Teaching-mechanic library

grapple_anchors · general · linker.pairs

Concept: Any set of matched pairs (term–definition, part–function)

Player does: Chain lightning jumps only between matching pairs

Breaks: Similar-sounding terms mean the same thing

Each term has one partner; matching by meaning, not by sound, is what makes the link hold.

proton_transfer · chemistry · linker.pairs

Concept: Brønsted acids & bases

Player does: Link each acid to its conjugate base by passing proton tokens

Breaks: Strong acid means concentrated acid

Acid strength is about how completely it donates protons, which is independent of its concentration.

redox_tracker · chemistry · linker.pairs

Concept: Oxidation & reduction

Player does: Link each species to whether it's oxidized or reduced

Breaks: Oxidation always involves oxygen

Oxidation is the loss of electrons, a definition that applies even in reactions with no oxygen present.

shape_docking · biology · linker.pairs

Concept: Enzyme specificity

Player does: Dock each substrate into its matching active site

Breaks: Enzymes are used up in reactions

An enzyme's active site releases the product and is reused, so the enzyme itself is not consumed.

ecosystem_network · biology · linker.network

Concept: Food webs

Player does: Remove a species; trace the cascade through the web

Breaks: Removing a predator helps every other species

Removing a predator can trigger a cascade that harms some species, such as prey overpopulating and depleting their own food.

organelle_city · biology · linker.pairs

Concept: Organelle functions

Player does: Assign each city service to its organelle

Breaks: Plant cells don't have mitochondria

Plant cells have mitochondria for cellular respiration in addition to chloroplasts for photosynthesis.

boss_anatomy · biology · linker.pairs

Concept: Parts & functions

Player does: Strike the weak point whose function the announcer names

Breaks: The right side of the heart pumps to the body

The right side of the heart pumps to the lungs, while the left side pumps oxygenated blood to the body.

pointer_chain · cs · linker.chain

Concept: Linked lists

Player does: Relink next-pointers to insert a node

Breaks: You can jump straight to the 5th node

A linked list has no direct index access; reaching the 5th node means following the chain of pointers from the head.

weighted_path_planner · cs · linker.path

Concept: Shortest paths (Dijkstra)

Player does: Find the cheapest route across weighted bridges

Breaks: Fewest edges means cheapest

The shortest path minimizes total edge weight, which can require more edges than the fewest-edge route.

deadlock_locks · cs · linker.network

Concept: Deadlock

Player does: Find the cycle in the wait-for graph and break it

Breaks: Deadlock needs a bug in a single thread

Deadlock arises from a cycle of threads each waiting on a resource the other holds, not from a bug in one thread alone.

state_world · cs · linker.network

Concept: Finite state machines

Player does: Draw the transitions so the world accepts the input

Breaks: A state machine remembers its whole history

A finite state machine's next move depends only on its current state and input, not its full history.

domino_engine · history · linker.chain

Concept: Cause & effect chains

Player does: Place causes so the chain topples through to the consequence

Breaks: History is a list of unrelated events

Historical events form causal chains, where each link sets up the conditions for the next.

who_said_it · history · linker.pairs

Concept: Figures & ideas

Player does: Match quotes and positions to historical figures

Breaks: Reformers of an era all wanted the same thing

Reform movements within the same era often held competing, even conflicting, goals.

checks_network · civics · linker.network

Concept: Checks and balances

Player does: Draw which branch checks which, and how

Breaks: Checks only run in one direction

Checks and balances run between every pair of branches, not just from one branch down to another.

amendment_match · civics · linker.pairs

Concept: Rights & amendments

Player does: Match each scenario to the amendment it invokes

Breaks: The First Amendment binds private companies

The Bill of Rights restrains government action, not the policies of private companies.

migration_flows · geography · linker.network

Concept: Push & pull factors

Player does: Connect factors to the migrations they drove

Breaks: Migration is only about money

Migration is driven by a mix of push and pull factors, including safety, family, and opportunity, not money alone.

bias_detector · psychology · linker.pairs

Concept: Cognitive biases

Player does: Match each scenario to the bias it shows

Breaks: Only other people are biased

Cognitive biases are automatic patterns in everyone's thinking, not a flaw limited to other people.

brain_regions · psychology · linker.pairs

Concept: Brain structure & function

Player does: Match functions to brain regions

Breaks: We only use 10% of our brain

Brain imaging shows activity across nearly the whole brain over a day, not just 10% of it.

transition_bridge · writing · linker.pairs

Concept: Transitions

Player does: Match transitions to the relationship each signals

Breaks: "However" and "therefore" are interchangeable

Each transition word signals a specific logical relationship, so "however" and "therefore" cannot be swapped.

supply_chain_flow · business · linker.network

Concept: Supply chains

Player does: Link suppliers, factories, and stores; find the bottleneck

Breaks: A link can fail without affecting the others

A supply chain is a connected network, so a failure at one link constrains everything downstream of it.

precedent_match · law · linker.pairs

Concept: Precedent

Player does: Match fact patterns to the holding that governs them

Breaks: Every case is decided from scratch

Courts apply precedent, deciding new cases by the holding of the closest matching prior case.