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Created byTara Celustka
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Gamemaker Academy: Designing Sustainable Ecosystem Arenas

Grade 9Science10 days
Gamemaker Academy challenges 9th-grade science students to act as Lead Gamemakers, engineering a self-sustaining "Survival Arena" that must endure 50 years of environmental pressure. Students progress through certifications in habitat architecture, population dynamics, and biodiversity analysis, using mathematical modeling to predict carrying capacity and ecosystem resilience. The experience culminates in a professional defense where students use evidence-based arguments to justify their arena's design against catastrophic simulated events.
EcosystemsCarrying CapacityBiodiversityEcological EngineeringPopulation DynamicsSustainabilityMathematical Modeling
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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.As Lead Gamemakers, how can we engineer a self-sustaining Survival Arena that balances habitat architecture, species interactions, and biodiversity to withstand 50 years of catastrophic environmental pressure?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.
  • How does the physical architecture of a habitat dictate which species can thrive and which will fail? (Week 1: Habitat Architect)
  • How can we mathematically predict the maximum number of organisms an arena can support before it reaches total collapse? (Week 2: Population Analyst)
  • In what ways do individual species interactions and group behaviors act as the 'gears' that drive ecosystem stability? (Week 3: Invasive Species Specialist)
  • To what extent does biodiversity determine an ecosystem's ability to survive a catastrophic Capitol Event? (Week 4: Biodiversity Analyst)
  • How can we design an 'everlasting' arena that balances the constant struggle between resource limits and population growth? (Week 5: Survival Specialist)

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:
  • Calculate and graph carrying capacity using mathematical models to predict population sustainability within a closed ecosystem over a 50-year period.
  • Evaluate how biotic and abiotic factors (limiting factors) influence the population size and distribution of multiple species in a designed habitat.
  • Analyze the role of species interactions—including symbiosis, competition, predation, and group behavior—in maintaining the stability of an ecosystem's food web.
  • Calculate biodiversity indices (richness and variety) to determine an ecosystem's resilience to environmental disturbances and catastrophic 'Capitol Events.'
  • Construct a formal evidence-based argument (CER) justifying the design and long-term viability of a survival arena using data from population simulations and investigations.
  • Apply engineering design principles to create a multi-zoned habitat model that accounts for the specific resource needs (food, water, shelter, niche) of diverse species.

Next Generation Science Standards

HS-LS2-1
Primary
Use mathematical and/or computational representations to support explanations of factors that affect carrying capacity of ecosystems at different scales.Reason: This is the core of Week 2 and the final project, where students must calculate if their arena can support life for 50 years based on resources.
HS-LS2-2
Primary
Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales.Reason: Directly aligns with the Week 4 Biodiversity Analyst certification and the calculation of biodiversity scores for the final arena.
HS-LS2-8
Secondary
Evaluate the evidence for the role of group behavior on individual and species’ chances to survive and reproduce.Reason: Addressed in Week 3 during the Group Behavior Challenge (herding, pack hunting, etc.) as a mechanism for survival.
HS-LS2-6
Supporting
Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.Reason: This standard supports the 'Capitol Events' and 'Final Crisis Event' where students must explain how their ecosystem responds to shifts like drought or fire.
HS-ETS1-2
Supporting
Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.Reason: The project requires students to engineer a 'Survival Arena' by breaking it down into habitat zones, species portfolios, and resource management.

Common Core State Standards (ELA/Literacy)

WHST.9-10.1
Supporting
Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.Reason: Students must complete multiple CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) tasks and a final Arena Defense presentation.

Common Core State Standards (Math)

HSS-ID.A.1
Supporting
Represent data with plots on the real number line (dot plots, histograms, and box plots).Reason: Students are required to create population graphs (exponential and logistic growth) to analyze their arena's health.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

The Post-Mortem of Arena 74

Students enter a 'restricted' zone to view a time-lapse simulation of 'Arena 74,' which appears to be a lush paradise but rapidly descends into a wasteland of rotting vegetation and starving predators. They are handed a 'Coroner’s Report' containing skewed data on nitrogen levels and population counts and must hypothesize the 'biological crime' that caused the total collapse.

Biometric Biome Selection

The classroom is transformed into a 'Sensory Testing Lab' where students are blindfolded and exposed to different abiotic stimuli (mist, heat lamps, scents, specific soundscapes). They must 'map' the biome they are in based solely on these inputs and predict which specific physical adaptations an organism would need to survive 24 hours in that environment.

