February 1, 2015 (Vol. 35, No. 3)
Rating:
Strong Points: Different variations/locations available for activity, great instructions
Weak Points: Not much background information provided for species
Platform:
iPad/iPhone
Cost:
Free
Summary:
The Food Web app by the University of Western Australia offers a fun and educational activity that has students explore the relationships between different organisms within an ecosystem. The locations, plants, and animals contained within the app are from Western Australia; however, the regional specificity shouldn’t dissuade students or educators outside of Australia from using this app. App users can choose to explore the ecosystem of Herdsman Lake or the Kimberley Region. The activity can be played at two difficulty levels for each ecosystem. Players draw connections between species disks to describe the energy flow through the ecosystem. Tapping on a disk displays information about that organism, such as its diet. Players can then check whether their connections were correct. Players can then add an invasive species and observe the effects on the ecosystem.
