Pest Populations: A Game of Survival

Your youngsters become cheetahs in search of food, water, shelter, and space in a fun physical game that does a fantastic job of representing fluctuating species population based on resources available over years. 

Students explore the game of life which refers to what happens to a species when most of the population is gone.  In this endangered species lesson plan, students describe what it means for a marine animal to be endangered. Students then...

Pupils guess what types of mammals are being described by teacher clues. In this mice and rats activity, students discuss rodents they know and their characteristics. Pupils pretend they work for a pest control company and write letters...

A worksheet showing both historic and current ranges of mountain lion populations is given to emerging ecologists. They examine human population data as well and try to determine if there is any correlation. Critical-thinking questions...

During this game, kids become migratory shorebirds and fly among wintering, nesting, and stopover habitats. If they do not arrive at a suitable habitat on time, they do not survive. Catastrophic events are periodically introduced that...

This game-based lesson explores the impact of climate change on polar bear habitats. Learners become polar bears and role play the gathering of needs for survival. An included “Changes to Habitat Spinner” determines one of the results of...

Want to drastically reduce the number of naps attempted in class? Show a video about bedbugs! Learners discover a pest so persistent that entomologists are confounded by their resilience and adaptability. The narrator discusses our...

Elementary ecologists pretend to be migratory hummingbirds. They fly between wintering and nesting grounds, trying to reach a habitat haven. In a musical-chair fashion, some birds will miss out, and are removed from the game. To further...

Musical chairs may be a classic game, but Ruffe Musical Chairs is a unique activity on invasive species! Using the time-honored game, pupils role play the behaviors of the invasive fish called Eurasian ruffe. Learning about this...

Students play a game about the life cycle of a blue crab in order to witness the causes of changes in the crab population and discuss what a resource manager could do to keep a stable crab population. Students then create a game titled...