Predator/Prey Game: How Not to be Eaten!

Transcription

1 Predator/Prey Game: How Not to be Eaten! Outcome: Students will learn about adaptations that help animals survive. Supplies in the kit: noisemakers (make scary sounds!), mister bottles Supplies to create: paper to make hats (change color, hide!), game cards How to Make a Paper Hat: Fold a sheet of 12"x18" paper in half top to bottom. Procedure: Discuss the ways that animals have adapted to protect themselves from their enemies each animal has a different set of possible adaptations. Explain the rules of the game. Two predators is going to come into our habitat and try to gather three animals. If you are chosen, the predator will place his/her hand on your shoulder. If you are able to protect yourself, you won't be "gathered." To protect yourself, you must follow the directions on your card. Explain the adaptations represented by the cards. You might choose to practice each adaptation. Following this are sets of cards for different animals. Each set has a shadow outline of the animal to keep the cards easily sorted. Fold the corners in to the center. Fold the bottom up on the front and the back of the hat. Option: Tape, glue, or staple this last fold in place. Option: Decorate the hat.

2 Animal Adaptations Frogs make loud sounds, swim, jump, hide, release poison, puff up large Birds hide, run away, fly away, hide, sleep, make scary sounds Insects jump, make loud noises, pinch, hide, fly away Whales hide, too big, swim away, make loud sounds, gather in pods Cats hide, make scary sounds, sleep, run away Hand out the cards just before your "predator" is expected to arrive. (Invite the principal, teacher, aide, parent, etc. to help with this activity by acting out the part of a shark.) Hand out props (hats, noisemakers, mister bottles, etc.). Each student scoots up close to his/her desk so that any supplies are hidden. Welcome your predators to the classroom and stand back while your students get eaten. Option Repeat the game several times, over several days with different "enemies". Option Have students play the part of predators. Option Graph the results of the game, noticing that the pattern of numbers of animals goes up and down as there are different numbers of animals available to be eaten.

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4 Tadpoles are good swimmers. They can swim away from predators. Tadpoles are good swimmers. They can swim away from predators. nada y se esconde The pickeral frog and the leopard frog both jump quickly and far. nada y se esconde The Great Basin Spadefoot Toad is able to dig backwards into the soil to hide. se aleja saltando The Pacific Treefrog is green with a dark stripe so it is easy to hide. The Tailed Frog is brown so that it can hide in the grass. se esconde en la hierba Pacific Treefrogs make a loud krr-r-r-ek sound to scare predators. se esconde en la hierba The Woodhouse Toad makes a sound like a calf bawling which scares its predators. hace sonidos fuertes Poison Dart Frogs give off a poison if the frogs are bitten by a predator. arroja veneno The Tomato Frog in Madagascar can puffs up. hace sonidos fuertes The Blue Poison Arrow Frog gives off a poison that can kill a predator that licks the frog. arroja veneno The Horned Frog puffs up large to scare other animals. se hincha se hincha

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6 Woodpeckers hide in trees. Marbled Murlette hides in the grasses. Snow birds fly away quickly. Bush tits gather in groups. Fox sparrows hide easily in the grass or bushes. Chickadees hide easily in the grass. Blue jays make scary sounds. Mother robins make loud sounds when a cat is nearby. Killdeers run away to protect their babies. Sand pipers run away at the beach. Owls sleep during the day. The Northern Mockingbird can sing all night and sleep during the day.

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8 You are a caterpillar whose hair is tipped with poison. If the enemy comes near, spray it with poison (water). You are a stink bug and you smell so bad that your enemies leave you alone. If one comes near, spray your scent into the air. You are an earwig and you have pinchers. Make pinching gestures toward your enemy to scare it away. You are a wasp and you have a stinger. Make pinching gestures toward your enemy to scare it away. You are a walking stick. When you bring your legs next to your body, you look just like the branch you are on. Put on your hat and protect yourself from the predator. You are a bug who looks exactly like a leaf. If you hold still, the predator won't see you. Put on your hat and protect yourself from the predator. You are a cricket and the loud noises that you are able to make scare away other creatures. You are a cricket and the loud noises that you are able to make scare away other creatures. You are a large butterfly. Fly away from your enemy to a safe place. You are a large moth. Fly away from your enemy to a safe place. You are a cricket with strong back legs. Jump away from your enemies to a safe place. You are a grasshopper with strong back legs. Jump away from your enemies to a safe place.

9 Beluga whales hide in ice packs. Beluga whales hide in ice packs. Killer whales can swim up to 30 miles per hour (48 kph). Shortfin Pilot whales can swim up to 30 miles per hour (48 kph). Young cetaceans are frequently mottled in color, camouflaging them from predators. The coloring of a grey whale helps it hide. It looks like rocks. Blue whales are the loudest animal on Earth. Their call reaches levels up to 188 decibels. Blue whales are the loudest animal on Earth. Their call reaches levels up to 188 decibels. The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever existed on Earth. It is larger than any of the dinosaurs were. The fin whale can grow up to 78 feet long. Humpback whales gather in pods! Bowhead whales gather in pods

10 be a quiet sick whale be a quiet young whale be a quiet sick whale be a quiet young whale be a quiet sick whale be a quiet young whale too big to eat too big to eat too big to eat too big to eat too big to eat too big to eat

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12 hide under brush hide under brush run away run away hide in the grasses hide in the grasses make scary sounds make scary sounds run away run away sleep sleep