Description

This is a review game that I created about 20 years ago and it has stood the test of time in my AP Biology classes. It promotes mastery of content and allows students to work at their own pace. My AP scores increased significantly once I implemented this game before each Midterm Exam. My students also pick and choose which of the 5 Greed games they want to play each day as they prepare for the AP Exam. Student groups of four work great with this activity and an adequate amount of time to spend playing Greed is approximately 45 minutes. What is great about this game is that students get through a ton of review questions in a short period of time. In addition, they are asking each other questions out loud which means they are pronouncing vocabulary terms (very important to solidify higher level concepts). They are also coaching and explaining concepts to one another throughout the game which means that all students are learning throughout the entire activity. This kit comes with approximately 215 question cards with answers. Instructions are also included. There are Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 questions. The questions get harder with each level. As students move through the levels they must decide if they will stay at a certain level and keep their points or wager their points by moving to the next level. These questions can be easily modified to fit your curriculum exactly or you can simply use the questions that are included. The following topics are included in this kit:

1. Comparison of Animal Phyla with a focus is on homeostatic mechanisms (such as comparing the gastrovascular cavity of a jellyfish to a full digestive tract of an earthworm...emphasis on compartmentalization which is an AP Biology theme), excretion of nitrogen waste, reproductive strategies, gas exchange, circulation of fluids, as well as a simplified comparison of nervous systems. Some questions also focus on evolutionary patterns (order of evolution, convergent evolution, analogous/homologous structures......)

2. Human Nervous System with a focus on cellular mechanisms and cell-to-cell communication. (Sodium/Potassium pump, chemical/electrical nature of the impulse, the synapse, reflex arc.....)

3. Human Immune System with a focus on cell-to-cell communication (Innate/non-specific immunity, Acquired immunity, macrophages, T cells, B cells, macrophages, antigens, antibodies, cell-mediated response vs. humoral response).

4. Hormone Action with a focus on cell-to-cell communication. (special focus on the cellular effects of glucagon and insulin as well as the three stages of cell signaling involving a hormone: reception, transduction & cellular responses.

5. Ecology (Population Ecology - logistic & exponential growth, Limiting Factors, Food Webs and Energy Flow, Primary Productivity, Biomes, Symbiotic Relationships, Mimicry & Camouflage, Human Impact on the Environment).

This game is structured enough that student groups are completely self-sufficient meaning they won’t need a lot (if any) input/interaction from the teacher so you will be free to get grading or other tasks done during class time! The best thing about Greed…….it is original. Because students haven’t played it a million times, they will find it engaging, challenging, competitive, and fun. My students absolutely love Greed!!

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