2018 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 2_19-28
We developed a card game called “My Nature” to foster learning about biodiversity. This game simulates one of the issues concerning biodiversity; namely, various human activities that lead to reducing native species and increasing non-native species. In our study, we had second- and third-grade elementary students play the game. The contents of this educational program included (1) a lecture on the issue of non-native species and the meaning of biodiversity, (2) playing the card game, (3) a discussion or writing about what the children had learned or understood, and (4) homework on conceptualizing a new card that suggests an action to preserve native species. The educational effects were as follows. (1) Students enjoyed the game and integrated their game experiences with practical concerns. (2) Students understood the relationship between biodiversity and humans, recognized humans’ responsibilities towards biodiversity, and became motivated to conserve biodiversity. (3) Students who conceptualized new cards had the opportunity to observe nearby nature, think about the relationship between the issues concerning biodiversity and their daily lives, and to find solutions to the issues concerning biodiversity themselves. However, the educational effects were not necessarily observed among all of the students, and therefore, we must improve the educational curriculum.
