Ocean Clue Cards Game
Vocabulary Detective Marine Science Edition
Deep Sea Clue Cards
Name:
Date:
Score: / 9
MISSION WORD BANK
Read each card's clues. Identify the word and its base/root form!
pods whales distances seals rivers shoals glides turtles eggs
Clue Card 1
- • We are the colossal giants of the sea singing deep ocean songs.
- • We come up for air through blowholes and feed on krill.
Base / Root:
Word:
Clue Card 2
- • Dolphins and orcas travel together in this tight family group.
- • We swim, communicate, and hunt together across the open sea.
Base / Root:
Word:
Clue Card 3
- • Migrating gray whales travel thousands of miles every year.
- • This word measures the space between two points or places.
Base / Root:
Word:
Clue Card 4
- • We have sleek coats, whiskers, and blubber for icy polar waters.
- • We haul out onto rocky beaches and ice floes to sunbathe.
Base / Root:
Word:
Clue Card 5
- • Freshwater flows naturally downhill to meet the great salt ocean.
- • Salmon swim upstream through these winding water channels.
Base / Root:
Word:
Clue Card 6
- • A huge crowd of catfish or swimming fish gathered closely.
- • Swimming together in shallow waters helps protect us from predators.
Base / Root:
Word:
Clue Card 7
- • A manta ray sails through ocean currents with effortless ease.
- • Action verb that means to move smoothly and silently forward.
Base / Root:
Word:
Clue Card 8
- • Ancient marine reptiles carrying bony protective shells.
- • We use strong paddle flippers and return to beaches to nest.
Base / Root:
Word:
Clue Card 9
- • Round or oval structures laid in warm sandy nests by mothers.
- • Baby hatchlings crack through these shells to race to the surf.
Base / Root:
Word:
★
Morphology Rule: What suffix was added to 8 of the base nouns to make them plural?
Suffix: _____
Print & Play Deck
Cut along the dotted lines to create 9 classroom clue cards
2 - 4 Players
GAMEPLAY: Player 1 draws a card and reads Clue 1. If teammates guess correctly, award 3 pts! Clue 2 = 2 pts. Clue 3 = 1 pt.
BONUS: Award +1 extra point if the guesser names the base root word before revealing the card!
Card #1 3 PTS MAX
[3 pts] Largest ocean mammal singing songs
[2 pts] Breathes air using head blowholes
[1 pt] Rhymes with "tales"
Secret Answer (Upside Down)
whales (root: whale)
Card #2 3 PTS MAX
[3 pts] Collective group of marine mammals
[2 pts] Dolphins swim and hunt together in it
[1 pt] Also sounds like pea containers
Secret Answer (Upside Down)
pods (root: pod)
Card #3 3 PTS MAX
[3 pts] Measures miles separating two locations
[2 pts] What long migrations cover across Earth
[1 pt] Plural form of "space between points"
Secret Answer (Upside Down)
distances (root: distance)
Card #4 3 PTS MAX
[3 pts] Marine mammals with whiskers & blubber
[2 pts] Basks on rocky cliffs and arctic ice
[1 pt] Barks and claps paddle flippers
Secret Answer (Upside Down)
seals (root: seal)
Card #5 3 PTS MAX
[3 pts] Natural flowing freshwater channels
[2 pts] Salmon swim upstream in these currents
[1 pt] Waterways that empty into the sea
Secret Answer (Upside Down)
rivers (root: river)
Card #6 3 PTS MAX
[3 pts] Collective group of catfish or small fish
[2 pts] Swim together in shallow water for safety
[1 pt] Starts with "sh-" and rhymes with "goals"
Secret Answer (Upside Down)
shoals (root: shoal)
Card #7 3 PTS MAX
[3 pts] Moves smoothly and effortlessly in currents
[2 pts] What a manta ray does without splashing
[1 pt] Action verb; rhymes with "slides"
Secret Answer (Upside Down)
glides (root: glide)
Card #8 3 PTS MAX
[3 pts] Shelled marine reptiles swimming ocean reefs
[2 pts] Crawls on sandy beaches to lay nests
[1 pt] Has a green sea or leatherback species
Secret Answer (Upside Down)
turtles (root: turtle)
Card #9 3 PTS MAX
[3 pts] Oval or round structures laid by females
[2 pts] Buried in warm sand nests before hatching
[1 pt] Three-letter word with double "g"
Secret Answer (Upside Down)
eggs (root: egg)
Cardstock paper recommended for durability when laminating or cutting game pieces.
Page 2 of 2 • Game Deck
