ACTIVITY

pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc

Element Cycles: An Environmental Chemistry Board Game

Tracy Pippins,† Cody M. Anderson,‡ Eric F. Poindexter,‡ S. Whitney Sultemeier,‡ and Linda D. Schultz*,‡
†
Graham High School, Graham, Texas 76450, United States
‡
Department of Chemistry, Geosciences, and Environmental Science, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, Texas 76402,
United States

bS Supporting Information
ABSTRACT: “Element Cycles” is an activity designed to reinforce correlation of essential
elements and their different forms in the ecosystem. Students are assigned essential elements
to research as homework, then share results, and construct game boards with four ecosphere
sections: geosphere (earth), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), and biosphere (life).
The outside track is marked with essential elements, and “transition cards” move elements
between ecosystem sections. Students play the game, individually or in teams, to reinforce
understanding of the biogeochemical cycles. As players proceed through the ecosystem, they
are shunted randomly between sections and must answer questions about the elements. The
winner is the first student to successfully pass through the entire ecosystem. The game can be
tailored to different grade levels by varying card complexity and game-board terminology.
This game format is also adaptable to other chemical concepts. Cost for one game setup is
less than $10. Average time required to complete one game is about 12 min. One class period
is required for Internet research (if done in class), and one period is needed to share results
and construct gameboards and cards. Alternatively, the teacher can construct the materials and only one class period is used for the
activity.
KEYWORDS: Elementary/Middle School Science, High School/Introductory Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Humor/
Puzzles/Games, Internet/Web-Based Learning, Atmospheric Chemistry, Bioinorganic Chemistry, Geochemistry, Student-
Centered Learning, Water/Water Chemistry

A complete ecosystem consists of the geosphere (earth),

hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), and biosphere (life).
The essential elements exist in different forms in each sphere and
pass between them by chemical and physical processes called
biogeochemical cycles. Students are initially introduced to these
concepts in grades 4
6, but do not usually study them inten-
sively until secondary environmental science classes.1
Incorporating games into a class (or lab) is a nonthreatening
way to refresh a student’s memory, and the interactive format
provides a stimulating environment in which to reinforce im-
portant concepts. Such games have been developed to address a
wide variety of chemical concepts.2 “Element Cycles” is a simple
board game designed to familiarize students in grades 4
12
with the most common essential elements and their roles in the
environment. The students initially gain knowledge about the
elements and their biogeochemical cycles by researching them
online. This knowledge is then reinforced by constructing a game
board with ecological sections and element cards to pass
the elements between ecosystems. When the students play the
game and are passed from ecosystem to ecosystem, the forms of
the elements change and they gain greater appreciation of the
cyclic nature of matter in the environment.
The game can be customized for different grade levels. For
elementary students, the ecosystems can be defined as earth, air,
water, and life, and the forms of the elements are simply the
names of the compounds and ions, such as carbonate rocks,
carbon dioxide gas, nitrogen gas, and so forth. For more advanced
students, the ecosystems are defined as geosphere, atmosphere,
hydrosphere, and biosphere, the forms of the elements are the
actual chemical formulas, such as CO32
, CO2, and N2, and
mechanisms of transformation can be included, such as oxida-
tion, reduction, precipitation, and so forth.
This game format is also adaptable to other chemical concepts
and is an entertaining alternative to rote memorization of specific
facts. One example of such a concept is solubility. The four sections
of the board can be labeled as þ1 cations,
1 anions, þ2 cations,
and
2 anions. The track is then marked with appropriate anions
and cations, and when the student lands on a symbol, he or she is
sent to an oppositely charged ionic section and must draw a specific
ion card and correctly predict solubility. Other units, such as
oxidation
reduction, are also potential game topics.
’ MATERIALS
• List of essential elements for students to research: The
suggested minimum is C, N, P, and S, but the list may also be
expanded to include O and H. Some good references, in
Published: June 16, 2011

