Types of Symbiosis Game
•Directions for different ways to play
•14 matching pairs of symbiotic
organisms
•List of the pairs and types
•Worksheet to use to extend activity
•Could be given as homework
•Could be required to include
different types of symbiosis
Ways to play:
1. Play as a game!
2. Use as a sort
3. Group work
4. Research
1. Print out all cards and headers. Have groups or one student
sort the pairs under each type of symbiosis.
*use the iPad to take pictures as an assessment.
2. Without giving pairs away give groups all of the animals and have
them pair them up and why they work.
*use technology to do research*
3. Print out cards and read students out the pairs (just the
description part) and they build a sort and poster at their seats
based on the types of symbiosis.
Pass out all the cards to student around the room. Call out an animal pair.
For example, “Cow and cattle egret”
The students with those 2 cards come to the front of
the room for a showdown.
Read the description “the cattle egret gets bugs from the back of the cow and it
is neither harmed or bothered.”
the students decide what type of symbiosis it is (we have the headers attached to
the board) and they place it in the correct location.
I love this version because it involved all students and it goes quickly but you can
play the other versions to review the different types.
cow
Cattle egret
aphid
Maple tree
Barnacle
whale
Mosquito
Human
Human
dog
Shrimp
Goby fish
Acadia tree
ant
Rhinoceros
Oxpecker
Cuckoo bird
warbler
Mistletoe
Spruce tree
deer
Burdock plant
Crocodile
Egyptian Plover
Clownfish
Sea anemone
Commensalism
Parasitism
Flea
mouse
List of combinations and types of symbiosis
Animal pairs
Types of symbiosis
Cow and cattle egret
Commensalism – cattle egret gets food (bugs) and the cow is neither harmed
nor hurt
Aphid and maple tree
Parasitism – aphid eats sap from trees. Trees need the sap to help them
survive.
Barnacle and whale
Commensalism – barnacle gets transportation and whale is not harmed
Mosquito and human
Parasitism – human has scratching or pain and mosquito gets blood.
Human and dog
Mutualism- dogs provide protection and company and humans provide shelter
and food.
Goby fish and shrimp
Mutualism- shrimp digs hole, both animals live in. Because shrimp is nearly
blind the fish will touch the shrimp when predator is nearby.
Acadia tree and ant
Mutualism- ant burrows in the thorn to have shelter. It protects the tree
from any small predators.
Oxpecker and rhinoceros
Mutualism – oxpecker gets a free meal when it eats the ticks that drink the
rhinoceros blood.
Cuckoo bird and warbler
Parasitism – Cuckoo bird will lays its own eggs in the warbler nest for them to
take care of.
Mistletoe and spruce tree
Parasitism – the mistletoe takes water from the tree as it grows up the
branches.
List of combinations and types of symbiosis
Animal pairs
Types of symbiosis
Deer and Burdock plant
Commensalism – deer moves around through forest and takes the burrs
from the plant that need to be transported.
Crocodile and Egyptian Plover
Mutualism – eats the leeches out of the crocodile’s mouth.
Clownfish and sea anemone
Mutualism- clownfish is protected and given shelter. Sea anemone gets algae
eaten that could harm it.
Flea and mouse
Parasitism- the flea attaches to mouse and drinks its blood.
Name: ________________
Symbiosis Showdown
Place cards or draw animals to represent symbiotic relationships. Explain on the lines below how it fits that type of symbiosis.
Type of Symbiosis: _________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
Type of Symbiosis: _________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
•This is for ONE classroom use only! It may not be uploaded in any
form to the Internet. Please direct others to my store for additional
licenses:
http://teacherspayteachers.com/sssteaching
•Please direct any questions to newteacherniche@gmail.com
•You can follow my blog for more great science ideas:
http://sssteaching.blogspot.com
Clipart: clker.com