Foundations of Oyster Farming: An Immersive Game
Provided by: Gulf of Maine Research Institute|Published on: August 7, 2025
Grades: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Type: Games
Subjects: Biology, Economics
Authors: Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Region: Maine
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this online game from the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, students will play as oyster farmers, raising and selling oysters in the face of storms and other complications.
- The resource also includes a video showing a real oyster farmer discussing their experience and a worksheet to accompany the game.
- Each growing season will take about 15 minutes for students to complete.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students will love the option to customize their avatar.
- The game is fairly simple and self-explanatory, with prompts for students to get started and respond to events.
Prerequisites
- Teachers may want to highlight the importance of oyster farming in Maine.
- Students should understand that a business's success can be measured by its profit, and that profit is revenue leftover after paying for expenses.
- Teachers may also want to explain the terms biofoul and crowding in relation to this game.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Teachers can encourage students to play the game a few times using different farms to see how the farm's location impacts the growing season.
- Social studies teachers can use this game to talk about expenses, revenue, and profit.
- To make connections to climate change, teachers can prompt students to consider how the storms impacted their oyster farms. Then, teachers can ask students to think about how the severity and frequency of extreme weather may impact the oyster industry.
- To learn how ocean acidification affects oysters, students can check out resources like this one.
This interactive game simulates oyster farming over several years. The linked video series highlights the role of oysters in both improving water quality and sequestering CO2. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
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