Loads of Fun Food Chain Roshambo Game

When teaching about ecosystems, I like playing Food Chain Roshambo (a modified form of the traditional rock-paper-scissors) as a kinethetic way to learn about food chains. The video in the link does a great job of providing instructions and showing what students learn from doing it. The version that I learned first, uses a mouse instead of a bunny, which snakes are a little more likely to eat. Students use three fingers out on each hand and cross their hands in front of their faces to indicate mouse whiskers.

I have another version that starts with a leaf, where kids arc their arms, with their elbows out slightly, and their palms pressed flat together above their heads. Next, is the worm which decomposes the leaf (I like the addition of the decomposer). Students curl and wiggle their index finger like a worm. Then comes the Robin. To make this, students put their thumb against the bottom of their fingers, making a rounded bird head with a pointed beak. After the robin, is the cat. For this gesture, students place their hands in front of themselves and they scratch downward a couple times, like a cat. The apex predator, is the coyote. For this animal, students make a gesture similar to the robin, but they out up the index finger and the pinky like coyote ears, and try to straighten out the central fingers to make a long slender snout.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *