Go Extinct! An Award-Winning Evolution Game That Teaches Tree-Thinking as Students Pursue the Winning Strategy

Evolutionary trees communicate both the diversity and unity of life, a central important scientific concept, as highlighted by Vision Change undergraduate biology education movement. cladograms are diagrams viewed biologists Rosetta Stone-like in how well they convey an enormous amount information with clarity precision. However, majority undergraduates introductory courses find non-linear diagram confusing do not immediately understand tree-thinking to interpreting evolutionary tree’s branching structure. Go Extinct! is original board game featuring land vertebrates (i.e., amphibians, mammals, birds reptiles) it designed engage students reading this tree. won Society for Study Evolution’s Huxley Award outstanding outreach achievements recognition gameplay itself incentivizes identify clades common ancestors on stylized The can be completed about 30 minutes, which allows instructors time give follow-up activity sheets that help transfer their new ability read tree into more traditional-looking found textbooks literature. Overall, teaching game, playing completing 50-minute section. Each serve up 6 students, means 3 games cover section 18 students. provides fun effective learning experience will remember may even request play again. Primary Image: Biologists Students who gain mastery or cladogram. winning strategy depends identifying animal cards your hand. Photo taken author.