The graveyard piles higher and higher. The battlefield grows sparse as libraries are emptied. A man transforms into a beetle and rampages the creatures in his path. All this? Caused by the work of one student and a custom card.
AP English 4 teacher Nathaniel Brayton offered students an extra credit opportunity to close out the first nine-week grading period, with up to 30 possible bonus points on any daily or test grade. To earn extra credit, students had three weeks to plan, design and create their own card for Magic: The Gathering, earning points based on the card’s professionalism, in-play strength and relevance to a fictional character or object of the student’s choice.
“Originally, this was a way to marry my passions together: literature and Magic: The Gathering,” Brayton said. “I wanted to expose the game to my students and hopefully get more people to join game club (now Magic Club).”
With a significant amount of extra points being offered for any grade, Brayton expressed high expectations for the quality of students’ cards. Despite the magnitude of the opportunity, relatively few students made a submission by the deadline Oct. 9. Those who did were largely involved in Magic: The Gathering beforehand, or became interested in the game during the making of their cards.
“I always greatly appreciate opportunities for extra credit… A little research and creative expression led to some potential GPA saving points,” senior Jaxon Pratus said. “While I know MTG did not influence me personally to participate in the assignment, I believe that if I would’ve been involved with MTG I would have been influenced to participate. I also believe the [reverse] is true, where the assignment at least partially influenced some participants to become involved with MTG.”
Students were responsible for learning the rules and mechanics of the game, though were allowed to ask questions for clarification.
“I have never been to Magic Club, and didn’t really know anything about the game, but I still found the project very interesting, and I enjoyed making a card and learning about the game,” senior Cale Wheeler said. “I think the fact that Mr. Brayton is clearly very educated on Magic and is passionate about the subject definitely encouraged people to do the project. When you see someone who is very passionate about something, it encourages you to try it out.”
Brayton has also raised the standards for students’ work over the past several years, with results consistently improving in quality.
“I think I have tweaked the assignment enough to where the quality of the cards is increasing consistently each year,” Brayton said. “I honestly think that some of my students could work for game design for Magic: The Gathering. My hope is that students find the game intriguing and want to learn more about it and play. In the past, I know it has inspired people to play even after high school.”
