Biomes of North America Set I

Transcription

1 TEACHING GUIDE TEACHING Biomes of North America Set I 4th Grade Reading Level ISBN-10: Green ISBN-13:

2 2 TEACHING BIOMES OF NORTH AMERICA SET I Standards Life Science Geography Thinking and Reasoning Writing Reading Understands how species depend on one another and on the environment for survival. Understands the diversity and unity that characterize life. Understands the characteristics and uses of maps, globes, and other geographic tools and technologies. Knows the location of places, geographic features, and patterns of the environment. Effectively uses mental processes that are based on identifying similarities and differences (compares, contrasts, and classifies). Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process. Demonstrates competence in the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing. Gathers and uses information for research purposes. Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the reading process. Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies for reading a variety of informational texts. Multiple Intelligences Utilized spatial, linguistic, naturalistic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and bodily-kinesthetic Copyright 2005 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Student pages may be reproduced by the classroom teacher for classroom use only, not for commercial resale. No other part of this teaching guide may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review. LernerClassroom A division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. 241 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN U.S.A Books in the Biomes of North America Set I series include: A Walk in the Boreal Forest A Walk in the Deciduous Forest A Walk in the Desert A Walk in the Prairie A Walk in the Rain Forest A Walk in the Tundra Website address: Manufactured in the United States of America IG

3 TEACHING BIOMES OF NORTH AMERICA SET I 3 Lesson 1 Once Upon a Biome Purpose: Students will learn about various biomes through reading and research. Materials Biomes of North America Set 1 books Biome Characteristics p. 9 Biomes of North America Map p. 10 Objectives List types of biomes. Restate which plants and animals live in each biome. Illustrate biome regions. Compare the characteristics of various biomes. Compose a chart of supporting evidence. Assess the accuracy of information recorded. Activity Procedures colored pencils pencils or pens chalkboard or chart paper chalk or markers Prepare (teacher) Review biome information, including the plants and animals that might live in each biome. Copy Biome Characteristics p. 9 and Biomes of North America Map p. 10 for each student. Read (partner, student) Read Biomes of North America Set 1 books. Model (teacher) Show students how to complete Biome Characteristics p. 9 and North America Map p. 10 using the Biomes of North America Set 1 books. Practice (student, partner) Complete Biome Characteristics p. 9 using the Biomes of North America Set 1 books for reference. Look at the map on page 8 of any Biomes of North America Set 1 book. Use it to help you color Biomes of North America Map p. 10. Make a key for Biomes of North America Map p. 10, showing what biome each color/pattern represents. Discuss (class, teacher) What biome do you live in? What are the characteristics of this biome? What other biomes are found in your country? Evaluate (class, teacher) Discuss the connections between biomes characteristics and their geographic locations. Pretest (class) List types of biomes. List plants and animals that live in each biome.

4 4 TEACHING BIOMES OF NORTH AMERICA SET I Lesson 2 Observing Nature Purpose: Students will learn about the diversity of organisms in their region. Materials: Biomes of North America Set 1 books paper pencils colored pencils clipboards Observational Drawing p. 11 Objectives List organisms found in your local region. Describe a plant or animal from your region. Illustrate details through an observational drawing. Label a drawing of an organism. Explain why it is useful to know the organisms that live in a specific region. Activity Procedures magnifying glasses or binoculars rulers scale chalkboard or chart paper chalk or marker Prepare (teacher) Review Biomes of North America Set 1 books. Copy Observational Drawing p. 11 for each student. Pretest (student, class) What plants and animals are found in your local region? List these on the board or chart paper. Read (student) Read Biomes of North America Set 1 books. Model (teacher, students) Explain how all parts of an environment are interconnected. How are the plants and animals you listed interconnected? Practice (student) Go on a group nature walk. (A nature preserve or wild area would be preferable to a park or playground.) Students make rough sketches of the organisms they observe. Stay in one place long enough to closely examine an organism and its details. Complete an observational drawing, using Observational Drawing p. 11 as a guide. Discuss (class, teacher) Lead a discussion about the importance of identifying, cataloging, and comparing plant and animal species in a region. Explain that: Scientists categorize organisms by the characteristics they have in common with other organisms. Temperature, precipitation, elevation, and other regional characteristics impact the plants and animals that live there. We learn about our natural environment by learning about the species that share it with us. Evaluate (student, teacher) In as much detail as possible, describe the local region where the species that you studied lives. Display observational drawings in the hall under a banner naming the biome visited.

