======Oh Deer! Population Game======


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**Alternative titles:** Deer and Habitat Simulation
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Mark two parallel lines or areas in an open space: one side for deer, the other for habitat resources.
  - Divide students into two groups: deer and habitat resources.
  - Each deer secretly chooses which resource it needs that round (food, water, or shelter), and signals this with a hand gesture (e.g., stomach for food, hands over head for shelter).
  - Each resource student chooses which resource they represent that round (food, water, or shelter).
  - On the teacher’s signal (“Oh, Deer!”), deer and resources turn to face each other and move forward.
  - Deer must find and match with a resource that provides what they need. If successful, the deer survives the round; if not, it dies.
  - Deer that die switch roles and become habitat resources in the next round.
  - Record the number of surviving deer after each round.
  - Repeat for 7–15 rounds to observe population fluctuations and carrying capacity.
  - At the end, plot deer population over time and discuss patterns.



====Links==== 
Ecosystems - Animal Population Game - Oh Deer! - Rick Crosslin: 
{{youtube>wuoOBqXLDdM?}}\\

Oh, deer! 5 minutes (trimmed) - Michigan DNR Education and PD Opportunities!: 
{{youtube>G_79b-8y8vY?}}\\

📄 Project WILD Activity “Oh Deer!” - idrange.org: [[https://idrange.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Oh-Deer.pdf]]\\


====Variations====
  * Introduce predators that can tag deer to simulate predation.
  * Remove one type of resource (e.g., water) to represent drought or other environmental change.
  * Introduce invasive species with different resource needs.
  * Adjust reproduction rules to allow deer populations to grow faster or slower.
  * Modify the ecosystem to represent different biomes (forest, desert, grassland).



====Safety Precautions====
  * Play in a safe, open area free of obstacles.
  * Use clear signals and rules to avoid collisions when students move toward resources.
  * Assign non-running roles (recorders, observers) for students who cannot participate in active play.
  * Ensure supervision to manage excitement and maintain order.




====Questions to Consider====
  * What happened to the deer population when resources were abundant? (It increased due to low competition.)
  * What happened when resources were scarce? (The population decreased as deer could not survive without matching resources.)
  * How does this game illustrate the concept of carrying capacity? (It shows the maximum number of deer that the environment can support at once.)
  * What are examples of limiting factors in this simulation? (Food, water, shelter, predators, environmental conditions.)
  * How is the game realistic, and how is it unrealistic compared to natural ecosystems? (Realistic: populations fluctuate with resources; Unrealistic: death occurs instantly and only one resource is needed each round.)