One pond visitor needs both foods while another can use either, so the food web must be read carefully. Work together to build the pond-neighbor habitat.
6 clues, gradual hints and a complete paper finish. Choose a reader, a recorder and a checker, then work through the mission together.
Welcome to the fictional pebble pond. One pond visitor needs both foods while another can use either, so the food web must be read carefully. Your team has the original records on the table. First recover five pieces of information, then use the final plan to build the pond-neighbor habitat. Keep every result beside its badge so another teammate can check your reasoning.
How your team will think
Use fictional field observations, resource needs and food-web relationships.
Use the game’s printed relationship rules. Keep each clue result with its label, then check how the chosen elements fit together on the final sheet.
Set up in one room
Print the six player sheets and two record sheets for each team. Keep answers and hints with the host.
Lay out Pebble-pond food web, Fictional field cards, the remaining clue sheets and the final plan. All task records are printed inside the sheets; no extra prop is needed.
After each clue, pass roles one seat clockwise. With two players, combine Reader with Recorder and Checker with Builder. With five or six, add a second checker and a source finder; everyone explains one decision.
Ages and durations are design estimates. Choose the pace and reading support that suit your group.
Look before you print
See all 6 player clues
These are the actual figures and instructions from the player pack. Read the final page’s rule along with the earlier clues.
Clue 1 of 6
Food
Use only the fictional food-web rules printed here. Start with the food available now. A creature becomes available when its food rule is met. Find which named visitor can live here; a loop cannot create its own first food.
Read this clue in text
Pebble-pond food web
NIB needs LEAF
SKIM needs ALGAE
DART needs NIB AND SKIM
GLOW needs SKIM AND SEED
PEEP needs GLOW OR BERRY
Starting conditions
Available now: LEAF, ALGAE.
A result becomes available when its needs are met.
Which of DART, GLOW, PEEP becomes available?
Clue 2 of 6
Habitat
These are fictional field cards for a paper model. Compare all the recorded conditions with the habitat requirements. A card that passes only one rule is not enough. Report the one card that meets every rule.
Read this clue in text
Fictional field cards
FERN: light=shade; floor=dry; entry=wide
MOSS: light=sun; floor=damp; entry=narrow
REED: light=shade; floor=damp; entry=wide
BIRCH: light=shade; floor=damp; entry=narrow
CEDAR: light=sun; floor=damp; entry=wide
Required features
light must not be shade.
entry must be narrow.
Report the one matching card ID.
Clue 3 of 6
Record
Two visitor records are checked, but this survey needs the rainy-season visit. Match each tag to its season, keep the checked rainy-season record, then follow its patch to the food book and report the food.
Read this clue in text
Visitor tags
visitor: NIB | tag: K | patch: POOL | status: checked
visitor: PEEP | tag: L | patch: BANK | status: checked
visitor: GLIM | tag: M | patch: REED | status: cancelled
Visit seasons
tag: K | season: RAIN
tag: L | season: DRY
tag: M | season: RAIN
Patch foods
patch: REED | food: SEED
patch: POOL | food: ALGAE
patch: BANK | food: LEAF
Cross-check
Match A.tag to B.tag.
Match A.patch to C.patch.
A.status is checked.
B.season is RAIN.
Report C.food.
Clue 4 of 6
Kit
Pack a kit that supplies all three needs. One card may cover two needs, but its weight is counted once. Choose the lightest complete kit within the carrier limit. Report its card letters alphabetically.
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Supply cards
A: weight 3; gives tie+light
B: weight 2; gives mark
C: weight 2; gives tie
D: weight 4; gives light+mark
E: weight 7; gives tie+light+mark
Packing order
Capacity 7; must cover tie, light, mark.
Use the lightest complete kit. Each card once.
Write chosen card IDs alphabetically, with hyphens.
Clue 5 of 6
Signal
Recover the complete desk-signal legend from the training cards. Compare which signals and words appear together across the cards; word order on a card is not a clue. Decode the received message in order. The desk uses this message when handling a pond-neighbor habitat.
Read this clue in text
Unlabelled legend
Signals: DOT, BAR, ARC, RING. Words: WAIT, SEND, TURN, REST.
Each signal has one word; each word is used once.
Training messages
DOT+BAR means SEND+TURN (any order)
ARC+RING means REST+WAIT (any order)
DOT+ARC means SEND+REST (any order)
Received message
RING > BAR
Report decoded words in order, with hyphens.
Clue 6 of 6
Final
Recover one requirement for each habitat layer from its named result. Choose a matching roof, floor, water source, food and entry. Write the five part IDs in the printed layer order, then point to the evidence supporting each choice.
Read this clue in text
Habitat construction key
Roof (Food): DART=shade; GLOW=sun
Floor (Habitat): FERN=dry; MOSS=damp
Water (Record): ALGAE=still; SEED=flow
Food (Kit): A-B-C=leaf; A-B=seed
Entry (Signal): WAIT-TURN=wide; WAIT-SEND=narrow
Parts (one per layer, top to bottom)
Roof: R1=shade; R2=sun
Floor: F2=damp; F1=dry
Water: W1=still; W2=flow
Food: D2=seed; D1=leaf
Entry: E1=wide; E2=narrow
Build rule
Choose each part meeting its recovered requirement.
Report five part IDs top to bottom, with hyphens.
Start after: Food, Habitat, Record, Kit, Signal
A different kind of mystery next
Keep the habit of sharing evidence and try a new reasoning task.
