Consequence based story block learning system

Abstract

An educational system and method, which may incorporate features of a book, a block game, and/or a puzzle, with the purpose of teaching various principles or lessons. The inventive system includes a plurality of pieces of potentially different geometric shapes. The pieces are sequential in nature and each block is associated with a portion of the story. As part of the story, a participant is asked various questions, allowing the participant to test their instincts and/or knowledge. Based on the decisions that are made, different faces of the blocks are set down. If the correct decisions are made, the end result is a structure, which by its textual, graphical, and/or sculptural appearance, as a whole, communicates an idea or concept. In variations of the invention, each piece has an instability feature, and when the participant incorrectly answers a question, the participant is directed to orient the piece in such a way with respect to one or more other pieces that an unstable structure is created.

1 . An educational system including: 
 a plurality of geometric pieces, each of the plurality of geometric pieces conveying a portion of an idea, which becomes apparent when a collection of the plurality of geometric pieces are positioned in a predetermined manner, the plurality of geometric pieces including:    at least one geometric piece with a representation of a portion of a story;    at least one geometric piece displaying a question relating to the portion of the story wherein the question is intended to elicit a response from a participant; and    at least one geometric piece including directions informing the participant how to position one of the plurality of geometric pieces as a function of the response from the participant.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the plurality of geometric pieces includes an instability feature so as generate an instability when the at least one of the plurality of geometric pieces is not positioned in accordance with the predetermined manner.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the instability feature is a mechanical instability feature.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the instability feature is a magnet.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the plurality of geometric pieces includes a electronic display for displaying one of the portions of the idea.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the plurality of geometric pieces conveys one of the portions of the idea with graphical information.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the plurality of geometric pieces conveys the portion of the idea with textual information.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the plurality of geometric pieces conveys the portion of the idea with topological features.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the plurality of geometric pieces includes both the question and the directions.  
   
   
       10 . An instructional method utilizing a plurality of geometric pieces, each of the plurality of geometric pieces having a plurality of faces, the method comprising: 
 presenting at least a portion of a story to a participant;    questioning the participant in connection with the portion of the story so as to elicit an answer from the participant;    directing the participant to place one of the plurality of geometric pieces on a surface with an orientation that is a function of the answer, wherein the stability of the one of the plurality of geometric pieces is a function of the orientation.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the stability of the one of the plurality of geometric pieces is perceptible by the participant when the one of the plurality of geometric pieces is placed on the surface so as to provide the participant with feedback relative to the answer.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the surface is a surface of another of the plurality of geometrical pieces.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10  including: 
 using a magnetic field to affect the stability of the positioned geometrical piece.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 10  including: 
 using a mechanical feature to affect the stability of the positioned geometrical piece.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the presenting includes presenting the portion of the story with text on a surface of another of the plurality of geometric pieces.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the questioning includes questioning the participant with text on a surface of the one of the plurality of geometric pieces.  
   
   
       17 . A method for teaching using a plurality of geometric pieces, the geometric pieces having a plurality of faces, the method comprising: 
 presenting at least a portion of a story to a participant;    providing the participant with a plurality of questions relating to the story so as to elicit a plurality of answers from the participant;    directing the participant to position each of the plurality of geometric pieces with an orientation that is a function of a corresponding one of the plurality of answers, wherein the plurality of geometric pieces, after being positioned, collectively express an idea.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the plurality of positioned geometric pieces textually express the idea.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the plurality of positioned geometric pieces sculpturally express the idea.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the plurality of positioned geometric pieces graphically express the idea.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the idea is a moral for the participant to take away from the story.