Ecology Scenario

Objectives: To demonstrate and explain the interconnectedness of nature and the natural world. By play-acting and characterization of certain processes and relationships, students will gain an understanding of the complexity and interdependencies between species. The actors in this play will need to improvise their lines and exact wordings, in order to make this scenario as realistic and fun as possible. Enthusiasm is necessary!

Equipment: Note cards to identify different characters in the scenario. Some sort of chalk board or large piece of paper to chart the paths and connections between the characters.

Description: In this game, there are 5 different characters and 1 facilitator. The class is divided equally into 5 different groups and each character goes off into a corner or area with a group. Each character then explains who they are and asks the group to come up with certain hopes/needs and fears the character has. For example, Tim Tadpole might sit his group down and they would brainstorm that his biggest fear is water depletion or pollution. Again, much of this is up to the actors and the brainstorming of the group. Two of the questions to help facilitate this process are

1. What do I fear?

2. What do I need to survive?

By answering these questions, and a little urging or guidance from the various characters, the group should be able to come up with a list of fears and things that that person needs to survive on, both direct and indirect. As the characters and groups brainstorm, the facilitator is making a chart on the board, filling in 5 different spots in a circular formation with the names of the characters. One of these circles will be for hopes/needs and the other will be for fears. Once the groups are done, or at a specific time, the whole class will reconvene and the facilitator will ask each group to tell him/her what ideas they have come up with and will write them down on the chart. Either during this process or at the end, after everyone has reported, the facilitator will ask the whole class what connections can be made between the 5 characters, and draw lines accordingly. In the end, the facilitator will summarize and reiterate that all of these 'different' and 'unconnected' characters actually depend on each other for many different things and are affected by so many of the same things.