The Whistleblower’s Warning

Students receive a 'corrupted' video file from a whistleblower—a former Gamemaker—who claims the Capitol’s previous arenas didn't fail by accident, but because they ignored the 'Law of the Minimum.' The whistleblower provides a cryptic map of an existing arena and challenges the students to find the one limiting factor that is currently 'starving' the ecosystem before the feed cuts out.
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Portfolio Activities

Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.
Activity 1

The Population Projection & Carrying Capacity Audit

Students become 'Population Analysts' by applying mathematical models to their Arena. They will simulate how their initial herbivore populations will grow over time using exponential and logistic growth models. Through the 'Skittles Carrying Capacity Lab,' students will physically model how limited resources (food/space) create a 'ceiling' for population growth, forcing them to calculate the exact carrying capacity (K) for their designed species.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Conduct the 'Skittles Carrying Capacity Lab' to simulate resource depletion and determine the maximum sustainable population for your herbivores.
2. Graph the projected 50-year growth of your herbivore species, showing the transition from exponential growth to a logistic plateau.
3. Introduce a Predator and a Decomposer species to the portfolio, calculating how their introduction will shift the carrying capacity of the herbivores.
4. Respond to a 'Capitol Event: Resource Boom or Drought' by recalculating your population totals and updating your graphs.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Population Projection Report' featuring growth graphs (carrying capacity vs. actual population) and updated Species Cards for Predators and Decomposers.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with HS-LS2-1 (Using mathematical and computational representations to support explanations of factors that affect carrying capacity) and HSS-ID.A.1 (Representing data with plots).
Activity 2

The Web of Chaos: Interactions and Invasions

As 'Invasive Species Specialists,' students must map the complex web of life within their Arena. This activity moves beyond simple food chains to analyze symbiosis, competition, and group behaviors (like pack hunting or herding). The challenge culminates in the 'Fire Ant Investigation,' where students must use evidence to argue whether an invasive species would destabilize their engineered stability or be successfully integrated.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Construct a comprehensive Food Web for the Arena, identifying specific instances of mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.
2. Assign a 'Group Behavior' (e.g., migration, schooling, or solitary hunting) to each animal species and write a brief justification of how this behavior improves their individual chance of survival.
3. Analyze the 'Fire Ant Investigation' data provided by the Capitol to determine the invasive species' potential impact on your specific Arena's food web.
4. Complete CER #3: 'How do species interactions and group behaviors affect the overall survival of your populations?'

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityAn 'Interdependence Web' (interactive food web) and the 'Invasive Species Impact Assessment' (a formal CER on Fire Ants).

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with HS-LS2-8 (Evaluating the role of group behavior on survival) and HS-LS2-6 (Complex interactions maintain consistent numbers/types of organisms).
Activity 3

The Resilience Stress Test: Biodiversity Analysis

Students earn their 'Biodiversity Analyst' rank by quantifying the resilience of their Arena. Using Simpson’s Diversity Index or simple Species Richness/Evenness calculations, students will determine if their ecosystem is 'brittle' or 'robust.' They will then face a series of 'Capitol Event Cards' (Wildfire, Disease, etc.) and must use their biodiversity data to predict which species will survive the bottleneck and which will go extinct.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Calculate the Species Richness and Biodiversity Score for your Arena using the populations established in Week 2.
2. Draw a 'Capitol Event Card' and simulate its impact on your biodiversity score, graphing the decline (or resilience) of affected populations.
3. Analyze the 'BMGR Biodiversity Investigation' data to identify which habitat structures (from real-world data) provide the highest resilience to climate shifts.
4. Revise your Arena's blueprint or species list based on the BMGR evidence to maximize the 'Survival Score' for the final 50-year projection.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Biodiversity Stability Scorecard' and an 'Arena Revision Memo' detailing changes made to the design after the BMGR investigation.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with HS-LS2-2 (Mathematical representations to support explanations about factors affecting biodiversity) and HS-LS2-6 (Evaluating how changing conditions result in a new ecosystem).
Activity 4

The Master Gamemaker’s Final Defense

In the final week, students reach 'Survival Specialist' rank. They must finalize their 'Species Portfolio' by identifying specific genetic adaptations that have allowed their organisms to survive the previous four weeks of simulations. The project concludes with the 'Capitol Arena Defense,' where teams present their 50-year sustainability plan to a 'Review Board' (the teacher and peers), defending their engineering choices against one final, catastrophic Crisis Event.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Select one 'Final Crisis Event' (e.g., Climate Shift) and perform a final recalculation of your food web and carrying capacity.
2. Finalize the 'Species Portfolio,' adding a section on 'Adaptive Traits' for each species that explains how natural selection would favor them during the 50-year simulation.
3. Prepare the 'Capitol Arena Defense' presentation, ensuring it includes: Habitat Blueprint, Population Graphs, Biodiversity Analysis, and Evidence from Investigations.
4. Deliver the Defense to the Review Board, answering questions about how your 'gears' of ecology (interactions, math, and diversity) ensure the Arena won't collapse.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityThe 'Final Survival Portfolio' and a live 'Arena Defense Presentation' featuring all graphs, maps, and CER evidence.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with HS-LS2-6 (Evaluating claims/evidence for ecosystem stability), WHST.9-10.1 (Writing arguments focused on content), and HS-LS2-1/2 (Final synthesis of carrying capacity and biodiversity).
Activity 5

