Names:_______________________________________________________

Cup Ecosystem
You and a partner are scientists who are in charge of observing a faraway
island. The island contains a large forest of plant life with small rivers running
through it and a large volcano on the east side. The island has small herbivores that
build their homes underground and carnivores that run on the beaches and climb the
islands large trees to sleep at night. Your job is to study the major events that
happen on the island over four years and explain how they affected the organisms living there.
Materials:
Cup = Island
15 Green Sticks = Plant life
10 Blue Sticks = Small herbivores
10 Red Sticks = Carnivores
Dice

Directions: Your will need to roll the dice to determine what environmental change or
catastrophic event happened on the island for each year. After you roll the dice, check the chart
below and read what happens that year on your island. Then, follow the steps in the chart and
record what you think the event did to affect the organisms living there.

Scientists:
1 person will roll the dice and manage the ecosystem
1 person will record what happened for each year

Dice Chart:
The island has a good year with Too much rain flooded the rivers on
healthy rainfall ADD 3 green sticks 1 the island. REMOVE 2 blue sticks and
blue stick and 1 red stick 2 red sticks.

Pollution of small objects has washed The island has a good year with
up on the beach REMOVE 4 red healthy rainfall ADD 3 green sticks 1
sticks blue stick and 1 red stick
 A small earthquake has damaged the
forest. REMOVE 2 green sticks 3 blue
sticks and 2 red sticks.
The volcano on the east side of the
island erupts and lava flows through
the forest.
REMOVE 6 green sticks, 4 blue sticks
and 5 red sticks.

Your Observations:
Year 1
We rolled a ________
Why do you think you had to remove or add the sticks for this event?

Year 2
We rolled a ________
Why do you think you had to remove or add the sticks for this event?

Year 3
We rolled a ________
Why do you think you had to remove or add the sticks for this event?

Year 4
We rolled a ________
Why do you think you had to remove or add the sticks for this event?

* Complete the sentence stem by looking at your observations and reflect on how an event
affected either the plants, herbivores or carnivores. (you may need to go back and read the
paragraph about the island to help you.

A(n) __________________________ happened in year _____ and it

(Catastrophic event)
affected the _____________________________________

because it ________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________.