necessary system settings and check to see that the game is working on
each computer prior to allowing students to play the game.
Students should create their game accounts prior to starting the first activity to
ensure there are no issues that need to be taken care of. The teacher may want to
5
A phased zone, or phasing, is a technique used in the game so that parts of the game can look different for
different characters or at different stages within a quest chain. A phased area of the game may require that a
player complete certain quest chains in order to exit the phased area.
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 19
provide students with handouts that provide written instructions on creating their own
account, summary of gameplay instructions, list of online resources, list of goals (places
to visit, characters to find, number of quests to complete), and journaling sheets. Please
see [Appendix J] for example points of interest, and [Appendix K] for sample journaling
sheets.
Lesson One Activity/Gameplay
Students will begin gameplay by logging on to the game, choosing their realm,
and creating their own character. If students are able to all play individually at the same
time, the teacher should walk around the room and help students as necessary. The
teacher should also keep an eye on how much time students spend on this part of the
activity so that students can move on to playing the game as soon as possible. Students
should follow these directions:
1. Open the game by double-clicking on the icon on your desktop and clicking on
the “Play” button.
2. Enter battle.net account name (email address used to create account), password
and click the “Login” button.
3. On the next screen click on the “Play Trial” button located on the lower right.
4. When a new player has no characters created yet, you are automatically taken to
the “create a character” screen. First we need to choose a realm, so click the
“Back” button.
5. In the upper-right corner, click on the “Change Realm” button.
6. By default, you should be on the “United States” tab. If for some reason you are
not on the US tab, simply click on that tab at the bottom of the “Realm Selection”
menu.
7. Find the realm the teacher has chosen for the class to use from the list and click
the “Okay” button. You will be taken back to the previous screen but now your
chosen realm will be listed above the “Change Realm” button.
8. Click on the “Create New Character” button on the lower right.
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 20
9. Choose your character’s gender in the upper-left corner.
10. Choose your characters race on the left side of the screen.
11. Choose your characters class on the right side of the screen.
12. Click on the “More Info” button on the lower-left corner at any time to get more
information on your current selections for race and class. Click on the button
again to minimize this information.
13. Click on the “Customize” button at the bottom of the screen in the middle when
you are satisfied with your choices.
14. On this next screen you can further customize your characters appearance and
choose a name. You can randomize these options or choose from various
different options. These options typically include skin color, face, hair style, and
hair color. Additional options are available, but will vary depending on the race
selected. Click “Finish” when you are satisfied with your character’s name and
appearance. If you get a message stating that the name you chose is
unavailable, choose another name (or hit randomize) and try again.
15. With your new character selected, click on the “Enter World” button located at the
bottom of the screen in the middle under your character’s name.
16. Watch the cinematic (different for each race).
17. Accept your first quest(s).
18. Read the instructions.
19. Use the map to find where you need to go in order to complete the quest
objectives.
20. Use the map to find where to turn the quest in once it has been completed.
21. Repeat this process until you complete the quests in your starting zone and are
given a quest to go to a new town (around level 3 to 5).
22. Use the map to guide you to the next town.
23. Speak to an innkeeper (usually in the inn or a tent of some kind, look for the
innkeeper icon
on your minimap) and make this new town your home.
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 21
This would be a good time for students to take a break, write down some notes on a
journaling sheet, or stop for the day.
From this point, the teacher can choose where and what students do next.
Students can be instructed to continue leveling their characters to level 20 by following
the quest chains, see [Appendix H], from this second town. Most races can access a
flight path from this second town to the capital city for their race. Students could be
instructed to take that flight path and explore the capital city. Capital cities are linked by
various travel methods and so it is possible for students to explore the other three capital
cities of their faction at this point as well. Students will need to reach level 20 for Lesson
Two. It is up to the teacher to have students complete more quests now or to move on to
the rest of Lesson One. The only exception is for students who are playing as the
Worgen, Goblin, and Pandaren races with phased starting zones, as previously
mentioned. Students playing as these races will not be able to leave their starting zone
until they have completed the quest chain that leads out of that zone and will not be able
to return.
Students should continue exploring their faction’s capital cities, surrounding
starter zones, complete quests (time permitting and upon teacher direction), locate their
faction leaders and other important characters, and visit all locations as instructed.
Students should also be taking in-game screenshots and journaling whenever possible.
Lesson One Follow-up/Debriefing
After students have completed the initial gameplay as described above, students
should begin planning their first essay. The teacher should review the instructions and
requirements for the essay on character archetypes with students. It may also be
