Scram or Freeze

In this outdoor activity and animal-role-play game, learners discover and uncover the hidden world of "cryptozoa"—organisms such as spiders, salamanders and slugs that live under objects, like rocks and fallen tree trunks, or in concealed places. When uncovered, some cryptozoa scurry for cover ("scram"), while others remain motionless ("freeze"). Both behaviors help uncovered organisms escape from predators. In the game, learners take the roles of predator or prey and get to scram and freeze, and even growl, until all the prey are caught or reach "shelter." Learners also conduct a cryptozoa survey, by carefully upturning pieces of wood, leaves and rock to find and collect hidden animals. At the end, learners return all organisms to their original positions. The PDF includes safety precautions to protect both learners and the animals they uncover. To adapt the game for hearing impaired learners, instruction signs reading "scram" and "freeze" could be used instead of verbal instructions.