Ecologies Game

Description

It's a dog-eat-dog world in Ecologies – well, actually, it's a dog-eat-rat world, ecologically speaking! The goal of this delightfully educational game is to create sustainable ecosystems across environments such as Desert, Grassland, and Ocean. Beautifully illustrated cards serve as these Biomes, as well as the Plants and Animals within them. Players take turns drawing and playing cards to create balanced ecologies. For instance, a healthy temperate forest ecology contains blackberries (producing plant), bees (to feed on the blackberries), frogs (to eat the bees), hawks (to eat the frogs), and earthworms (to decompose everything). Once a biome is complete, it offers bonuses ranging from points, to extra cards, to sabotaging another player's ecosystem. The trick is that players can only play cards "up" the food chain, and players are limited to a small handful of cards, often leaving half-finished ecosystems worth very few points. To alleviate this danger, players are encouraged to make trades – sometimes asymmetrical – with their competitors. It's not uncommon for players to offer up a fistful of unusable animals in exchange for the one missing link they need to complete their ecosystem! Adding another element of unpredictability are powerful Biotic and Abiotic Factor cards, providing bonuses to oneself or inflicting setbacks upon opponents. With gorgeous John James Audubon-style artwork, open gameplay, and vocabulary and animal diet information galore, this game is equally at home as a science supplement or a family game. For 1-6 players, with a playing time of 30-60 minutes. Each edition contains all-new biomes, animals, and Biotic and Abiotic factor cards, and can be played standalone or mixed with the original game.

Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Other
Other methodologies
Religious Content
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.