✦ WILD ARCADE

FREE CLASSROOM ACTIVITY · AGES 9–14

Build a living habitat

Name: _______________________ Date: ______________

PLAY SPONGE BUILDERS →Back to lesson

Play Sponge Builders, then explain your observations and decisions.

1. Put the mission in order

Put these game steps in order: position the mat, attach fragments, make fragments, lower the mat. Why attach before lowering?

2. Explain the sponge

Is a marine sponge an animal or a plant? Explain how it obtains food and one way it can provide habitat.

3. Count the fragments

The game starts with 18 fragments. You attach 7. How many remain? Does attaching all 18 show that all 18 will survive?

4. Design a comparison

Compare a seeded mat with a similar unseeded mat. Name one condition to keep similar and one thing to measure later.

5. Look beyond the score

Describe one thing the game simplifies. Suggest two observations that could help a team judge a real sponge restoration trial.

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. Make fragments → attach fragments → lower mat → position mat. Attachment connects the fragments to their intended support before the game deployment.
  2. Animal; filter feeding obtains food from passing water. Sponge structure can provide shelter or habitat for small organisms.
  3. 18 − 7 = 11 remain. Attachment is an initial action; survival must be observed later.
  4. Keep depth, mat type or survey timing comparable. Measure sponge survival, growth or coverage. Use repeated mats and observations; one pair alone is weak evidence.
  5. Examples: instant fragmentation/attachment and simplified placement. Record survival and size/cover repeatedly, along with attachment condition or habitat use. A high game score is not a field result.

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

Read about sponge biology and the sponge propagation research below. Design a paper trial with several seeded and unseeded mats, while keeping other conditions comparable.

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.