Copyright r 2011 American Chemical Society and

Division of Chemical Education, Inc. 1112 dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed100576a | J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88, 1112–1115
Journal of Chemical Education
Figure 1. Illustration of game board for elementary students (an
overhead or computer projection of this illustration is helpful when
introducing the game to students).
addition to the students’ textbook, are the Environmental
Literacy Council Web site3 and the WebElements Web site.4
• Study sheet or chart of assigned elements for students to
complete as assignment prior to class.
• Index cards: 1 pack containing 4 colors of cards for each
game board.
• White poster board (1 per game board): Ecosystems can be
colored in and decorated with markers or covered with
construction paper (4 colors each for each game board) or
sections of colored poster board.
• One pair of dice per board.
• Game pieces: These can be colored buttons, coins with
sticky colored dots, or other tokens.
’ PROCEDURE
Preparation for Activity
Each student is given a worksheet with one or more essential
elements to research for roles in the ecosystem and the biogeo-
chemical cycle(s). The student researches his or her elements
using books and online sources. This may be done at school or at
home, depending on the resources available to the student. All
students share results to complete their worksheets correctly.
Construction of Game Board
A standard white poster board is cut into a square shape
(22 in.  22 in.) to be used as the game board. A black felt-tip
marker or crayon is used to draw lines 3 in. from the outer edges
of the board to form the game track (Figure 1). The center
sections of the tracks (16 in.) are divided into 8 sections by
drawing lines across the tracks at 2 in. intervals. Diagonal lines are
drawn connecting the inside corners of the central area. Each of
the four central triangular areas is covered with construction
paper of a different color or is colored with markers of different
colors. A 3 in.  3 in. square of each color is cut and is used it to
cover the right-hand corner of the board next to the central
triangle of the same color. One area and matching corner is
labeled as earth (geosphere), a second is labeled as water
(hydrosphere), the third is labeled as air (atmosphere), and the
fourth is labeled as life (biosphere). The earth corner is the start
and finish of the game. One rectangle in each of the four sections
of track is randomly labeled with the symbol C for carbon. The
same is done for each of the other three elements: N, P, and S.
1113
ACTIVITY
Each track section now has 4 blank spaces and 4 spaces labeled
with element symbols. Total assembly time is about 20 min.
Twelve index cards in each of four different colors are selected
for a total of 48 cards. Three cards of each color are labeled with the
symbol for each of the four elements C, N, P, and S. Each set of cards
of one color is assigned to one of the “spheres”. Each of the three
cards with the symbol of one particular element from one sphere is
taken and labeled with the phrase “go to ___sphere”, which is the
respective different sphere. For example, if the element is carbon and
the cards are from the biosphere, the three cards say “go to
atmosphere”, “go to geosphere”, and “go to hydrosphere”. Because
there is no P in atmosphere, the three P cards from other spheres say
“go to atmosphere, not present, return to start”. The P cards in
atmosphere send players to other spheres. A template for the cards is
available in the Supporting Information.
Play the Game
The cards for each sphere are shuffled and placed on the board
in their respective sphere (the colored triangle). The class is
randomly divided into groups of five students or less for each
game board. A pair of dice is thrown to determine who the
“Ecosystem Regulator” will be and the order in which they play,
with high score becoming the Regulator, second high score
playing first, and so forth. In case of a tie, students throw again
until the tie is broken. A game piece is then selected by each
student. A sticker or some other token is given to the Regulator
because he or she does not get to play the game for this round.
The geosphere corner serves as the starting point. Each player
rolls one die and proceeds clockwise through the geosphere as
per the number of spaces indicated by the die (maximum of six).
If the student lands on an element, he or she must draw a card
with the symbol of that element, read it, show it to the other
group members, and go to the beginning (corner) of the indica-
ted sphere. The student must then properly identify the chemical
form of that element in the new sphere or he or she misses his or
her next turn. If the student answers correctly, he or she stays on
the board. If the answer is not correct, the student moves his or
her game piece off of the board for one turn. The Regulator holds
the information key for the form of element in each sphere as
obtained from the previously completed worksheets and rules
whether the player keeps or loses a turn. If a question arises about
the legality of an answer, the teacher is the ultimate authority.
The card is returned to the deck, which is reshuffled.
The first student to complete the circuit and return to the
geosphere is the winner. However, all members of the group
should be allowed to complete their turn, and if other students
also complete the circuit during the same turn, a winner can be
decided by rolling the dice again or by a coin flip. Note that being
sent back to the beginning of the geosphere by a card does not
count as a win; it is actually a penalty because the player must start
the circuit again from the beginning. A winner must actually make it
through the sphere preceding the geosphere to reach the finish.
This game is random because a winner might occur with as
little as three rounds of play (a rare occurrence) or the game can
require several rounds. Therefore, one classroom management
strategy is to allocate a certain time period for playing the game
and to declare overall winners based on the number of games
won by each individual student. If a game must be ended before a
winner is declared, all players, including the Regulator, roll dice to
determine the winner. The random nature of the game makes
outcomes unpredictable, so this keeps all students occupied for
the entire period.
dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed100576a |J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88, 1112–1115
Journal of Chemical Education ACTIVITY

Table 1. Scores on Homework, Pretest, and Posttest for Pre-AP and Regular Chemistry Classes
Homework Average Pretest Average Posttest Average Performance Change
Class Type Number of Students Homework Compliance (%) (%) (%) (%)

