Evolution Game: Mutation and Speciation in Action!

You know you have a winning lesson when your entire class of students begs you to let them continue playing a learning game in their free time. That’s the case with this evolution game: not only does it help students experience how evolution works through mutations, cross-breeding, speciation, extinction, and diversity, but it is really fun and creative.

Students start out as a flock of white, flightless birds that only eat worms. By rolling dice and pulling mutation and event cards, they mutate, cross-breed, and survive or not. Students illustrate their birds as they mutate and the flock diversifies – their creativity is a joy! This lesson provides:

• Teacher instructions
• Student rules cards
• Evolution illustration sheets
• Playing cards for mutations and events
• A follow-up analysis worksheet to assess learning

All you have to do is provide the dice and colored pencils, and print out the materials. Game pieces and rules can be laminated and used over and over. You’ll love the way this game clarifies the difference between adaptation and mutation, and solidifies their understanding of evolution. Enjoy!

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– Sarah Faulkner