Invasive Species Council of British Columbia

For Educators

The ‘Crabtivating’ Quiz Show featuring the European green crab (Carcinus maenas) 

Grade: 7 to 12

Duration: 45 mins - 1 hr

Setting: Indoor

Subject: Science

Physical Activity: No

Students take part in creating and playing a Quiz Show, and a Kahoot game to test their knowledge on the information and fun facts learned in the short interactive eLearning course: Getting to Know European green crab (EGC) and other engaging online resources. Thank you to the Pacific Salmon Foundation and the Port of Vancouver for their support in the development of this activity (see Additional Resources for links to their education and environment protection programs).

The activity includes:  

  • Viewing the interactive and newly released eLearning course (~15 minutes) Getting to Know European green crab (found at ISCBC Learning Centre) 
  • Viewing dynamic map-based websites that describe the history of the spread of the EGC on the Pacific coast  
  • Playing a fun and quick Kahoot! quiz on EGC in B.C. (Created by ISCBC)  
  • 20 Quiz Show questions based on 4 key topic areas about invasive species and the EGC
Related Activities 

Why We Care About Invasive Species    

Habitat Hit – What Happened Here?  

Turtle (Crab) Trouble  

Inquiry Questions 
  • What’s an invasive species and why should I care about them? 
  • How does an invasive species like the European green crab impact other plants and animals? 
  • What can I do to help protect marine habitats from EGCs in my community? 
BC Curriculum Links  

Core Competencies 

  • Personal and Social: Social Awareness and Responsibility 
  • Communication: Collaboration 

Science Big Ideas 
  • Evolution by natural selection provides an explanation for the diversity and survival of living things. (Science 7) 
  • Cells are derived from cells. (Science 9) 
  • Organisms are grouped based on common characteristics. (Life Sciences 11) 
  • Complex roles and relationships contribute to diversity of ecosystems; Human practices affect the sustainability of ecosystems; Humans can play a role in stewardship and restoration of ecosystems. (Environmental Science 11) 
  • Scientific understanding enables humans to respond and adapt to changes locally and globally. (Science for Citizens 11) 
  • Human actions affect the quality of water and its ability to sustain life. (Environmental Science 12) 
  • Biodiversity is dependent on the complex interactions and processes between biotic and abiotic factors; All members of a species have common characteristics that evolve over time. (Specialized Science 12) 
  • Science Curricular Competencies Transfer and apply learning to new situations. (Grades 7-10)
  • Cooperatively design projects. (Grades 7-8) 
Documents to Download  
  1. Crabtivating Quiz Show Question Cards, including blanks for student questions  
  1. Kahoot Quiz questions are also written up in this download:  EGC KAHOOT Quiz Questions 
Preparation 
  1. Go to website: ISCBC Learning Centre to easily make an eLearning account and to enter the interactive course “Getting to know European green crab”.  Course length is approximately 15 minutes.   
  2. Visit the additional webpages listed in the table below: European green crab Information Resources by Quiz Topics.    
  3. Choose materials to show students to be prepared for answering the provided quiz questions and/or to create their own questions. Don’t forget to spice it up with some of the Crab Jokes and Puns!   
  4. Decide on a Quiz Show format – See Procedures for Set-up of Crabtivating Quiz Game, with either whole team answering questions or one person/per team going head-to-head – in this case find a couple of noise makers. 
  5. Print and cut out Crabitivating Quiz Show Question Cards including the blanks if you would like to make up your own questions.  
  6. Cue up a Musical intro to spice it up! Check out the song Crabbuckit by Toronto-based rapper K-OS.  
Procedure 
  1. Present EGC information materials including the eLearning course which can be done together as a whole class or individually/small groups. 
  2. (Optional) Have each student come up with 1 quiz question and write it down with answer on a blank Quiz Question Card. 
  3. Do a Quiz ‘Warm Up’ with the following EGC Kahoot Quiz 
  4. Set-up of Crabtivating Quiz Game. Prepare 2 teams (team names could be crab species native to B.C.) Choose 1 Host to read questions, 1 Score/Timekeeper, 1 Referee (teacher). Then choose a game format: 

Whole team format: Questions are read to one team at a time and whole team decides on answer in a limited time (like 10 seconds). Evenly divide in half the questions cards according to each category. Have a stopwatch for Timer / Score keeper. Read questions alternating between 2 teams. Head-to-head format. For each question, team decides on a player to go to front of class and be the first to ring their noise maker and answer the question. Have a couple of fun noise makers!  
  1. Run the Crabtivating Quiz Game – start with Music intro and read questions stating the category as a clue. Keep score with 2 points for fully correct answer, 1 point for partial answer.  
  2. Do a Funny Pincer round with just Crab Jokes and Puns  
  3. PICTIONARY Extension idea. (Optional)
  • Set up a drawing board area for each team for Pictionary-style questions, including the following drawing suggestions: Vancouver Island, Salish sea, eelgrass, a distinctive native crab species (Dungeness crab, Red rock crab, kelp crab), salmon, nudibranch (sea slug), sea star, low tide, high tide … maybe your students can come up with more! 
European Green Crab Information Resources by Quiz Topics 
Category Topic Online Information Source  
Who Am I? Crab ID and Look-Alikes    1)  Getting to know European Green Crab Module 1 Life Cycle section: dynamic set of slides, section on ID tips including DFO video 
2) Crabs Identification Guide (alaska.gov) 
Where in the world is EGC? 1)  Getting to know European green crab Module 1 Where in the World is EGC including good dynamic slides on chronological spread in B.C. and slide of Habitats 
2) Look at story maps from both the B.C. Georgia Strait Invasive European green crab in British Columbia (arcgis.com) and from Washington state European green crab in Puget Sound (arcgis.com)   
How EGC have become harmful Invaders:  Life Cycle, Spread, and Competitive Traits1) Getting to know European green crab Module 1 section: Life Cycles, Successful Invaders, Habitat degradation, and Predation and Competitions with video on Impacts  
2) The Georgia Strait Data Centre Invasive European Green Crab in British Columbia (arcgis.com) 
Think Global, Act Local   1)Look at story maps from both the B.C. Georgia Strait Invasive European green crab in British Columbia (arcgis.com)and from  Washington state European green crab in Puget Sound (arcgis.com)
2) ISCBC Clean Drain Dry  
3) ISCBC Observe and Report  
For Fun – Crab Jokes and Puns Best crab puns and jokes for kids  
Share with us!  

We’d love to learn from you too and help us with our shared campaign to fight the spread of EGC in B.C. Share with us your students quiz questions and we will post on our ISCBC social media sites. 

Send to education.lead@bcinvasives.ca for the opportunity to win resources and have your class have a virtual visit with an invasive species expert!  

Extensions 
Additional Resources 
  1. Check out the Port of Vancouver’s education programs and environmental protection actions at Education program | Port of Vancouver (portvancouver.com) 
  2. ISCBC Webinar with Dr. Brett Howard of DFO. Impacts of European green crab in British Columbia – January 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjNTxwpbaSA