Oh, Deer

Summary

In this activity students will model how animals' needs for survival are met, what happens when they are not, and see how populations fluctuate based on their availability.

Materials

• colored paper pieces to serve as "markers" (colored strips are needed to represent "food" markers, "shelter" markers, "water" markers and deer)
• large area to play game
• 4 trays
• clipboard
• whistle
• student page (attached)

Instructional Procedures

1. A student needs to volunteer to record data.
2. 1/4 of class needs "food" markers, 1/4 needs "shelter" markers, 1/4 needs "water" markers and 1/4 will start as deer.
3. Students go outdoors or to a large indoor area and line up with deer on one side and survival needs on another.
4. "Deer" students turn their backs to survival needs and get a marker from their trays.
5. When the whistle sounds, deer turn around and run to the survival needs and stand in front of someone with the same color marker as they do.
6. The pair walks back to the "deer" side of the field and turn with their backs to the "needs" side. They can exchange colors from the trays if they want.
7. If a deer does not find a "need" to match theirs, they die and join the need line.
8. The game is repeated 9 more times or as time allows.
9. Back in the classroom the data recorder will read off the number of deer that survived each round.
10. Students will make a graph of the data from the game on the back of their student page.

Bibliography

Lesson Design by Jordan School District Teachers and Staff.