Win, Lose, or Adapt Game

Unit 3 – Rain Forest Birds: A Study In Adaptation

Activity 1 – Win, Lose, or Adapt Game

Materials & Setup

• “Food Competition Action Chart,” for your reference (master, p. 8)
• “Scenario Cards” (master, pp. 9-12)

For each student
• Student Page “Win, Lose, or Adapt: Questions About the Game” (pp. 13-14)

For each group of six to eight students
• Two decks of playing cards
• “Game Instructions” (master, p. 5)
• “Beak-Type Wheel” (master, p. 6)
• “Bird/Player Identification Cards”—Eight each of four beak types (master, p. 7)
• “Food Competition Action Chart,” one copy (master, p. 8)

Instructions

1) Divide the class into groups of six to eight students, and give each group the materials listed above.

2) You are the “master of ceremonies” for this game, making sure players understand and follow instructions and reading the “Scenario Card” that precedes each round of competition. Begin the game by reviewing the “Game Instructions” with students. Make sure that everyone understands that they are looking for any three-of-a-kind, regardless of suit.

3) Begin each round by reading the appropriate “Scenario Card.” End each round by asking groups to tally the number of food items each player collected and following the instructions on the “Food Competition Action Chart.”

4) Use the question on the final “Scenario Card” to begin a class discussion about the game and its results. Other discussion questions include:
• Which kind of bird was most successful? Why?
• What does this game tell us about adaptation and evolution in the natural world?
• How many honeycreeper species do you think actually evolved in the islands?

If you are continuing with Activity #2, students will be able to answer these questions better, based on their homework reading.

5) Assign the Student Page “Win, Lose, or Adapt: Questions About the Game” as homework (or discuss in class).

Journal Ideas

None.

Assessment Tools

• Student participation in the game.
• Student Page “Win, Lose, or Adapt: Questions About the Game” (teacher version, pp. 3-4)

Media Resources

None.