Musical chairs may be a classic game, but Ruffe Musical Chairs is a unique lesson on invasive species! Using the time-honored game, pupils role play the behaviors of the invasive fish called Eurasian ruffe. Learning about this aggressive species is the first part in exploring how fish populations change over time and how one species can wipe out another and permanently alter an ecosystem's food web.

Concepts

fish, the great lakes, invasive species, fish species

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Additional Tags

fish, great lakes, science

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Instructional Ideas

• Use as an introduction activity to a lesson on ecosystems and the interactions between a habitat's resources and its populations of organisms
• Have students research another habitat and examine the relationship between a native and a non-native species that live there

Classroom Considerations

• Laminate game cards for continual use
• Make copies of, or project onto the board, the ruffe "Statements" page so learners can easily refer to the informational material on their own

Pros

• Clear step-by-step directions make it easy to facilitate the game and modify for any class room
• Incorporates background information, discussion questions, class predictions, and game modifications

Cons

• None