MS-LS2.C-1

Ecosystem Simulator

Experience Awakening - Our open-world educational game

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Game Info for Teachers

COMBINED RATING

3.7 Stars

TEACHERS (15)

3.6

STUDENTS (9248)

3.7

LENGTH

15 Minutes

GRADES

CAPABILITIES

Spanish Language Support

Text-to-Speech Support

Saves Progress

Description

In this game, players are charged with creating and managing a sustainable ecosystem. They must balance the needs of the species in their care while also dealing with the impact of humans on the environment. The game challenges players to think critically about the best ways to manage resources and protect the natural world.

Vocabulary Words

ecosystem

population

diversity

predators

secondary succession

extinction

flooding

disease

Instructions

Play through this interactive game to learn about Changes in Ecosystems Over Time. Suitable for Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8.

Main Concepts

A wide variety of human activities directly and indirectly affect Earth's ecosystems and the organisms within them.

Some changes to abiotic factors in an ecosystem are caused by human activities, such as climate change, deforestation, and pollution.

Short- and long-term environmental changes to an ecosystem can affect the populations within the ecosystem.

Ecological succession is the change in the composition of different species in an environment over time.

An increase or decrease in the population of a species in an ecosystem will likely affect all other organisms in the ecosystem.

Some changes to abiotic factors in an ecosystem are caused by natural forces, such as natural hazards.

Organisms in an ecosystem are dependent on their environmental interactions for survival.

Ecosystems are dynamic in nature and their characteristics can vary over time.

Availability of resources in an ecosystem can be affected by invasive species, disease, climate, natural hazards, and human activities.

An ecosystem consists of a group of living things and the environment in which they live.

Secondary succession occurs after an event that damages an established ecosystem.

Living things in an ecosystem require food, shelter, water, space, nutrient-rich soil, and other resources for survival.

Availability of resources in an ecosystem affects the growth and survival of organisms or populations.

Examples of biotic factors are: producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Examples of abiotic factors are: temperature, climate, availability of nutrients, sunlight, water, and nutrient-rich soil.

Discussion Questions

Before the Game

What is an ecosystem? What is meant by diversity in an ecosystem? What are the basic needs of all living things in an ecosystem?

After the Game

What were the events that caused disruption to your ecosystem? How did you use predators to control the populations of other species? What is secondary succession? What are some positive outcomes of the forest fire on your ecosystem? How did hunting affect the balance of your ecosystem?