Be the Creature
2nd Grade Life Science Game
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2nd Grade Life Science Standards - Interactions within Habitats
Builds on 1st Grade Life Science Standards - Basic Needs of Living Things
There are many different kinds of ecosystems where animals live. This fun ecosystem game is a great way to
help your students think about what animals live in which ecosystems and some of the animal adaptations that
allow the animals to survive there. Your students will also love pretending to be the different animals and get a
kick out of watching other students act like the animals featured in the game!
Materials:
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Cut out the animal index cards (laminating helps cards last longer)
4 ecosystem papers: Desert, Forest, Ocean, Pond (you can even have students draw pictures to represent
each ecosystem)
Tape
Directions:
1. Tape one ecosystem (Desert, Forest, Ocean, and Pond) paper in each of the four corners of the room.
2. Have the students sit in a circle with the stack of animal cards placed face down on the floor in the
middle of the circle. Have each player draw a card. One at a time, players pretend to be the animal on
the card. They can give hints about what the animal looks like and what the animal eats. The player
should try to move like the animal and make the animal sounds. The sillier the better! (modification – if
students struggle with reading, they can describe what the animal looks like and the teacher can read the
clues to the class)
ANSWER KEY:
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Ocean – Whale, Dolphin, Stingray, Jellyfish, Shark
Desert – Camel, Meerkat, Rattlesnake, Scorpion, Ostrich
Pond - Frog, Alligator, Fresh Water Fish, Turtle, Duck
Forest – Bear, Deer, Owl, Squirrel, Rabbit
3. When the class guesses the name of the animal, have the students then guess which ecosystem the
animal belongs in. Have the student tape the animal card to the correct ecosystem picture.
4. Keep playing the game until all of the cards have been used.
After the game is over, be sure to save the cards so that you can play the game on another day. You can also use
the cards to practice animal vocabulary with your child some other time.
Produced and published by the Education Division, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle,
Cleveland, OH 44106
September 2015
Squirrel
• Omnivore (mainly herbivore but will eat
insects or eggs when food is scarce)
• Rodent – mammal
• Strong hind legs to grip trees and climb
down
• Hide food to store for later
Rabbit
• Herbivore
• Large ears to hear predators
• Large feet to easily hop through sand,
mud, or snow
• Flashes white tail to confuse predators
White-tailed Deer
• Herbivore
• Mammal
• Males grow antlers each year
• Flash white tail as an alarm to warn other
deer of predators
Owl
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Carnivore
Nocturnal
Acute hearing
Sharp talons to catch prey
Produced and published by the Education Division, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle,
Cleveland, OH 44106
September 2015
Largemouth Bass
• Carnivore
• Freshwater fish
• Breathe through gill slits
• Fast swimmer to catch prey
Painted Turtle
• Omnivore
• Lives in freshwater
• Has a hard outer shell for protection
• Reptile
Bear
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Omnivore
Hibernate 5-7 months each year
Sharp teeth and claws to capture prey
Strong sense of smell to find food
Mallard Duck
• Omnivore
• Mainly found in freshwater (although at
times can be found in sea, near the
shoreline)
• Bird – can fly
• Webbed feet for swimming
Produced and published by the Education Division, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle,
Cleveland, OH 44106
September 2015
Bullfrog
• Carnivore
• Amphibian
• Begin as tadpole with gill slits go through
metamorphosis
• Camouflaged to catch prey
Scorpion
• Carnivore
• Arthropod (related to spiders)
• 8 legs
• Venom injecting barb at end of tail
Alligator
• Carnivore
• Reptile
• Lives in freshwater or brackish water (mix
of fresh and salt water)
• Eats prey in a single bite
Ostrich
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Omnivore
Largest flightless bird alive today
Large eyes to see predators
Will run or kick for defense
Produced and published by the Education Division, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle,
Cleveland, OH 44106
September 2015
Meerkat
• Carnivore
• Mammal
• Dig underground burrows for protection
• Immune to certain types of venom
Jellyfish
• Carnivore
• Live in saltwater
• Umbrella shaped bell pulsates for
movement
• Stinging tentacles capture prey
Diamondback Rattlesnake
• Carnivore
• Venomous
• Reptile
• Shake “rattle” at end of tail to scare
predators
Camel
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Herbivore
Hump is filled with stored fat
Mammal
Can go long periods without food or
water
Produced and published by the Education Division, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle,
Cleveland, OH 44106
September 2015
Stingray
• Carnivore
• Lives in saltwater
• Poisonous barb for self-defense
• Camouflage in sand on seafloor
Humpback Whale
• Carnivore
• Lives in saltwater
• Baleen plates in mouth for filter feeding
• Blowhole on top of head to easily breathe
air
Shark
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Carnivore
Lives in saltwater
Breathes through gill slits
Have several sets of replaceable teeth
Dolphin
• Carnivore
• Lives in saltwater
• Use echolocation for communication and
to locate food
• Social animals – live in groups called pods
Produced and published by the Education Division, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle,
Cleveland, OH 44106
September 2015