Population Ecology Escape Room

Description

Have you considered using learning stations or even an population ecology escape room with your students? This is ideal for reviewing before an exam and has been updated to include a Google Slides presentation for distance learning. Covering density dependent and density independent factors, growth curves, carrying capacity, niches, and more.

In this scenario, students are put into groups and given the following information.

You and your team were flown to an isolated location in order to study the community in a certain area that is thought to be essential for maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. In order to prevent your mission from being derailed, the helicopter pilot that dropped you will only come back once you have sent the encrypted message back decoded. One of your team is sick and need to return. Can you get the pilot back in time?

This is a 4 part escape room that can be adapted for your students into anything from seat work to a full blown escape room experience. Depending on your time and your classes.

4 tasks:

1. Students are asked to sort clues into one of two categories: density dependent or independent factors.
2. Students are given a list of social media posts and asked to complete the sentences with terms associated with the growth curves of a population.
3. Students are provided an informational text on niches and competition and asked to answer questions using the provided text.
4. Students use the answers in the previous tasks to break the code and solve the encrypted message.