beneficial if the teacher reviewed character archetypes. The teacher can choose to
provide a list of characters for students to choose from or require students to locate a
character within the game (through hands-on discovery or an outside resource) on their
own. Students will need to access outside resources for more detailed information to
complete their essay. Please see [Appendix G and Appendix J] for resources.
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 22
For the second essay, the teacher will review the instructions and requirements
of the essay on themes with students. This may be a good time to review themes in
general. The teacher may want to provide a list of events or storylines for students to
research in order to guide them towards identifying their themes. Again, students will
want to access outside resources in order to complete this essay. Please see [Appendix
G and Appendix J] for resources.
For the third and final essay for this lesson, teachers will, once again, want to
review the instructions and requirements for the compare and contrast essay on
perspective. The teacher will want to review compare and contrast writing techniques and
discuss the effects that perspective can have on an event. Students will need to access
outside resources to learn about the perspective of each faction on an event or character
within the game. Please see [Appendix G and Appendix J] for resources. Teachers may
also want to consider allowing students to create a second character of the opposite
faction to get first-hand experience on both sides.
Lesson One Extensions
Teachers have several different options for extensions to the Lesson One
activities and gameplay. Students could play the game at home, if possible. This would
allow students to complete additional quests. If they have already reached level 20, they
can still complete quests in other low-level zones and starting zones of their faction.
Students could also create additional characters to try out different race and class
combinations or play on the opposite faction. If possible, students could upgrade their
Starter Edition to the Battle Chest and continue leveling their character and explore more
content. This will of course increase the time commitment and incur additional costs.
Students could also read more game lore or research a different theme or
character within the game. Students could write a reflective essay on their overall
experience so far, write a summative essay on the race of the student’s character, or
write a summative essay detailing “current” events in the Mists of Pandaria expansion.
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 23
Lesson Two
In Lesson Two, students will get to apply what they have learned about World of Warcraft
lore so far and create a story for their own character. Based on the in-game history of the different
races and classes and personal experiences through gameplay, students will write a first-person
narrative and create a presentation that details their character’s history, race, personality, and
current status in the game.
Lesson Two Learning Objectives
After successfully completing this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Write a first-person narrative that describes the World of Warcraft character
students created that includes details on the character’s history, race,
personality, and current status that is at least five paragraphs in length and
contains no more than two spelling or grammatical errors.
2. Illustrate a first-person narrative by creating a presentation that summarizes the
student’s first-person narrative based on their World of Warcraft character that
includes at least four strategic uses of digital media and contains no more than
two spelling or grammatical errors.
Lesson Two Setup
By this point, students should be familiar with the game and their character. The
teacher may want to review some of the prominent characters in the game or share with
the class some of the essays that were written on character archetypes to emphasis the
character development that exists in the game. The teacher should provide students with
the instructions, requirements, and any examples for the assignments in Lesson Two
prior to starting the next activity. Students will be creating a presentation in this lesson to
illustrate their first-person narrative. A slideshow presentation would probably work best;
however, based on available resources, the teacher can offer alternatives (e.g., poster
board with printed images, digital storytelling, or a video). The teacher should also remind
students to make use of the in-game screenshot tool and to review their previously
written journaling sheets.
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 24
Lesson Two Activity/Gameplay
After students have reviewed their gameplay from the first lesson, they will need
to revisit the game to get more in-game screenshots, revisit specific places within the
game, or complete additional quests. If students did not reach level 20 on their character
in Lesson One, they should do so now, or at the very minimum complete enough quests
in their starting zone, or any of the other starting zones, to have a good sense of their
character and their abilities. Depending on how many notes students took during Lesson
One, the teacher may want to have them fill out additional journaling sheets with
particular focus on the character’s experiences.
Suggested gameplay activities for students in this lesson include:
1. Reach level 20 on their character.
2. Revisit their character’s starting zone.
6
3. Visit the nearest capital city to their starting zone. Talk to random NPCs in the
city, explore all the structures, and visit the faction leader for that city.
4. Travel to the starting zone of a different race and complete the starting zone
quests.
5. If level 20, travel to any level 10-20 zone and complete all quests in that zone.
6. If level 20, travel to any level 20-25 zone and do as many quests as possible.
Playing in these zones will be more challenging for Starter Edition users as they
will not level past 20.
7. If level 10 or higher, learn at least one primary profession and one secondary
profession and work on leveling professions, see [Appendix E]. Note, Starter
