SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS

The natural balance within an ecosystem can be disrupted by introduction of new species, the loss species, natural disasters, or human activities. This game offers a fun way for children to grasp the interdependent relationships in ecosystems. Conversations can lead to questions and further investigation, making this a great activity to reinforce this core idea.

GATHER THIS:

• Dice
• Jenga blocks
• Eco-cards (in PDF)
• Eco-Damage and Results Table (in PDF)
• Red, yellow, green and blue paint or colored tape.

PREPARE:

• Print PDF and cut out Eco-Cards
• Add colored tape or paint an equal number of red, yellow, green, and blue blocks.
• Construct the tower by stacking three blocks at a time, alternating their directions and randomizing the colors.

THEN DO THIS:

1. Roll the die.
2. If you roll a 1 or a 6, you have not damaged the ecosystem, so do not remove a block.
3. If you roll a 2, 3, or 5, use the Eco-Damage Table below to determine which colored block you should remove.
4. If you roll a 4, pull a red block and draw an Eco-card and follow the directions.
5. Do not take blocks from the top!
6. If you remove a block, set the block aside. Do not set it back on the tower!
7. Make a tally mark in the results table below by the color of block you removed.
8. Take turns rolling the die and removing blocks until the tower falls.

ASK THIS:

1. What colors were removed the most?
2. What colors were removed the least?
3. Which parts of the ecosystem are the most important?
4. What impact did removing these colors have on the ecosystem?
5. How do humans impact the balance of ecosystems?

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

Everything in an ecosystem is connected and can affect each other. When something in an ecosystem changes, it can impact everything else. This kind of change is called a disruption. Disruptions can happen because of natural reasons, like natural disasters, or because of human impact. Human impacts are caused by things people do. People can work to reduce or prevent disruptions to help ecosystems heal. Replanting native vegetation, cleaning up polluted areas, and protecting endangered species are all efforts that can help heal ecosystems.