Introduction

The human gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem of microorganisms that plays a crucial role in our overall health and well-being. With the growing scientific understanding of how lifestyle choices affect our internal microbial community, it is important to educate students about the intricate relationships between diet, environment and microbial balance.

“Play your microbiome well” teaching resource invites students to explore the dynamic world of gut microbes, focusing on how daily choices can significantly influence the composition and health of their microbiome. Through an engaging, game-based approach, students discover the delicate interplay between lifestyle factors and microbial diversity.

Resource overview

“Play your microbiome well” is an interactive game that navigates students through various life scenarios that can add or subtract different types of microbes, learning about the real-world impacts of diet, exercise, sleep, and other factors on their microbiome.

Game duration: 20-30 min

Participants: 3-4 players per group

Age of participants: 14 and above

By playing the game, students will:

• Understand how lifestyle choices impact gut microbiome health
• Explore real-life scenarios affecting microbial diversity
• Evaluate the consequences of diet, exercise, and environmental factors on microbiome composition
• Develop critical thinking skills about personal health choices

At the end of the game, players reflect on their outcomes, connecting the decisions they made in the game to real-life health and lifestyle choices. The player with the healthiest microbiome wins, but the emphasis is on the learning experience.

The game is designed for small groups (3–4 players), allowing students to simulate real-world situations affecting their gut microbiome. Players roll dice to move along a game board, adding or losing microbe cards based on the scenarios they encounter.

Resource materials

The resource package contains the following materials for preparing and playing the game.

Fact sheets

Provide background information on the gut microbiome, helping students connect theoretical knowledge to gameplay scenarios.

Teacher’s Guide  

Comprehensive instructions on setting up and facilitating the game.

Game Instructions

Outline the rules, objectives, and mechanics of the game.

Tile legend

Explains the actions to take when landing on different tiles, guiding players to add or remove microbe cards based on the scenario.

Game Board

Printable A3 file representing the playing area with scenarios that influence the gut microbiome.

Microbe Cards

Represent beneficial and harmful microbes.

Travel and Function Cards

Introduce realistic challenges like travel-related disruptions or health interventions.

Envelopes

Represent each player’s gut microbiome, where they store and track their microbe cards throughout the game.

Microbe Count Sheet

An alternative for quicker setup, enabling players to track microbes gained or lost during gameplay.

Click on the buttons below to access the resource materials.

Your feedback

Your feedback on using the “Play your microbiome well” teaching resource with your students is invaluable to us! Please take a moment to share your thoughts using this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PYMW_feedback

Thank you for your time and contribution!