Edition users are unable to use the Auction House so items gathered and crafted
will have to be used or sold to a vendor.
8. Work with four other students in the class to try and complete a dungeon.
6
NPC is an acronym for non-playing character. Quest givers are an example of an NPC. Just click on NPC
to see if they have anything to say to you. Some will just have an audio clip, a window with text will pop
up, or other options.
Diana Havens
World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 25
Lesson Two Follow-up/Debriefing
Students will draw upon quests they have completed, achievements they have
earned, events they have read about, places they have visited or read about – anything
relating to the game that students have experienced first-hand or read about in order to
create their own narrative for their character. This assignment is meant to allow students
creative control over their character. In addition to the written narrative, students will also
create a presentation with digital media that will be given to the class at the end of the
lesson. Students should use in-game screenshots of their character from their gameplay
but can also use other images to illustrate their first-person narrative.
For the written, first-person narrative, the teacher will want to review the
instructions and requirements with students, including a brief discussion on each of the
components that must be included. The teacher may also want to review first-person
narrative writing techniques. It may also be helpful if the teacher could share an example
that teacher created based on one of their own characters and how they incorporated
elements of their own gameplay into their narrative.
For the second assignment, students will be creating a presentation based on
their first-person narrative. Students will assemble any media they have collected so their
presentation has plenty of visuals to illustrate their narrative. These presentations should
be presented to the class at the end of the lesson.
Lesson Two Extensions
As with the first lesson, there are many different options for extending this lesson.
Students could create a second presentation on a different character they created during
either lesson. Students could write a first-person narrative for one of the characters they
researched in Lesson One, for instance, one of the faction leaders. Students could write
a reflective essay on their experiences creating their own character and with the
assignments in Lesson Two. Students could present and discuss their work with their
parents/guardians. Another idea would be for students to create a blog from the point-ofview of their character.
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 26
References
Activision Blizzard, Inc. (2013). Activision Blizzard announces second quarter 2013 financial
results [Press release]. Retrieved from http://finance.yahoo.com/news/activision-blizzardannounces-second-quarter-200500996.html
Blizzard Entertainment. (2012). Blizzard Timeline. Retrieved from http://us.blizzard.com/enus/company/about/b20/timeline.html
Blizzard Entertainment. (2013). Battle.net terms of use. Retrieved from http://us.blizzard.com/enus/company/about/termsofuse.html
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (n.d.a). Blizzard store: North American region. Retrieved from
http://us.blizzard.com/store/details.xml?id=110000044
Blizzard Entertainment. (n.d.b). Expanded universe: Novels. Retrieved from
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/lore/
Blizzard Entertainment. (n.d.c). What is World of Warcraft? Retrieved from
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/guide/
Boyle, A. (2011). Gamers solve molecular puzzle that baffled scientists. NBC News. Retrieved
from http://www.nbcnews.com/science/gamers-solve-molecular-puzzle-baffled-scientists6C10402813?franchiseSlug=sciencemain
edutopia. (2012, March 21). James Paul Gee on learning with video games [Video file]. Retrieved
from http://www.edutopia.org/james-gee-video-games-learning-video
ESA. (2012). Essential facts about the computer and video game industry. Retrieved from
http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2012.pdf
Frontline. (2010a, February 2). Games that teach [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/learning/games-that-teach/gamesthat-teach-1.html?play
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 27
Frontline. (2010b, February 2). Is World of Warcraft on your resume? [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/virtual-worlds/video-games/isworld-of-warcraft-on-your-resume.html?play
Gee, J. P. (2003, May). High score education: Games, not school, are teaching kids to think.
Wired. Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.05/view.html?pg=1
Harasim, L. (2012). Learning theory and online technologies. New York, NY: Routledge.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School
Officers. (2010). Common Core State Standards for English language arts and literacy in
history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. Washington, DC: Authors.
Retrieved from
st
Partnership for 21 Century Skills. (n.d.). Mission Statement. Retrieved from
http://www.p21.org/about-us/our-mission
TED. (2010). Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.html
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 28
About the Author
Diana Havens holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics, and is currently a student at National
University earning her Master’s Degree in Educational and Instructional Technology. She is an
avid reader, gamer, and technology enthusiast. In 2012 at the Annual National University Faculty
Symposium, her capstone project Fractals: An Educational Tool received special recognition in
the Undergraduate category.
Diana Havens
World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 29
Appendices
Appendix A: Parental Controls
The nature of MMORPGs is that you get to play with other people. This can be a really great
aspect of the game; however, it can also be an issue, particularly when dealing with minors. For
safety and peace of mind, Blizzard Entertainment offers several parental control options.
These options include:

