We are going to have so much fun investigating long/short letter A sounds and spelling patterns through game-based learning! "Super Mario Classroom Blast" is an in-class game with a little friendly competition, in the format of a game show. We will begin the game after a short lesson on the two sounds that the letter A can make, the spelling patterns that produce those sounds, and how to read words containing those spelling patterns. Students will play individually or on teams, depending on the number of students in the class. Players select Super Mushrooms labeled with numbers and letters, and will be presented with a word to read that contains a long or short A spelling pattern/sound. If the word is read correctly, they will receive a random prize or consequence. Koopa shells blast points from another team of their choosing. Enemies like Goomba and Piranha Plant deduct points from their team's total. Super Stars make their team invincible for 2 rounds. Fire Flowers allow them to take two more turns. Coins add to their team's points. If they read the word incorrectly, the next team will be given a chance to try. The goal is to have the most coins by the end of the game! We may play several rounds, depending on the speed at which we move through the game. At the end of class, everyone will be congratulated on a job well done, and we will wrap the class up with an overview of what we learned before saying our goodbyes!