The Habitat Architect’s Master Blueprint

In this first phase of Gamemaker Academy, students transition from 'Recruits' to 'Habitat Architects.' They must select a specific biome and engineer the physical layout of their Survival Arena. This involves mapping out abiotic resources like water sources and shelter, and introducing the primary producers and herbivores that will form the foundation of their ecosystem. Students must ensure that every species has a defined 'niche' to avoid immediate competitive exclusion.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Select a target biome (e.g., Tundra, Desert, Rainforest) and research the essential abiotic factors required for that environment.
2. Draft a scale map of the Arena including at least one major water source, three distinct habitat zones, and designated shelter areas.
3. Create Species Cards for two producer species and two herbivore species, detailing their dietary needs, reproductive rates, and specific niche within the arena.
4. Complete CER #1: 'What habitat features are most important for survival in your Arena?' using evidence from your blueprint.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Master Blueprint' of the Arena (visual map) and the first four 'Species Cards' (2 Producers, 2 Herbivores).

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with HS-ETS1-2 (designing a solution to a complex problem) and HS-LS2-1 (identifying abiotic and biotic factors that will eventually limit carrying capacity).
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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Gamemaker Academy: NGSS-Aligned Survival Arena Rubric

Category 1

Engineering & Scientific Explanations

Focuses on the engineering design of the Arena and the application of biological theories to create a sustainable solution.
Criterion 1

Developing Models & Designing Solutions: Habitat & Niche

Evaluates the student's ability to develop a model of the physical environment and design an engineering solution that provides necessary abiotic resources and niches for diverse species survival. (SEP: Developing and Using Models; Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions)

Exemplary
4 Points

Habitat model is expertly scaled and zoned; abiotic resources are strategically placed to maximize niche availability. Clearly defines distinct niches for all species to avoid exclusion, demonstrating a sophisticated engineering solution that accounts for complex system interactions.

Proficient
3 Points

Habitat model includes all required elements (water, shelter, zones). Adequately defines niches for most species and provides a logical design for resource placement and species survival.

Developing
2 Points

Habitat model is present but lacks detail or zoning logic. The design solution contains significant niche overlap or missing resources that threaten the sustainability of the system.

Beginning
1 Points

Model is incomplete or lacks a clear connection to the chosen biome. Engineering choices for abiotic resources are insufficient to support the population.

Criterion 2

Constructing Explanations: System Resilience & Adaptations

Evaluates the student's ability to construct a scientific explanation for how species adaptations and natural selection act as a mechanism for ecosystem stability and resilience. (SEP: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions)

Exemplary
4 Points

Constructs a comprehensive scientific explanation for survival; adaptations are innovatively linked to specific environmental pressures and the Final Crisis. Synthesis of natural selection principles provides a robust solution for 50-year sustainability.

Proficient
3 Points

Correctly explains how specific adaptive traits facilitate survival during environmental shifts and the Final Crisis Event based on scientific evidence of natural selection.

Developing
2 Points

Identifies basic adaptations but the explanation of how these traits interact with natural selection or the specific crisis event is incomplete or lacks depth.

Beginning
1 Points

Adaptations are listed but explanations are biologically inaccurate or unrelated to the environmental pressures of the Arena design.

Category 2

Mathematical & Data Practices

Focuses on the application of quantitative methods to predict ecosystem health and population trends.
Criterion 1

Using Math & Computational Thinking: Population Dynamics

Evaluates the use of mathematical and computational representations to support explanations of factors that affect carrying capacity and population sustainability. (SEP: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking)

Exemplary
4 Points

Computational representations (graphs) are flawlessly executed; uses precise mathematical models to show the transition from exponential growth to logistic plateau. Mathematical analysis of resources used to justify an exact carrying capacity (K).

Proficient
3 Points

Uses mathematical representations to accurately identify population trends and carrying capacity. Calculations are correct and supported by evidence from the Skittles Lab or simulations.

Developing
2 Points

Mathematical representations show basic trends but contain inaccuracies. Carrying capacity is identified but not clearly supported by mathematical reasoning or resource limits.