Restricting communication with other players. Communication can be limited or blocked
entirely.

Setting up time limits for game play. This allows parents/guardians to control how much
time their child is playing the game.

Setting up a play-time schedule. This allows parents/guardians to create a custom
schedule for when their child is allowed to play the game.

Receive play-time reports. Parents/guardians can have play-time reports sent to their
email address so they can monitor their child’s gameplay.
For more information and instructions on using parental controls, here are two important links:
Blizzard Entertainment’s Parental Control official information:
https://us.battle.net/account/parental-controls/index.html
Blizzard Entertainment’s Parental Control FAQs:
https://us.battle.net/support/en/article/parental-controls-faq
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 30
Appendix B: Parental Consent Example Form
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Over the next several weeks your students will be continuing to develop their literary analysis
skills by further studying character development, themes, perspective, and creative writing. We
will be using an alternative medium as our focus by playing World of Warcraft, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). This game has a lot of really rich and in-depth
content for students to explore. Research has also been shown that video games are excellent
learning tools and provide students with an engaging learning experience.
This game is rated for teens, ages 13 and up, by ESRB. You can look up details on the rating at
www.ESRB.org. Since it is an online game, players can interact with other players; however,
there are parental controls that can restrict communication with other players, as well as set time
limits, set up play schedules, and get play time reports. Students will each need to have access to
their own account (signing up is free) in order to play. Blizzard Entertainment (the game’s
producer) has a section in their Terms of Use policy that addresses use of the game by minors:
4. USE OF THE SERVICE BY MINORS.
Subject to the laws of your country of residence, minor children may utilize an Account established by their parent or legal
guardian with the approval of their parent or legal guardian. In the event that you permit your minor child or legal ward
(collectively, your “Child”) to use an Account on the Service, you hereby agree to these TOU on behalf of yourself and
your Child, and you understand and agree that you will be responsible for all uses of the Account by your Child whether or
not such uses were authorized by you, including without limitation, your Child’s acceptance of the EULA for Games that
are playable on the Service, or any Game-specific Terms of Use.
If you have any questions about this, please do not hesitate to contact me. The full Terms of Use
can be viewed online at: http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/about/termsofuse.html
It is our school policy to obtain parent/guardian consent before using any outside materials that
are not rated for all ages (for instance PG-Rated movies). Attached to this letter you will find the
consent form. Please fill this out and return with your student.
Thank you for your time, please contact me with any questions or concerns,
Sincerely,
Ms. Smith
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 31
Parental Consent Form: Media Use
Title: World of Warcraft
Type of Media: Video Game
Rating: Teen, ages 13 and up
Date(s) of Use:
Student Name: ______________________________________________________
Class/Period: ________________________________________________________
_____ Yes, I give my son/daughter permission to play video games rated for Teens, ages 13 and
up, and view any images or media related to the game that does not violate the Teen rating.
_____ No, I do not give my son/daughter permission to play video games rated for Teens, ages
13 and up, and view any images or media related to the game that does not violate the Teen
rating. I understand that alternate learning experiences for my child will be provided.
Parent/Guardian Name: _________________________________________________
Signature: ____________________________________________________________
Date: ________________ Phone Number: ___________________________________
Email: ________________________________________________________________
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 32
Appendix C: ESRB Rating
Here is the complete rating information for World of Warcraft that is found on the ESRB website:
ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) Rating Information
Platform
Macintosh, Windows PC
Rating Category
Teen:
Content is generally suitable for ages 13 and up. May contain
violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated
gambling and/or infrequent use of strong language.
Content Descriptors
Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes,
Use of Alcohol, Violence
Other
Includes online features that may expose players to unrated usergenerated content (Macintosh, Windows PC)
Rating Summary
This is a massively multiplayer online (MMO) role-playing game set in
the imaginary world of Azeroth. Players complete quests in order to
'level up' their characters, while gaining powers and better
weapons/armor/accessories along the way. Quest objectives sometimes
involve using magic and hand-to-hand combat to defeat various
creatures, enemy soldiers, and occasionally other characters such as
innocent villagers. Some attacks can result in splashes of red blood or
small bursts of flesh and bone falling to the ground. Certain quests
require the player to drink alcohol, resulting in the character's impaired
vision (blurry screen, pink elephants) and movement. Players can
interact with scantily clad characters, listen to provocative dialogue (e.g.,
'Is that a mana wyrm in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?'),
or view sexually suggestive dance routines performed by elves and
other player-characters. One quest requires players to search for
specific creatures among a landscape covered with piles of brown feces.
The words 'a*s,' 'bastard,' and 'b*tch' can be heard in the dialogue.
ESRB link
http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=29635&Title=World
%20of%20Warcraft
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 33
Appendix D: Software Requirement Notes
World of Warcraft has a free Starter Edition, the original game, and several expansions
that have been released. The following table shows the different software titles available and their
cost:
Title
Cost
World of Warcraft: Starter Edition (limitations on gameplay)
Free
World of Warcraft: Battle Chest: (includes the original game, the Burning Crusade
$19.99
and Wrath of the Lich King expansions.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (expansion)
$9.99
World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (expansion)
$39.99
Monthly Subscription to access game (not applicable to Starter Edition
$14.99
These are the retail costs found on the official Blizzard store (Blizzard Entertainment, n.d.a).
Please note, in order to purchase any of the expansions, it is necessary to first purchase the
Battle Chest. Prices will vary; however, these titles are put on sale occasionally. Recently, the
Battle Chest and Cataclysm expansion were available for $5.00 each. To explain further the
differences in software options, the free Starter Edition allows players free access to the game
with certain limitations that include a maximum character level of 20, gold restrictions, limited ingame communication, and the inability to join guilds, use the auction house, or the in-game mail
system. Also, Starter Edition players cannot play two of the classes, Monks or Death Knights. The
Battle Chest allows players to reach level 80 and gain access to the content in the Burning
Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King expansions. The Cataclysm and Mists of Pandaria
expansions allow access to additional content and for players to reach levels 85 and 90,
respectively.
Ideally, the teacher would have the full version of the game and all the expansions and
have played through the content to get a really good sense of the game and the lore. However,
this is a serious time commitment, around 100 hours or so of actual gameplay to reach level 90. It
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 34
is recommended that the teacher have the Battle Chest as the Burning Crusade and, in particular,
the Wrath of the Lich King, have a lot of great content to explore. If this is not possible, then the
teacher would at minimum need to have the Starter Edition and become familiar with World of
Warcraft lore through outside sources. Students will need at least the Starter Edition in order to
create their own characters. Of course, the Battle Chest would give students access to additional
content and enrich the experience. However, this would be at an additional cost and time
commitment. That decision can be made as the teacher gains more experience with the game,
the lesson, and after considering available resources. Students cannot share accounts as that
would violate Blizzard Entertainment’s Terms of Use policy.
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 35
Appendix E: Key Terms
Factions: There are two different playable factions that players can choose from, the Alliance and
the Horde but there are many more non-playable factions. For more information on factions
please visit: http://wowpedia.org/Factions
Races: Each faction has several races for players to choose from:
Alliance Races:
Horde Races:

