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Board & Card Games

Initial Publication Date: June 2, 2004

Do It Yourself

This is probably the best way to get games that support the particular objectives of your class.


Commercially Available

These are less work than the above categories, but are not free.

Ward's Natural Science offers several geoscience related games. Students examine well logs and seismic data to find oil in this simulation, then deal with variable oil prices, environmental issues, etc. to figure out if they can make any money. This is a pencil-and-paper game with all of the resources collected into a booklet.
  • Evolution: Geologic Time Chart Game: This board game is based on the geologic time scale. As the players' pieces move through time, they have to evolve into more complex creatures.
  • Science Kit and Boreal Laboratories have a lot of games, including:
  • Cinnabar: A Card Game of Rocks and Minerals: is a set of 56 cards, each featuring a different mineral. Rules for 5 different games are included.
  • Salmon Run Game: Each player in this board game starts off with 30,000 virtual salmon eggs and must get two survivors back to the breeding grounds so that the cycle can continue. Requires a calculator.
  • Rock-On: This card game helps students connect to the rock cycle. Each turn, students play a card from their hand corresponding to the rock type currently showing or use a process card to change to a new rock type.