The Shaker Battle Game
|
Used on the hike in conjunction with the short station model, the Shaker Battle game gives students the motivation to use their encounters with other learning groups constructively. Each "shaker" contains animal representatives that are members of the group of animals studied in the short station.
|
Each shaker includes 4 dice:
• 6-sided die with different animals on each face • 6-sided die to determine an adaptation category • 6-sided modifier die representing environmental conditions • 20-sided die used as a base battle value |
Basic Rules:
When two learning groups meet, traveling in opposite directions, the two groups must face off in a shaker battle. Each group shakes their dice, and then determines their final value. The animal representing the lower of the two final values is "dead" for the remainder of the hike and counts as "roll again" if it reappears in a future battle. Each learning group may only battle each other group one time.
Battle Plan:
Several things must occur during each battle. Each participating group can do these things separately in a huddle, or together as one larger group.
1) Look at your base battle value. Remember the number before it rolls away!
2) Determine which animal is fighting. Turn to the correct page in the packet that accompanies the shaker.
3) Determine the adaptation category (weapons, coloration, enemy detection, stealth, speed, or strength). Discuss this particular animal's adaptation with your group. Add to (or subtract from) your base battle value the appropriate quantity for your animal.
4) Hypothesize about some environmental conditions that might affect your animal. If your environmental conditions die is a positive number, think about things that might help your animal win a battle. If it's a negative number, think about hindrances. Add or subtract this number.
5) Compare your total with your opponent. Determine a winner.
6) Discuss with both groups if you think the battle was realistic. If these two animals met in the forest, would they fight? Would it be competition, or a predator vs. prey relationship? Would they ignore each other? If a predator beats a prey animal, the predator eats the prey. If a prey animal beats its predator, that means the prey got away, and the predator died because of lack of food.
7) One student from each group must share an interesting fact or concept about that student's animal category for the other group, and vice versa.
Battles with Humans:
When encountering humans, the battle plays out a bit differently. Humans will be played by staff members on the hike, and humans may or may not choose to engage in battle at any time. Humans don't affect animal populations directly most of the time. Instead, humans make choices about their own everyday lives that might have positive, negative, or neutral impacts on animals. When battling humans, only pay attention to the die that determines which animal you are using for the battle, and the 20-sided base battle value die. Adaptations and environmental conditions won't help you if the humans in your area are making poor choices. Generally, a base battle value of 1-10 will mean that the humans have inadvertently killed your animal, and a base battle value of 11-20 will mean that your animal survives the encounter. The staff member involved in the battle will give you details specific to the animal you rolled.
When two learning groups meet, traveling in opposite directions, the two groups must face off in a shaker battle. Each group shakes their dice, and then determines their final value. The animal representing the lower of the two final values is "dead" for the remainder of the hike and counts as "roll again" if it reappears in a future battle. Each learning group may only battle each other group one time.
Battle Plan:
Several things must occur during each battle. Each participating group can do these things separately in a huddle, or together as one larger group.
1) Look at your base battle value. Remember the number before it rolls away!
2) Determine which animal is fighting. Turn to the correct page in the packet that accompanies the shaker.
3) Determine the adaptation category (weapons, coloration, enemy detection, stealth, speed, or strength). Discuss this particular animal's adaptation with your group. Add to (or subtract from) your base battle value the appropriate quantity for your animal.
4) Hypothesize about some environmental conditions that might affect your animal. If your environmental conditions die is a positive number, think about things that might help your animal win a battle. If it's a negative number, think about hindrances. Add or subtract this number.
5) Compare your total with your opponent. Determine a winner.
6) Discuss with both groups if you think the battle was realistic. If these two animals met in the forest, would they fight? Would it be competition, or a predator vs. prey relationship? Would they ignore each other? If a predator beats a prey animal, the predator eats the prey. If a prey animal beats its predator, that means the prey got away, and the predator died because of lack of food.
7) One student from each group must share an interesting fact or concept about that student's animal category for the other group, and vice versa.
Battles with Humans:
When encountering humans, the battle plays out a bit differently. Humans will be played by staff members on the hike, and humans may or may not choose to engage in battle at any time. Humans don't affect animal populations directly most of the time. Instead, humans make choices about their own everyday lives that might have positive, negative, or neutral impacts on animals. When battling humans, only pay attention to the die that determines which animal you are using for the battle, and the 20-sided base battle value die. Adaptations and environmental conditions won't help you if the humans in your area are making poor choices. Generally, a base battle value of 1-10 will mean that the humans have inadvertently killed your animal, and a base battle value of 11-20 will mean that your animal survives the encounter. The staff member involved in the battle will give you details specific to the animal you rolled.