Human

Orc

Dwarf

Blood Elf

Night Elf

Troll

Draenei

Undead

Gnome

Goblin

Worgen

Tauren

Pandaren

Pandaren
For more information on races, please visit: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/race/
Classes: Players can also choose from several different classes: Druids, Hunters, Mages, Monks,
Paladins, Priests, Rogues, Shamans, Warriors, and Death Knights. For more information on
classes please visit: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/class/
Professions: Players can learn primary and secondary professions. For more information on
professions, please visit: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/profession/
PVE: Player-vs-Environment. This is gameplay where the player is interacting with game by
completing quests and instances that do not involve fighting against players on the opposing
faction.
PVP: Player-vs-Player. This is gameplay where players are actively fighting against other players
on the opposing team.
RP: Role-playing. There are RP realms where players purposefully role-play and pretend to be incharacter. Some RP may happen on non-RP realms, but is less likely and not accepted.
For more in-game information please visit: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 36
Appendix F: Game Geography
The game is divided into two worlds, Azeroth and Outland. Most of the game occurs on Azeroth,
which consists of 4 continents: The Eastern Kingdoms, Kalimdor, Northrend, and Pandaria.
Players do not visit Northrend and Pandaria till they reach level 70 and 85, respectively.
Azeroth World Map (Mists of Pandaria):
Boat and Zeppelin Routes (Cataclysm):
A great travel guide can be found by visiting: http://www.wowhead.com/news=199648/travelingaround-azeroth-a-transportation-guide
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 37
Appendix G: Lore
Resources from official site:
The Story of Warcraft: An overview of each Warcraft and World of Warcraft expansion
from the official site:
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/the-story-of-warcraft/chapter1
Expanded Universe: Mists of Pandaria short stories, short stories from other expansions,
list of novels, comics, and manga.
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/lore/
The Characters of Warcraft: Short summary of some of the characters in the game.
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/lore/characters/
Other resources:
Wowpedia (Wiki but fairly reliable, Blizzard Entertainment will link to this site) has a
section on lore, you can also search for specific events and characters:
http://wowpedia.org/Lore
WoW Insider: Unofficial site that provides fairly reliable information.
The following is a link to chronological guide to the novels, manga, comics, and
short stories:
http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/08/04/wow-insiders-chronological-guide-to-warcraftnovels-manga-com/
Know Your Lore: A guide to lore. Helpful lists of important events, characters,
and lore articles:
http://wow.joystiq.com/lore/
Video:
Cinematics and other assorted videos: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/media/videos/#/1
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 38
World of Warcraft YouTube Channel (using “cinematic” as a search term helps narrow
results): http://www.youtube.com/user/WorldofWarcraft
Suggested Videos:
World of Warcraft Cinematic: http://youtu.be/G1pnNDRG7ok
Burning Crusade Cinematic: http://youtu.be/B8XtohlqEeM
Wrath of the Lich King Cinematic: http://youtu.be/yu1EE7GheD0
The Wrathgate: http://youtu.be/Ch4rc5W4dKY
Fall of the Lich King: http://youtu.be/UY3oZH6Piz4
Fall of the Lich King Ending: http://youtu.be/qAIrj_Vqdfc
Cataclysm Cinematic: http://youtu.be/Wq4Y7ztznKc
Rage of the Firelands: http://youtu.be/HsXglDs81FU
Hour of Twilight: http://youtu.be/U3OJW2jKAyI
Dragon Soul Final: http://youtu.be/bYVA0Hh6u3U
Mists of Pandaria Cinematic: http://youtu.be/wvYXoyxLv64
Siege of Ogrimmar: http://youtu.be/slzQOyS5TqQ
Siege of Ogrimmar, Alliance Ending: http://youtu.be/L4V6hk-_30k
Siege of Ogrimmar, Horde Ending: http://youtu.be/c_JarJXltBI
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World of Warcraft: Writing Assignments 39
Appendix H: Quest Chains
This table summarizes the starting zones by race:
For an interactive table with links, visit: http://wowpedia.org/Starting_area
For a list of quests, visit each zones questing guide:
Dun Morogh: http://wowpedia.org/Dun_Morogh_questing_guide