Beginning
1 Points

Graphs or mathematical models are missing or do not accurately represent growth. Carrying capacity is fundamentally misunderstood.

Criterion 2

Analyzing & Interpreting Data: Biodiversity & Resilience

Evaluates the ability to analyze and interpret data regarding biodiversity indices to predict the stability and resilience of the ecosystem. (SEP: Analyzing and Interpreting Data)

Exemplary
4 Points

Analyzes complex biodiversity data with 100% accuracy; provides a nuanced interpretation of how species richness and variety data correlate to ecosystem stability during multiple catastrophic events.

Proficient
3 Points

Accurately interprets biodiversity data (richness) to justify the Arena's resilience level. Successfully updates and analyzes data following Capitol Events.

Developing
2 Points

Analyzes basic richness data but struggles to interpret the results in the context of ecosystem stability or response to environmental disturbances.

Beginning
1 Points

Biodiversity data is incomplete or inaccurately interpreted; fails to use data to support claims about ecosystem health.

Category 3

Ecosystem Dynamics & Argumentation

Focuses on the interactions within the biotic community and the ability to defend claims about those interactions.
Criterion 1

Developing Models: Trophic Structure & Interactions

Evaluates the student's ability to develop a model (Food Web) to represent the complex interactions and energy flow between organisms in an ecosystem. (SEP: Developing and Using Models)

Exemplary
4 Points

Food web model is a complex, accurate system showing multiple trophic pathways; expertly predicts and models the cascading effects of adding or removing species from the system.

Proficient
3 Points

Develops a complete and accurate model of the food web with clear energy flow. Correctly integrates and represents at least three types of symbiotic interactions.

Developing
2 Points

Develops a functional model but it lacks complexity or contains minor errors in energy flow. Symbiotic interactions are mentioned but not effectively modeled.

Beginning
1 Points

Model is linear (chain only) or contains major inaccuracies regarding energy flow or species roles.

Criterion 2

Engaging in Argument from Evidence: Invasions & Behavior

Evaluates the ability to engage in argument from evidence regarding the impact of behavioral traits and invasive species on ecosystem stability. (SEP: Engaging in Argument from Evidence)

Exemplary
4 Points

Engages in a sophisticated argument using data from the Fire Ant investigation and behavioral studies; considers both immediate and long-term systemic impacts of behaviors and invasions on fitness.

Proficient
3 Points

Uses evidence from investigations to make a logical claim about the impact of invasive species and group behaviors on the survival of the population.

Developing
2 Points

Constructs an argument but evidence is limited or surface-level. Reasoning for the survival value of group behaviors or the impact of invasive species lacks depth.

Beginning
1 Points

Argument is missing or based on scientific misconceptions. Impact of behaviors or invasive species is not supported by evidence.

Category 4

Scientific Communication & Synthesis

Focuses on the final synthesis and public defense of the project work.
Criterion 1

Communicating Information: Arena Defense Presentation

Evaluates the student's ability to communicate scientific and technical information about their Arena design and defend their solution against critical review. (SEP: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information; Engaging in Argument from Evidence)

Exemplary
4 Points

Communicates complex scientific information with high clarity and professionalism. Arguments are compelling, synthesizing data from all investigations to defend the design against peer and teacher critique.

Proficient
3 Points

Communicates clear scientific claims supported by relevant evidence and reasoning. Presentation is organized and effectively conveys all required components (Blueprint, Graphs, CER).

Developing
2 Points

Information is communicated but lacks organization or clarity. Evidence for claims is weak or not directly linked to the design choices. Presentation is missing key elements.

Beginning
1 Points

Communication is disorganized or incomplete. Fails to provide scientific evidence to support the viability of the Arena design.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning
Question 1

How confident do you feel in your ability to use mathematical data (like carrying capacity and biodiversity scores) to defend the long-term survival of a real-world ecosystem?

Scale
Required
Question 2

Which 'certification' area did you find most crucial to the success of your Arena's 50-year survival projection?

Multiple choice
Required
Options
Abiotic Architecture (Water, shelter, and habitat zones)
Population Regulation (Carrying capacity and limiting factors)
Community Dynamics (Predation, symbiosis, and group behavior)
Biodiversity (Species richness and resilience to Capitol Events)
Question 3

Reflecting on your journey from 'Habitat Architect' to 'Survival Specialist,' how did the data from the Capitol Investigations (Fire Ants or BMGR) change your original vision for the Arena? Provide a specific example of a revision you made based on evidence.

Text
Required
Question 4

As a 'Master Gamemaker,' you had to balance resource limits with population growth. How has this simulation changed your perspective on the challenges real scientists face when trying to conserve endangered species or manage invasive ones?

Text
Optional