Simulation Games about Endangered Species

Week 8
Rooms 13 & 12 had a marvellous day! Because our trip to Mt Pukaha was postponed our teachers came up with a different way to introduce our next Inquiry Unit about Endangered Species.
Firstly we had a big discussion about the Gulf of Mexico and what was happening there. Some of us wondered what that had to do with us, but later on, we saw the importance of it.
Then we were put into 7 teams or Tribes and the game began. We were told that in this game we were all starting a new civilisation, so we discussed what we needed to survive. This was our list:
 food
 shelter
 water
 love- we decided that this was going to be taken for granted as we are great children.
 And because our teachers didn't want us to be naked we also had to think about clothes.

We named our Tribes and decided where on the paper island each Tribe would live. When Mrs F. rung her chime she tossed a dice. If it landed on an odd number she read out a negative thing that happened on our Island and if it landed on an even number she read out a positive thing. Each Tribe then had to decide how the event effected them. Some of the things that happened were:
• A forest fire burnt through a lot of the forest;
• Many of the animals produced twins or triplets;
• An earthquake created a tsunami;
• Half of the animals got struck down by disease;
• The rivers had been overfished; and
• It was a good year for crops.
Every once and a while we had time to trade between the Tribes. Of course, some Tribes had more to trade than others. The Tribe that controlled the water supply was quite popular. None of us wanted the negative things to happen to us. Some of the negative things had a major effect on a Tribe and some didn't.
By the end of the game we could explain the things that could affect species and the meaning of the two words ‘extinct’ and ‘endangered’.
Many of you were able to work fantastically in groups especially when it came to negotiation time with the other Tribes. Good job!
What a great start to our Inquiry. Hopefully the weather will be better next Friday and we will be able to visit Mt Pukaha.

By the way
I wonder where Mt Pukaha is?
I wonder what Mt Pukaha used to be called?
I wonder what happens at Mt Pukaha?