Elwynn Forest: http://wowpedia.org/Elwynn_Forest_questing_guide
Teldrassil: http://wowpedia.org/Teldrassil_questing_guide
Azuremyst Isle: http://wowpedia.org/Azuremyst_Isle_questing_guide
Gilneas: http://wowpedia.org/Worgen_starting_experience
The Wandering Isle: http://www.wowwiki.com/Wandering_Isle_quests
Tirisfal Glades: http://wowpedia.org/Tirisfal_Glades_quests
Durotar: http://wowpedia.org/Durotar_questing_guide
Mulgore: http://wowpedia.org/Mulgore_quests
Eversong Woods: http://wowpedia.org/Eversong_Woods_quests
Kezan: http://www.wowwiki.com/Goblin_starting_experience#Kezan
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Appendix I: Gameplay Tutorial
1. Click on the World of Warcraft client launcher and press “Play.”
2. Enter your battle.net account name (your email address that you used to sign up for your
account) and your password and click the “Login” button.
3. On the next screen click on the “Play Trial” button located on the lower right (Starter
Edition users only).
4. When a new player has no characters created yet, you are automatically taken to the
“create a character” screen. First we need to choose a realm, so click the “Back” button.
5. In the upper right corner, click on the “Change Realm” button.
6. By default, you should be on the “United States” tab. If for some reason you are not on
the US tab, simply click on that tab at the bottom of the “Realm Selection” menu.
7. Now choose any “Normal” realm from the list (look for realms that say “New Players” and
avoid “High” population realms) and click the “Okay” button. You will be taken back to the
previous screen but now your chosen realm will be listed above the “Change Realm”
button.
8. Click on the “Create New Character” button on the lower right.
9. Choose your character’s gender in the upper-left corner.
10. Choose your characters race on the left side of the screen.
11. Choose your characters class on the right side of the screen.
12. Click on the “More Info” button on the lower-left corner at any time to get more
information on your current selections race and class. Click on the button again to
minimize this information.
13. Click on the “Customize” button at the bottom of the screen in the middle when you are
satisfied with your choices.
14. On this next screen you can further customize your characters appearance and choosing
a name. You can randomize these options or choose from various different options.
These options typically include skin color, face, hair style, and hair color. Additional
options are available, but will vary depending on the race selected. Click “Finish” when
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you are satisfied with your character’s name and appearance. If you get a message
stating that the name you chose is unavailable, choose another name (or hit randomize)
and try again.
15. With your new character selected, click on the “Enter World” button located at the bottom
of the screen in the middle under your character’s name.
16. Watch the cinematic (different for each race).
17. Move your character by pressing both buttons on the mouse at the same time and
moving the mouse from left to right to control your direction, use the up, down, left, and
right arrow keys on your keyboard to go forward, backwards, left, and right, respectively,
or use the “W,” “S,” “A,” and “D” keys on your keyboard to go forward, backwards, left,
and right, respectively. Press the “Spacebar” to jump.
18. Accept your first quest(s). Quest givers are identified by have a yellow exclamation point
above their head. Your first quest giver will be right in front of you when you enter the
game after the cinematic. Click on the quest giver and a pop-up window comes up with a
quest. Get in the habit of skimming through the quest to make sure there isn’t a time limit
or other special instructions before you accept the quest.
19. Read the instructions.
20. Use the map to find where you need to go in order to complete the quest objectives.
Press “M” on your keyboard to bring up a large map of the area. The arrow on the map
marks your location and the direction you are facing. Your quest will be represented by
the quest number in your objective/quest log or a yellow mark for completed quests. If
you click on a quest on the map, the quest window will pop up with your directions. Press
“M” again to close this map. You can also make the map smaller by clicking on the arrow
in the upper right-hand corner.
