Description of the Make a Difference
interactive

Grooverboy introduces the interactive by asking players if they are ready to save the sick fish.

The interactive opens with Grooverboy dancing next to a creek. The murky water has rubbish floating in it. There are green paddocks behind him and a town in the distance. A sick fish pokes its head out of the water and says: 'Hey kid, this water is filthy. We're getting sick in here. You gotta help us!' Grooverboy says: 'What can I do, I'm only a kid?' On rollover, a light bulb appears above him saying 'Get Informed'.

On clicking the bulb, Grooverboy appears in a new screen with five light bulbs around him. On rollover, each light bulb lights up to reveal a different way of getting informed. Examples include:

• Read books on the subject
• Tune into news and current affairs

Each light bulb takes the player to a stylised image relating to the method of research. Under each photo is a description of how Grooverboy went about researching the problem, for example:

• I search the library catalogue and find 20 books on river pollution.

After exploring five strategies for getting informed, players can review their progress by clicking through the pages of an onscreen journal. The image appears on the left side of the journal and the explanatory text appears on the right. By clicking 'next', players can exit the journal and continue.

In the next screen, Grooverboy appears again next to the river saying: 'Hey fish, I got informed!' The fish encourages him to take the next step, saying: 'Don't just stand there, do something!'

As in the preceding screens, Grooverboy appears with light bulbs—each revealing a different strategy for getting active and an image and description of how he used the strategy in his community. Examples of strategies include:

• Start or join a lobby group
• Write a letter to the local paper

Grooverboy's strategies include the following example:

• The Clean Creek Committee has its first meeting. We want kids at school to know about the problem of river pollution. We make some posters and put them up at school.

Players can review their progress in the journal, which now includes images and text from stage one, 'Get informed' and stage two, 'Get active'.

In the next screen, Grooverboy appears again next to the creek, which is cleaner and without rubbish. The boy says: 'Hey fish, I got active. I did something about this problem!' The fish says: 'Don't just stand there, tell me what you did!'

As in the preceding screens, Grooverboy appears with light bulbs—each revealing a different outcome resulting from informed action; an image; and examples of the change resulting from informed action. Examples of different outcomes include:

• Raised awareness about pollution in our creek
• Prompted the local paper to do a story on pollution in the creek.

Examples of change include:

• The Clean Creek Committee has 10 new members! Now we have more hands and minds to help solve the problem of pollution.

Players can review their progress in the journal, which now includes images and text from stage one 'Get informed', stage two 'Get active' and stage three 'Make a difference'.

In the next screen, Grooverboy appears again next to the creek, which is clean and blue. There are native shrubs along the banks of the river. Grooverboy says: 'Hey fish, I made a difference! Things are starting to change.' The fish say: 'Good job kid! Things are tasting much better in here!'

Having made a difference to the problem of river pollution by becoming informed and active, Grooverboy comments on his experience in the final screen saying:
'I turned a problem into a solution! I've learned how to make a difference by getting informed and getting active. Maybe I can't change the world in a day, but I can help make my community better by being an active citizen. What problem would you like to solve in your community?'

Players then have the option to play again or return to the homepage.

Go to: Make a Difference Teachers' Notes

NOTE:
To view this interactive:
download the latest Flash Plug-in