✦ WILD ARCADE

FREE CLASSROOM ACTIVITY · AGES 9–14

Grow an underwater forest

Name: _______________________ Date: ______________

PLAY GIANT KELP QUEST →Back to lesson

Play Giant Kelp Quest, then explain your observations and decisions.

1. Observe the forest

Record one planting decision and one animal you saw. How could kelp provide habitat for that animal?

2. Choose suitable conditions

Compare a cool, clear rocky site with a warm, muddy site. Which would you investigate first for giant kelp restoration, and what else would you check?

3. Count the plants

In a game example, 14 kelp are planted and 10 have grown. How many have not yet grown? What fraction have grown?

4. Explain the game model

Name one event the game speeds up. Why should its wildlife arrivals not be used to predict real restoration results?

5. Plan a follow-up survey

Choose two things to measure before and after planting. Explain how repeated observations would help you judge recovery.

TEACHER NOTES

Run the lesson

Allow 30–40 minutes: 5 minutes discussion, 10–15 paired gameplay, 10 worksheet and 5–10 reflection. Use a browser device, paper and pencil. Offline option: discuss the example numbers and scenarios on the student sheet.

Suggested responses

  1. Accept an observed game animal and an explanation involving shelter, food or use of the habitat. An animal appearing on screen is a game event.
  2. The cool, clear rocky site is a starting hypothesis. Check local species, temperature, light, nutrients, grazing, attachment conditions and existing habitat before deciding.
  3. 14 − 10 = 4 not yet grown. 10/14 = 5/7 have grown. These are game counts, not measured survival data.
  4. Growth, spores or wildlife arrival are accelerated. Real responses vary with conditions and time; the game cannot establish recovery or predict a species list.
  5. Examples: repeat counts of surviving planted kelp and canopy cover; repeated standardised wildlife observations. Compare similar areas and survey methods over time.

Check understanding

Look for justified decisions, correct maths and a clear distinction between a game action and evidence of ecosystem recovery. Assess explanations rather than game scores.

Extension

Compare the game with the University of Tasmania restoration research below. Ask what researchers would need to know before scaling up planting.

Game sponsored by Offshore Biotechnologies. Original activity by Streamline Media Australia. Introductory learning; not operational or field training.

Sources and further learning

Sources checked 3 November 2026. Game rules are drawn from the current Wild Arcade game. Classroom activities are original teaching examples, not field instructions. Cited research organisations have not endorsed these resources.