Lessons 2.1 and lessons 2.2 and/or 2.3 are highly recommended as preparation for the Life as a Lizard Game. Learning Materials are available from links in the Support Materials section at the bottom of this page.

*Lesson 2.1 Assign and Review Lizard, Predator and Prey Roles
(Give Out Cast Cards)

Learning Resource Information

• Time: ~ 45 min.
• Learning Objective: Students read and review information about the lizard, predator and prey species that they will role play when during the Life as a Lizard game.
• State Education Standards: Not yet available
• National Education Standards: View all National Education Standards for this lesson
• Learning Materials: The cast cards are for the students to learn their roles before they play the game. Each student or student pair should have their own cast card. The cast cards explain the behavior, habitat, diet and characteristics of each lizard, predator and prey species.
  1. Life as a Lizard Game Cast Cards: Lizards.
  2. Life as a Lizard Game Cast Cards: Predator and Prey
  3. Life as a Lizard Game Action Cards: These are for the teacher to read later when the game is played. Students should NOT see them. Put these cards aside until you play the game.
  4. Lizard, Predator and Prey Species List

To prepare:

If you have a class of 30, in each round of the game 22 students will pair up to play 11 lizard species, 3 will be predator species, and 2 will be prey species. Each student will get a chance to play a lizard as long as you play the game twice. So that every student can play a lizard, on the second round of the game, the 5 students who played predator and prey species will be paired with one of the students who played a lizard, and the other half of the lizard pair will take the role of predator or prey.

• Print out Lizard Cast Cards, Predator and Prey Cast Cards and Action cards. You will need to print out or copy 3 sets of Lizard Cast Cards (you may have a few extra but these can be used later on). The correct card will be distributed to the students after they have received a lizard/predator/prey role so that they can learn about how to play that species.
• Each student should get a copy of the Predator and Prey Cast Cards, so adjust for your class size.
• You will need 1 copy of the Action Cards for yourself to read to the students during the game.
• Decide if you want students to paste their cast cards in their science notebooks, if they should create little booklets to put cast cards in, other lizard biology information they are learning, as well as drawings and other pictures, or if the cards should be pasted onto construction paper and made into a set. If you will have students make booklets, make a sample booklet and show the class before you have them choose their roles. Students will need to be able to read their cast cards (and in some cases show predators their camofluage pattern drawn on the back of the card, or separate page) during the game, thus it may be advantageous to make mini-booklets or card sets.
• Write down all the names of the species on the board or a piece of butcher paper. While the students are choosing their roles, you should have a student record the name of who will play each role on the board and on a separate sheet that you can keep for your records.
• if you will have them choose from a hat have a student write down the names of the lizard, predator and prey species on strips of paper, or print out the Lizard, Predator and Prey Species List and cut it into strips .
• Check the Props needed in the Learning Materials section, "Lizard Game Props". Depending on what you have in your class for the prop list you may want to ask students to start bringing in materials for the props you will need to create.

Lesson Steps:

1. Students pull a role out of a hat to play during the game (either lizard, predator or prey). You may also assign the roles yourself.
2. Optional: Students can create mini-booklets to paste their cast cards in while the roles are being picked.
If you have a class of 30:
• 22 students will be paired up to play 11 lizard species
• 3 students will play 2 types of predator species,
• 2 students will play ants and crickets (the prey species).
• Students that pulled prey and predator roles will also need to have lizard roles also. You can decide how to assign them, but make sure that each student has a lizard role. Choose some of the students that pulled lizard names and have them also play predator and prey roles. Each student will get a chance to play a lizard as long as you play the game twice.
• Tell the students that they will all need to learn about the roles of the predator and prey species, and that they might also get the chance to be an understudy for another lizard role (i.e. they may need to learn two roles).
3. Distribute the Lizard and Predator/Prey cards. Students should either paste these into a notebook or homemade mini-booklet (e.g. paper stapled or tied together).
4. Ask students to look at the cards and take notes on the types of behaviors they will need to perform. Students should review their cards with their neighbors.
5. The whole class can meet to review lizard behavior and make a class chart of the topics listed on the cast cards (habitat, defense, activity range and characterists and social behavior) and the different types of lizards.

Lesson 2.2 Gathering More Information - Researching Lizard Roles

Learning Resource Information

• Time: ~ 1 hr.
• Learning Objective: Students read and review about the lizards, predators and prey species they will role play when they play the Life as a Lizard game.
• State Education Standards:Not yet available
• National Education Standards: View all National Education Standards for this Lesson
• Learning Materials:
  1. Life as a Lizard Game Cast Cards
  2. Lizards, Life as a Lizard Game Cast Cards: Predator and Prey
  3. Life as a Lizard Game Action Cards
• Where lesson performed: Lesson is preferably perfomed while students are viewing the materials online. If this is not possible the ToL leanring materials can be printed out or print materials can be used.

Lesson Steps:

1. Remind students that they need to research their roles. Take students to the computer lab to look at images of "their lizard" and the predator and prey species and answer questions as the view "An introduction to lizards." If you can't get to the computer lab you can project the "Introduction to Lizards" from one computer or print out the materials.
2. Students should be taking notes in their science notebooks and/or working on their cast card booklets or cards.
3. Optional: Have students go through an "Introduction to Lizards" (either online or by printing out) using the Introduction to Lizards Question Sheet (not yet available). Some of this information may be confusing to younger students.
4. Let students look at pictures of their lizard and possibly print one out to put with their cast card booklet. Students can also draw lizards from the online images.

Lesson 2.3 Student Role Playing Preparation Activities

Learning Resource Information

• Time: Time for each activity to be determined by teacher.
• Learning Objectives:
• Students read about, write about, and discuss lizards, predators and prey species they will role play in the Life as a Lizard game.
• Students practice their role playing behavior
• Students create diagrams to compare and contrast different lizard, predator and prey behaviors.
• State Education Standards:
• National Education Standards: View all National Education Standards for this Lesson
• Learning Materials:
  1. Life as a Lizard Interview Questions
  2. Lizards, Life as a Lizard Game Cast Cards: Predator and Prey
  3. Life as a Lizard Game Action Cards

Lesson Steps:

1. Give students time to work on their cast card notes or booklets,
2. Have students "interview" other species, create a class chart of the information on the cast cards and compare and contrast species. Create Venn Diagrams with similarities and differences.
3. Each student should become an understudy for the role of a predator species and a prey species, students can also become understudies for other types of lizards by pairing off with other students.
4. Students can get in groups and practice their behaviors.
5. Revisit the behavior list sheet and the guidelines for what are appropriate behaviors. Practice lizard role playing behaviors as a class.

Support Materials

• Lizard, Predator and Prey Species List
• Life as a Lizard Glossary Words
• Key Word Fun Memory Game
• Glossary Word Worksheet
• Life as a Lizard Interview Questions
• An Introduction to Lizards
• Life as a Lizard Prop and Classroom Set-up list
• Life as a Lizard Action Cards
• Life as a Lizard Game Cast Cards: Lizards
• Life as a Lizard Game Cast Cards: Predators and Prey
• Life as a Lizard Game Instructions
• Life as a Lizard Lizzie Award activity

Return to the Life as a Lizard Unit Home Page

Learning Information

• ToL Learner Level:
  • Beginner; Intermediate
• Target Grade/Age Level:
  • All Grade/Age levels.
• Additional Treehouse Type:
  • Fun and Games