Welcome

TeachersFirst's Biomes of the World unit is an on-line research project for middle school or advanced upper elementary students. The unit has three parts.

• A description of the on-line research project.
• Introductory descriptions of the major biomes, along with web resources for further research and exploration.
• A Teacher's Section with questions for further discussion, along with reproducible handouts for teachers and students.

To get started, make your selection from the links below.

This lesson was written by Toni Barone & Shelly Luke

The Biomes Project is an opportunity for you to do your own research on a particular biome. Your teacher may allow you to pick a biome, or he or she may select one for you. You will work in teams to research critical issues of your biome from different points of view. After your research, you will create a project to teach your classmates about the critical issues surrounding your biome.

Some terms you should become familiar with before you start are:

• Climate
  
• Biome
  
• Biodiversity
  
• Ecology

Each member of your group will research a particular area of your biome. Areas include: Animal, plant, physical landscape, and human influences. Use the materials included to research your biomes and as a group you will present your finding to the class. Your presentation format will depend on the time and resources available. Some examples of presentation formats include:

Powerpoint presentation • Hyperstudio stack • Dioramas

Web site • Booklet • Posters

Whichever presentation format you choose, you will need to include the following items. As a group, create the following:

• Title and authors (all group members)
  
• Table of contents or a menu showing where all the relevant information can be found
  
• Introduction: overview of your biome
  
• A map of the world with your biome clearly identified with proper nouns (i.e. if you are in the desert group, the Sahara Desert should be listed) Include a definition of your biome. (What characteristicsdoes your biome have?)
  
• Glossary of terms that pertain to your biome with definitions

Team Responsibilities

Each individual group member is responsible for one of the following:

Animal life Background information Examples with pictures/illustrations 2 questions that can be answered from your research	Physical landscape/habitat & weather Background information Examples with pictures/illustrations 2 questions that can be answered from your research
Plant life Background information Examples with pictures/illustrations 2 questions that can be answered from your research	Human influences Background information Examples with pictures/illustrations 2 questions that can be answered from your research