The Outdoor Program has been studying the concepts of ecology all session long. To see how everything is connected in the park, students played a game where they saw how the food chain, human decisions, invasive species and reproduction played a part in the health and growth of the ecosystem.
Students were able to manipulate their ecosystems at one point in the game, but they soon found that the decisions they made came with some undesirable effects.
The pieces on the board represent different ecological parameters. Colors of pieces and what they represent are below.
Black - Invasive Species
White - Bald Eagles
Dark Blue - Lake
Light Blue - Stream
Red - Birds
Green - Tree
Maroon - Worms
Yellow - Fish
Brown - Berry Bush
Black - Invasive Species
White - Bald Eagles
Dark Blue - Lake
Light Blue - Stream
Red - Birds
Green - Tree
Maroon - Worms
Yellow - Fish
Brown - Berry Bush
This game really made students think about the complex workings of an ecosystem.
Students split into two groups and each group played the game. Each group finished with a different type of ecosystem and we discussed how their ecosystems changed, if they were healthy and what needed to be different. For a look at the games directions, click the link below. This game can be altered and the colored cubes can be substituted with M & M's, pieces of paper or anything that is colored and laying around.
theecologygame.doc |