Animal Adaptations Brainium Game

Animal Adaptation Brainium is a guessing game (modeled after "Cranium") in which students must act-out, draw, and sculpt animals as well as identify and explain certain beneficial structures or functions of the animal group they are guessing. This engaging game gives students the opportunity to explore how beneficial characteristics from different species in the animal kingdom that are needed for their survival. In upper grade levels, these traits/characteristics are referred to as adaptations. Although this game was originally designed around a 3rd grade standard (in Texas), adaptations is a spiraling concept in the life sciences. It can be modified up to fit great in your middle school and/or biology curriculum. I used it in my biology class as an engage activity in my evolution unit, but also had many elementary teachers who used it in their classrooms to teach about animals their beneficial structures and functions.

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Created by: Marianne Dobrovolny

See other activities at:
www.biologylessons.org

Grade Level: 3rd – 10th (This is an advanced activity for 3rd graders)

Duration: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Materials: (Based on a class of 24 students)
4 sets of Animal Brainium Game Cards – These cards must be printed/copied on the correct color paper (see card templates for correct colors.) 4 sets are needed for a class of 24 students.
4 Dice
4 Sticks of Clay or Play-doh
4 Timers
Scratch paper

Instructions:

Set up:
1. In this game of Brainium, students will be acting, drawing, sculpting and identifying animals and their beneficial structures and/or function (adaptations).
2. Place students in teams of 3 (4 if there are a few extra students.)
3. Two teams will play together and should move to a similar area.
4. Post the following keys on the board so all groups can see it.

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Animal Adaptation Brainium by Marianne Dobrovolny is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.