5 TEACHING BIOMES OF NORTH AMERICA SET I 5 Lesson 3 Suited to its Biome Purpose: Students will research and construct a chart that shows how adaptations help an organism survive in a specific biome. Materials Biomes of North America Set 1 books pencils or pens paper Adaptations p. 12 Objectives Define biome and adaptation. Identify the resources that an animal needs to survive (food, shelter, water, etc.). Organize a list of needs by type. Explain how an animals adaptations help it meet its needs. Compare animals adaptations. Activity Procedures butcher paper or construction paper crayons or markers animal books Internet (optional) Prepare (teacher) Copy Adaptations p. 12 for each student. Pretest (teacher, class) Define biome and adaptation. Give an example of how a familiar animal s adaptations help it meet its needs. Read (teacher, class) Read a Biomes of North America Set 1 book. Model (teacher) Explain to students how to complete Adaptations p. 12. Practice (student pairs) On a piece of scratch paper, list the resources that a specific animal needs to survive. Using the Biomes of North America Set 1 books and other animal resources, complete Adaptations p. 12. On a large piece of butcher paper, make a poster or diagram of an animal that lives in the biome you read about. Label your diagram with information from Adaptations p. 12. Include a short description of how each adaptation helps the animal. Evaluate (class) Students will present their posters to the class and explain how the animal s adaptations help it meet its needs in the biome in which it lives. Discuss (class) Discuss similarities and differences among the needs of the animals studied.

6 6 TEACHING BIOMES OF NORTH AMERICA SET I Lesson 4 Biome Food Web Purpose: Students will create a food web diagram for one of the biomes they studied. Materials Biomes of North America Set 1 books butcher paper or construction paper lined paper Objectives Define food web. Describe a food web. Illustrate a food web for one of the biomes. Identify plants and animals as consumers, producers, or decomposers and as predators or prey. Label plants and animals. Evaluate how one animal in the food web affects the whole web. Activity Procedures pencils crayons, colored pencils, or markers Rain Forest Food Web p. 13 Prepare (teacher) Copy Rain Forest Food Web p. 13 for each student. Pretest (student) On a piece of scratch paper, list plants and animals that might be found in the food web of a particular biome. Model (teacher, class) Distribute Rain Forest Food Web p. 13. Define food web. (A food web is the totality of interacting food chains in an ecological community. It shows how energy moves through an ecological community, from producers to consumers to decomposers.) Explain how the animals and plants shown on Rain Forest Food Web p. 13 interact. Review the concepts consumer, producer, predator, prey, and decomposer. Practice (student, small groups) On a piece of butcher paper, draw a food web diagram for one of the biomes, using Rain Forest Food Web p. 13 as a guide. Draw the animals and plants in the correct locations. Use arrows to connect the plants and animals in the food chain. The organisms shown may have two sets of arrows: one set of arrows shows what the organism eats, and one shows what the organism is eaten by. Discuss (class) Groups share and compare food webs. Discuss which organisms are consumers, producers, decomposers, predators, and prey. Evaluate (student) Write a paragraph explaining how the food web would change if one of the plants or animals disappeared. Read (student, partner) Read Biomes of North America Set 1 books.

7 TEACHING BIOMES OF NORTH AMERICA SET I 7 Lesson 5 The Layered Forest Purpose: Students construct charts to identify the layers of the rain forest, deciduous forest, and boreal forest. Materials A Walk in the Rain Forest, A Walk in the Boreal Forest, and A Walk in the Deciduous Forest books butcher paper pencils or pens Objectives List animals that live in the different layers of a forest. Explain how an animal is particularly suited for a forest layer. Discover differences in forest layers. Compare the characteristics of forest layers. Compose a descriptive paragraph. Predict the outcome of a natural disaster in a specific biome. Activity Procedures crayons, markers, paint, or colored pencils Rain Forest, Boreal Forest, and Deciduous Forest Worksheets pp paper Prepare (teacher) Review the plants or animals that live in each layer of a forest. Copy Rain Forest, Boreal Forest, and Deciduous Forest Worksheets pp for each student. Pretest (class) Have four students stand in front of the class with upstretched arms (emergent). Have six students stand hunched over in front of them, with their arms intertwined (canopy). Have six students kneel in front, shoulder to shoulder (understory). Have two or three students lay on the ground in front (ground). Explain how each group represents a layer of the rain forest. This activity should be modified for the boreal and deciduous forest, as they have fewer layers than a rain forest. Read (class) Read A Walk in the Rain Forest, A Walk in the Boreal Forest, and A Walk in the Deciduous Forest books. Model (teacher) Discuss the layers of forests and how they differ in each of the three biomes. Encourage students to think about how the characteristics of an organism help it thrive in its environment. Explain the directions for Deciduous Forest, Rain Forest, and Boreal Forest Worksheets pp Practice (partner, small group) Complete the Deciduous Forest, Rain Forest, and Boreal Forest Worksheets pp Choose one forest biome to illustrate. Draw a diagram of one of the forest biomes. Include the animals and plants in each forest layer. Label the diagram. Discuss (class) Name and describe the layers of one of the forest biomes. How are organisms suited to the layer in which they live? What might happen if there was a natural disaster in that biome? Evaluate (student) Write a paragraph explaining how the layers in each of the forest biomes are similar and different.

