Variation Game

By playing simple games, investigate variations between individuals.

Group Size: medium or large sized groups

Suggested Age: 10 and up

Time: 40-60 minutes

Consider…
Site: a lawn or similar area that allows for running, jumping, and shouting

Safety: No special considerations

Materials (for a group of 24): 100 resources counters (popsicle sticks or similar small objects), 15 5 X 8 index cards, watch or timer, data board and marker, 4 two meter length of heavy rope, 8 bolts and 24 nuts to fit them, 8 sewing needles, 8 corks, a spool of thread

Focus questions:
How can a variation be an advantage or a disadvantage to an individual’s ability to survive? What might happen to a group if all individuals were exactly the same and there was a change in the environment?

• A species is a group of organisms of the same kind.
• The differences between the individual members of a species are called variations.
• A variation can be an advantage, a disadvantage or meaningless to an individual’s ability to survive or to adjust to changes in the environment.

Summary:
The participants play the role of monkeys that are trying to get enough resources (food, shelter, and space) to survive. They play several simple games which involve strength, quickness, coordination, intuition, and luck in order to acquire these resources. The games focus attention on the participants’ individual variations in these areas. There are three “rounds” which represent three different changing environments, each of which requires different skills for survival.