Activity

Biodiversity Memory Game

Description: Students pair up species that are good biodiverse pairs with each other: eg bees and daisy. worms and moles

Intention: Students know that some combinations of plants or plants and animals work together or harm each other in growing vegetables in the garden.

Before:

 Preparation (Before the class)

  1. Determine the number of pairs: divide the number of students by two. This will be the number of “matching pairs” you need to create.
  2. Print “Identity Cards”: Use the example from the materials or create your own one.

Optional – Helper Pair: prepare a “starter” pair (like two cards with a star on them) that you can hold onto. This pair can be used to model the game or fill in if a student is absent.

1

Assigning identities and pairing up (10-15 min)

  1. Distribute Cards: Give one identity card to each student. Make sure students keep their card secret and do not show it to anyone else.
  2. The Goal: Tell the students their task is to find the one and only person in the room who has the exact same card as they do. When they find that person, they become a matching pair and must stay together.
  3. Quiet Search (Optional but Recommended): Ask students to try and find their partner without talking at first (using only non-verbal cues or a quiet whisper). This adds a fun challenge and helps manage noise.
  4. Confirm and Join: Once a student thinks they have found their match, they should quietly show their cards to each other to confirm.
  5. Sit Down: Instruct confirmed pairs to find a spot to stand/sit together on the edge of the playing area (or just stand ready) as they wait for everyone else to pair up.
  6. Final Check: Once everyone is paired up, quickly check that you have the correct number of pairs and that no one is left alone. These pairs will be the “cards” for the memory game.
2

Playing the game (10 min)

The game is played just like the traditional card game, but the students are the cards!

  1. The Grid: Have all the pairs stand/sit together in a designated playing area (e.g., the front of the room, a clear space). Arrange them in a grid formation (e.g., 4 rows of 6 pairs).
  2. The ‘Face Down’ Position: Instruct all pairs to stand still and face the main playing area, facing the guessers. They are “face down” and their identity is hidden.
  3. The Guesser: Select one student or one pair of students to be the first Guesser(s).
  4. The Rules: Explain that the Guessers will call out the names (or point to) two different pairs they want to “turn over” (reveal).
  5. “Turning Over” the Cards:
    • The Guessers call out the names of Pair #1 and Pair #2.
    • The designated pairs turn around and show their assigned identity cards/images to the Guessers (and the class, if possible).
    • If it’s a MATCH: If the two pairs have the same identity (e.g., both showed ‘Apple’), the Guessers keep those pairs. The two matching pairs step out of the grid and stand next to the Guessers. The Guessers get another turn.
    • If it’s NOT a MATCH: The Guessers try to remember where those identities were. The two pairs turn back around (face down) and return to the grid. The turn passes to the next Guesser/team.
  6. Continuing Play: The game continues until all the pairs have been successfully matched and taken out of the grid.
3

Ending and Reflection (5 min)

    1. Winner: The team that successfully matched the most pairs at the end of the game is the winner.
    2. Clean Up: Collect all the identity cards and ask the students to return to their seats.
    3. Reflection (Optional): Ask a few questions:
      • What was the hardest concept to remember?
      • Which pair of concepts was hardest to tell apart?
  • Which pair did surprise you?

This game is a great exercise in cooperation (within the pair), teamwork (as a guessing team), and memory!

GreenComp: 1.3 Promoting nature, 2.1 Systems thinking, 4.2 Collective action