The Game of Life

The Game of Life

Science Process Skills

Observing

Communicating

Materials (per group)

Index cards with names or pictures of animals on them. Make enough cards for every one in your group to have a card.

Tape or pins

Large clear area for playing the game

Doing the Activity

Pin or tape one animal card on the back of each player. Don't let the player see the card.

Take turns asking other players questions to get clues about your own animal.

You can ask as many questions as you want, but the answers can only be "Yes," "No," or "Maybe."

Try to ask questions that narrow down all the possibilites. Possible questions might be: Am I a bird, (reptile, fish, amphibian)? Do I fly, (walk, slide, swim)? Do I have feathers, (fur, scales)? Do I live in a forest, (desert, mountains)? Do I eat other animals (plants, or both animals and plants)?

Once you think you know what animal you are, write down your name and the name of the animal that you think you are.

Reflecting
Have all the players form a circle. Go around the circle and have each player share.

What did you learn about your animal from your questions?

Give your guess and share your name with the group. Check to see if you were correct. If you were correct, what questions/answers helped you the most? If you were incorrect, where do you think you made the mistake in gathering your clues?

What kind of things did you find out about animals as you played the game?

What kind of things did you find out about yourself as you played the game?

Applying

Play "Whole Animal." Form the players into groups of 4-5 players. Have each group select an animal that lives in your area. Keep the identity of your animal a secret. Each group will imitate the body of their animal to the rest of the group. The rest of the group will try to guess the animal's identity based on the acted out movements and behavior. Only noise made with props is permitted.

Visit the following web site to help you understand environmental science terms that you will need to play SimLife. http://earth1.epa.gov/OCEPAterms/

Join other youth around the world in talking about the environment. Visit: www.kidlink.org/english/index.html

What's Happening

The environment is all of the external conditions and surroundings affecting the life, development, and ultimately, the survival of living things.

More Challenges
Play Noah's Ark. Make index cards with animal names written on two cards. Shuffle up the cards and hand them out. Tell everyone to keep the identity of their animal a secret. Collect the cards. At the signal each player is to act out the sounds, shapes and typical movements of their animals to try and attract their match. Talking is prohibited. The game ends when all the pairs of animals have found each other.

Activity Source

Iowa State University Extension. Sustainable Agriculture and Wildlife: Piecing Together a Habitat Puzzle. Extension Distribution Center Order # EDC-3.
www.extension.iastate.edu/Pages/pubs

IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
University Extension

Site contact
E-SET ISU Extension Extension Sites Search
Contact information: Sarah McArdell mcard002@umn.edu
Updated: January, 2000

NNST CYFERNet

	The Game of Life
	Science Process Skills Observing Communicating
	Materials (per group) Index cards with names or pictures of animals on them. Make enough cards for every one in your group to have a card. Tape or pins Large clear area for playing the game
	Doing the Activity Pin or tape one animal card on the back of each player. Don't let the player see the card. Take turns asking other players questions to get clues about your own animal. You can ask as many questions as you want, but the answers can only be "Yes," "No," or "Maybe." Try to ask questions that narrow down all the possibilites. Possible questions might be: Am I a bird, (reptile, fish, amphibian)? Do I fly, (walk, slide, swim)? Do I have feathers, (fur, scales)? Do I live in a forest, (desert, mountains)? Do I eat other animals (plants, or both animals and plants)? Once you think you know what animal you are, write down your name and the name of the animal that you think you are.
	Reflecting Have all the players form a circle. Go around the circle and have each player share. What did you learn about your animal from your questions? Give your guess and share your name with the group. Check to see if you were correct. If you were correct, what questions/answers helped you the most? If you were incorrect, where do you think you made the mistake in gathering your clues? What kind of things did you find out about animals as you played the game? What kind of things did you find out about yourself as you played the game?
	Applying Play "Whole Animal." Form the players into groups of 4-5 players. Have each group select an animal that lives in your area. Keep the identity of your animal a secret. Each group will imitate the body of their animal to the rest of the group. The rest of the group will try to guess the animal's identity based on the acted out movements and behavior. Only noise made with props is permitted. Visit the following web site to help you understand environmental science terms that you will need to play SimLife. http://earth1.epa.gov/OCEPAterms/ Join other youth around the world in talking about the environment. Visit: www.kidlink.org/english/index.html
	What's Happening The environment is all of the external conditions and surroundings affecting the life, development, and ultimately, the survival of living things.
	More Challenges Play Noah's Ark. Make index cards with animal names written on two cards. Shuffle up the cards and hand them out. Tell everyone to keep the identity of their animal a secret. Collect the cards. At the signal each player is to act out the sounds, shapes and typical movements of their animals to try and attract their match. Talking is prohibited. The game ends when all the pairs of animals have found each other.
	Activity Source Iowa State University Extension. Sustainable Agriculture and Wildlife: Piecing Together a Habitat Puzzle. Extension Distribution Center Order # EDC-3. www.extension.iastate.edu/Pages/pubs