Hohenfels Fourth Graders Explore Ecosystems Through Hands-On Deer Simulation

Fourth graders at Hohenfels Elementary School recently explored ecosystems and environmental interactions through a hands-on science simulation focused on deer populations.

As part of Ms. Pfeiffer’s science class, students acted as deer within their own home ranges, using counters to represent food resources. Each 30-second round of the simulation represented one year, during which students had to find enough food to survive. Deer that successfully gathered food “survived” and reproduced, increasing the population for the following year.

As the activity progressed, students observed how rising deer populations led to food shortages, resulting in population declines in subsequent years. The simulation highlighted the balance between resources and population growth, demonstrating how environmental factors can influence survival and adaptation in real ecosystems.

During years of high population growth, students noted that the plants providing food became overused, making the habitat unsuitable for sustaining the same number of deer. Over the five simulated years, students tracked drastic shifts in population and discussed how similar patterns occur in nature, helping them connect classroom learning to real-world ecological systems.

The interactive lesson offered students a deeper understanding of how living organisms depend on—and affect—their environments, reinforcing key concepts about balance within ecosystems.