Pokémon Learning League

Pokémon Learning League (http://www.pokemonlearningleague.com) is an educational website for elementary school students. It uses animated stories and interactive activities featuring Pokémon characters to teach lessons in subjects such as math, science, language arts, and life skills.

About Pokémon Learning League

Pokémon Learning League was launched in the U.S. in March, 2007 and is offered on a subscription basis in both homes and schools, though it can be tried out with a free trial.

Lesson topics are based on state standards. Students can choose topics and do the lessons from each subject in any order. As they work their way through the lessons, they win points that help them earn rankings for each subject area.

Each lesson is divided into three sections: Watch, Try, and Apply.

Watch

The Watch section introduces a story where Pokémon characters such as Ash Ketchum, Dawn, Brock, Misty, Tracey Sketchit, May, and Max run into a problem, question, or challenge that involves the lesson topic. For example, when Brock falls in love (again) and writes bad love poetry, he discovers that his writing also needs grammar help. Or when Ash and May are having two of their Pokémon practice battling each other, they try to find how Combusken's fire created steam when it hit the ice Grovyle was frozen in. In another story, the kids are in a trick house, and have to sort through different types of triangles in order to put together the key to a puzzle that will open the door.

To get help, the kids contact the Pokémon Learning League using a device called the PokéPilot. The PokéPilot opens a floating screen that allows the kids to see and talk to the Mission Guides at the Learning League Lab.

Mission Guides

The Mission Guides appear to be about college age and each specializes in one subject.

Ada is the bubbly Math guide at The Learning League Lab.

Lex is the resident guitarist and Language Arts guy, covering everything from pronouns to personal narratives.

Quinn handles Life Skills. The Life Skills lessons deal with everyday problems such as peer pressure, stress-management, and good sportsmanship. Quinn knows all about keeping his balance on a skateboard and in life!

Siara is the Learning League Lab’s Science Specialist. She usually can be found in the lab in the middle of some exciting new experiment.

Try

Students try out what they have learned by answering questions and doing activities. They get positive feedback from the Mission Guide if they answer a question correctly. If a student gives a wrong answer, the Mission Guide gives them a hint and they can try again.

Apply

This time students work through questions and activities on their own.

At the end of the Apply section, the characters solve the problem or challenge they had to deal with at the beginning or else revisit what they’ve learned, often with some “punny” joke.