21. There is also a mini-map in your main user interface in the upper-right hand corner that
has an arrow around the edge point in the direction of your active quest (the quest
highlighted in your objective list). Use these maps to find and complete your first quest.
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22. To use your abilities (spells & attacks), there is an action bar on the bottom of the screen
that starts on the lower-left side. This action bar has squares with icons in some of the
slots. There will be a number in the upper-right corner of each square starting with 1 and
ending with 0 from left to right. These numbers represent the numbers on your keyboard.
Press the corresponding number to use that ability. The first ability for any class is always
in the “1” spot.
23. Use the map to find where to turn the quest in once it has been completed. Look for the
yellow question mark on your map and reread the quest instructions.
24. Repeat this process until you complete the quests in your starting zone and are given a
quest to go to a new town. See [Appendix H] for a list.
25. Use the map to guide you to the next town.
26. Speak to an innkeeper (usually in the inn or a tent of some kind, look for the innkeeper
icon
on your minimap) and make this new town your home. Just click on the
innkeeper and choose “make this town your home.”
27. If your quest asks you to take a flight or zeppelin to another town, look for the flight
master icon (shaped like a boot), click on the flight master, hover over the locations on
the map with more flight master icons and choose the town (a name will pop up) that you
need to fly to.
28. If at any time during your gameplay you want to take a screenshot (an image of what is
on your screen) press the “print screen” or “prt sc” button on your keyboard. Images are
saved as JPEGS and can be found in a folder called “Screenshots” in your World of
Warcraft folder in “Program Files” on your computer.
29. When you are ready to stop playing, find a safe location for your character (a place where
your character will not be attacked, usually in an inn or a town), press the “ESC” key on
your keyboard and choose “Exit Game.”
For a more detailed beginner’s guide, please visit: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/guide/gettingstarted and http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/guide/how-to-play
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Appendix J: Points of Interest
Here is a sample of characters and places to visit in-game or research:
Characters:
King Varian Wrynn
Prince Anduin
Wrynn
Jaina Proudmoore
Tyrande
Muradan
Bronzebeard
Windrunner
Mekkatorque
Lor’themar Theron
Genn Graymane
Thrall
Malfurion
Aggra
Velen the Prophet
Sylvannas
Gelbin
Whisperwind
Stormrage
Baine Bloodhoof
Prince Gallywix
Illidan Stormrage
Arthas Menethil
Garrosh
Alexstrasza
Hellscream
Deathwing
Moira Thaurissan
Vol’Jin
Capital Cities:
Stormwind
Ogrimmar
Darnassus
Thunder Bluff
Ironforge
Silvermoon City
Exodar
Undercity
For a more detailed list visit (and review the information in Appendix G):
http://www.wowwiki.com/Major_characters
http://www.wowwiki.com/History_of_Warcraft
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Appendix K: Journaling
Journaling Page
Student Name: _____________________ Character Name: ___________________________
Date:
Observation:
Zone:
Level:
Achievement:
Date:
Observation:
Zone:
Level:
Achievement:
Date:
Observation:
Zone:
Level:
Achievement:
Date:
Zone:
Level:
Achievement:
Observation:
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Appendix L: Other Resources
Blizzard Entertainment’s home page:
http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/
Battle.net Terms of Use
http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/about/termsofuse.html
World of Warcraft Terms of Use
http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/legal/wow_tou.html
Conduct Policies:
https://us.battle.net/support/en/games/wow/conduct-penalties
World of Warcraft home page:
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/
Beginner’s Guide:
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/guide/
Blizzard Store:
http://us.blizzard.com/store/index.xml
Wowpedia (Wiki but fairly reliable, Blizzard Entertainment will link to this site):
http://wowpedia.org
Wowwiki (Another wiki, also fairly reliable, not updated as often as Wowpedia):
http://www.wowwiki.com
Wowhead (Database with information and the location of just about everything):
http://www.wowhead.com/