Symbiosis Scoreboard Finished

Remember that Symbiosis Scoreboard I was completing for my independent study?

It has been completed! I took the concept of biological symbiosis, the close relationship between two different species, and created a poster to explain the concept to middle school students.

There are three types of symbiosis – mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. Mutualism is when both species benefit from the relationship. Commensalism is when one species benefits while the other neither benefits nor is harmed. Parasitism is when only one species benefits from the interaction and the other is harmed.

Since children respond positively to games, the final poster is set up as a scoreboard demonstrating which species in the relationship is “winning” or “losing” [final image below]. A species benefiting will have a higher “score” than the species they are interacting with. Vice versa is true for species being harmed, while a “tie” demonstrates the relationship between commensalism.

Mutualism:

1. Flower – Hummingbird hawk moth
2. Sea anemone – Clownfish
3. Nile crocodile – Egyptian plover

Commensalism:

1. Barnacles – Sea turtle
2. Epiphyte – Sturdy tree
3. Oyster – Pea crab

Parasitism:

1. Hookworm – Intestines
2. Catalpa caterpillar – Wasp eggs
3. Mosquito – Human