Pre-AP Chemistry 12 11/12 57 46 60 14

15 14/15 64 46 76 30
19 10/19 63 31 57 26
Sum/Average 46 61 41 64 23

Chemistry 16 13/16 36 44 46 2
16 12/16 39 36 47 11
17 11/17 41 31 54 23
Sum/Average 49 39 37 48 12

An appropriate prize or reward system may be chosen by the
teacher if desired.
’ RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The effectiveness of this game as a learning tool was tested in a
classroom environment. Ninety-five students, mostly second-
year high school students, participated in the activity. The classes
consisted of three sections of pre-AP chemistry and three
sections of regular chemistry, which included some students
with special needs. Only one 45-min class period was available for
the activity. All students were given a list of elements to research
as a homework assignment on Monday. Because the students
were high school level, they were allowed to select their own
reference sources. On Wednesday the assignments were col-
lected and the students given a brief pretest to assess their level of
mastery of the material from this learning strategy. After a brief
review of the correct answers, the students were presented with
the game, allowed to play a moderate level game for 15
20 min,
and given a posttest.
The students and teacher enjoyed the activity, and no beha-
vioral problems were noted among the students. The reactions of
the students to the competitive game atmosphere were interest-
ing: the students quickly developed an interest in learning
the correct answers so that they could monitor the results of
the other players. Some groups (mostly athletes) were quite
competitive, whereas other groups tended to coach each other.
The random nature of the game kept the students interested
when the faster groups played second or third games. Results of
the testing are shown in Table 1.
Homework scores were significantly higher in the pre-AP
chemistry classes, although pretest class averages were not
improved to the same extent. Apparently these students applied
themselves more to completing the assignment than to mastering
the material. However, pre-AP chemistry students did show a
larger improvement in their posttest scores. Five out of six classes
showed marked improvement in their level of mastery of the
material on the posttest. The sixth class, one of the regular
chemistry classes, showed only minimal improvement. It is
interesting to note that this class also had an unusually high
pretest average, although their homework average was not
remarkable and their posttest scores were approximately the
same as those of the other regular chemistry classes.
It is unfortunate that only one class period was available for
this project to be tested, because a large portion of the learning
process occurs during construction of the game board and
element cards. Although the students averaged about 50% on
1114
their homework assignments, their retention levels on the pretest
were only about 40%. After a brief review of the correct answers
and a period of playing the game, the posttest scores rose to
approximately 55%, which indicates that playing the game
reinforced the student’s retention of the material. However, we
did not have an opportunity to compare these results against a
control group.
’ CONCLUSION
Much of the learning involved in this activity occurs when the
students research their assigned elements to locate and record
their biogeochemical cycles. Students should observe in which
portions of the periodic table the essential elements are located.
They should discover, during their research process, that their
bodies require basic chemical elements to function properly, and
these elements are found in many foods. They also learn where
and how to find information about chemical elements. The game
can also be modified easily by the instructor by changing content
and complexity to accommodate students of different grade
levels.
Constructing and playing the game serves to reinforce the
learning process through further exposure to the knowledge
obtained through the student’s own research. When the game
was evaluated in an actual classroom setting, student scores
were improved compared to their scores prior to the activity.
Therefore, this game can serve as an inexpensive, enjoyable, and
effective teaching and learning tool.
’ ASSOCIATED CONTENT
bS Supporting Information
Student handout for the homework assignment; instructions
to build the game board; examples of the playing cards; pre- and
posttest; rules for the game; photos of the activity; homework key
for the instructor. This material is available via the Internet at
http://pubs.acs.org.
’ AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
*E-mail: schultz@tarleton.edu.
’ ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This game was originally developed in response to the
American Chemical Society 2008 “Chemvention” challenge to
dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed100576a |J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88, 1112–1115
Journal of Chemical Education ACTIVITY

develop a hands-on activity for elementary school students to

familiarize them with the properties of an element (or elements)
for less than $50. Team members included Owen Howard,
Benjamin Kaster, Cody Anderson, Laura Rogers, Whitney Sul-
temeier, Travis Figg, Anne Massie, Christopher Boyd, and
Clifford Terrel. The financial assistance of The Robert A. Welch
Foundation, Chemistry Departmental Grant AS-0012 is grate-
fully acknowledged.

’ REFERENCES
(1) Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): Science, for Kinder-
garten through Grade 12, Texas Education Agency, Austin, TX, 2002,
concepts 5.6, 5.7, 6.7, 7.7, 8.9, 112.45 (11, 12).
(2) Russell, J. V. J. Chem. Educ. 1999, 76, 481–484 (review of 67
games).
(3) Literacy Council Web site. www.enviroliteracy.org/subcategory.
php/198.html (accessed Apr 2011).
(4) WebElements Web site. www.webelements.com (accessed Apr
2011).

1115 dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed100576a |J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88, 1112–1115