A New Classroom Game for Junior Entomologists

This week I have added a new classroom game for junior entomologists to the collection. The game is a fun way to integrate learning across the curriculum and, while appropriate for use at any time of the year, is particularly so when completing a unit of work about minibeasts.

The game works well as a group activity in science, literacy or maths lessons. It is also great as an activity with buddy classes. It is best if an adult or older buddy is available to explain and oversee the play.

Cross-curricular links

The game involves children in learning and practice of skills across curriculum areas; including:

Science

Biology – focus minibeasts

• Living things
• Features of living things
• Needs of living things
• Life stages of living things

Literacy

Reading:

• For information
• To follow instructions

Research skills – finding the answers to questions

Maths

• Subitisation – spots on the dice
• Counting one for one correspondence – moving spaces around the board
• Tallies – recording points
• Adding – totalling points
• Comparing numbers – establishing the winner

Social-Emotional Skills

Games are an excellent way of teaching children the essential skills of getting along, including:

• Taking turns
• Being honest
• Accepting decisions
• Accepting that winning is not always possible nor the most important part of the game
• Winning and losing gracefully

Contents of the Junior Entomologist Game package

All components of the game are downloadable and printable. Laminating is recommended for durability.

The package includes:

• The game board
• Instructions for preparation
• Rules of the game
• Three sets of cards required for playing the game
• Twelve information cards about minibeasts

You will just need to add player tokens, a dice and a pencil and paper for scoring.

Plus Two additional documents, not required for playing the game but useful for additional learning activities, are also included:

• Questions starters — a poster displaying words with which to begin questions; for example, Who, What, Where, When, Why, How.
• Statements and Questions —a worksheet to assist children formulate their own questions and answers.

These are especially useful if children are encouraged to write their own questions for the information cards supplied in the package or for information books available for their research.

How the game is played

Children take turns to roll the dice and move around the game board.

They pick up a card according to the space on which they land.

There are three sets of cards:

• Identify the minibeast —A set of eighteen cards, each depicting a different minibeast. Children earn points if they can correctly identify the minibeast.
• Question — A set of 36 questions whose answers can be found on the minibeast information cards. Children earn points for knowing the answers and for finding and reading the answers on the appropriate information card.
• Lucky Dip — A set of 18 chance cards that may require children to miss a turn, move ahead, go back, be awarded extra points.

Play continues until all the question cards have been used or the allocated time is finished. Lucky Dip and Identify the Minibeast cards are shuffled and reused if necessary, to complete the game. Children may travel around the board more than once before the game finishes. Points are tallied throughout the game and the player with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.

The Junior Entomologist Game is available now at an introductory price of just $2.50. Of course, it is available free to subscribers.

Other minibeast resources

The game complements other minibeast lessons and activities which can be found in the Science Biology category; including:

Honey bees — ebook

Honey bees —Interactive

Minibeast project

How to make a symmetrical name butterfly

My minibeast ABC

My minibeast diary

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