8 8 TEACHING BIOMES OF NORTH AMERICA SET I Additional Resources WEBSITES Biomes of the World This educational site explores the biomes of the world, describing their climates as well as the plants and animals native to each biome. Build-A-Prairie prairie/build/index.html Students will have fun building a tallgrass or shortgrass prairie using this interactive device. They will learn about why certain organisms are better suited to this biome than others. Earth Floor: Biomes earthsysflr/biomes.html This site contains a world map, which, when clicked, describes the biome found at each point. Biome descriptions include a climograph and links to pages featuring each biome s flora and fauna. NASA Earth Observatory: Mission: Biomes Biome/ This site describes the biomes, complete with maps and graphs. Students can play online games to test their biome knowledge. The World s Biomes biome/ This site outlines the features of each type of biome, including information on temperature, precipitation, animals and plants, and soil quality. BOOKS Burnie, David. Shrublands (Biomes Atlasas Series). Oxford, Uk: Raintree Publishers, This book describes a unique biome found between coastal and forest regions. Colored photos, index, and glossary make this an excellent reference tool. Johansson, Philip. Forested Taiga: A Web of Life. Hillside, NJ: Enslow Publishers Inc.: Frozen Tundra: A Web of Life. Hillside, NJ: Enslow Publishers Inc.: Wide Open Grasslands: A Web of Life. Hillside, NJ: Enslow Publishers Inc, Tour each of these biomes to learn about the climate, the plants and animals that live and thrive there, and their interrelationships. Information is accompanied by color photos. Malcolm, Penny. Grasslands (Biomes Series). North Mankato, MN: Thameside Press, In addition to describing each biome, this series explores the human impact on each one. Students are encouraged to think about what people can do to preserve specific biomes. Miller, Chuck. Forest Scientists (Scientists of the Biomes Series). Oxford, UK: Raintree Publishers, Students learn about the forest biome, as well as about the work that scientists do to study and preserve it. Radley, Gail. Forests & Jungles. Minneapolis: Lerner Publishing Group, Grasslands & Deserts. Minneapolis: Lerner Publishing Group, These titles from the Vanishing From series describe some of the endangered animals native to each biome through art, essays and poetry. Color photos and maps accompany the text. Sayre, April Pulley. Taiga (Exploring Earth s Biomes Series). Minneapolis: Lerner Publishing Group, This series describes each biome, its inhabitants, and its significance. It includes color photos as well as experiments and observations. Steele, Christy. Desert Animals. Oxford, UK: Raintree Publishers, Students can learn about some of the animals that make their home in the desert biome. Tocci, Salvatore. Alpine Tundra: Life on the Tallest Mountain. London: Watts Franklin, This title explores the climate and organisms native to the alpine tundra. Topics include adaptation and seasonal changes. Woodward, Susan L. Biomes of Earth: Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Human-Dominated. Westport, CN: Greenwood Publishing Group, This reference book explores the biology, geography, history, and plant and animal life in the world s major biomes.

9 Biome Characteristics 9 Name Date Biome Average Yearly Climate Description Found on Pages Precipitation and Temperature Boreal Forest cm -40 to 20 Celsius -40 to 68 Fahrenheit Deciduous Forest cm -30 to 30 Celsius -22 to 86 Fahrenheit Desert less than 25 cm -4 to 38 Celsius 25 to 100 Fahrenheit Prairie cm 20 to 30 Celsius -68 to 86 Fahrenheit Rain Forest 200 1,000 cm 20 to 25 Celsius 68 to 77 Fahrenheit Tundra cm -40 to 18 Celsius -40 to 64 Fahrenheit Teaching Biomes of North America Set I

10 10 Biomes of North America Map Teaching Biomes of North America Set I

11 Observational Drawing Name 11 Date 1. Find a plant or animal. 2. Observe the plant or animal carefully for several minutes with a magnifying glass. 3. Look at its tiny features, like its texture, color changes, lines, bumps, grooves, etc. 4. Measure what you see. Use a ruler to measure length, width, and height. Use a scale to measure weight. Count the number of parts, divisions, angles, etc. 5. On a piece of paper, write what you measured. 6. Draw exactly what you see. You should look at your plant or animal over and over as you draw. This is called an observational drawing. *Use a whole sheet of drawing paper even if your object is very small. 7. Label your drawing with the data you collected while measuring and counting. Teaching Biomes of North America Set I

12 12 Adaptations Name Date Directions: Choose an animal from one of the biomes and write how it is suited to its environment. List the physical characteristics and behaviors that help the animal thrive in its environment. Organism Behaviors Biome Physical Characteristics Teaching Biomes of North America Set I

13 13 Rain Forest Food Web Directions: Look at the food web diagram below. Draw your own food web diagram on another sheet of paper. cannonball tree (producer) capuchin (consumer, prey) energy sun cecropia tree (producer) energy peccary (prey, consumer) ants (consumers, prey) tamandua (prey, predator) fungi (decomposers) jaguar (predator) ants (consumers) Teaching Biomes of North America Set I

14 14 Rain Forest Worksheet Directions: Write the names of animals found in each level of the forest. Teaching Biomes of North America Set I Name Date Ground Understory Canopy Emergent

15 15 Deciduous Forest Worksheet Name Directions: Write the names of animals found in each level of the forest. Date Forest Floor Understory Canopy Teaching Biomes of North America Set I

16 16 Boreal Forest Worksheet Directions: Write the names of animals found in each level of the forest. Teaching Biomes of North America Set I Name Date Forest Floor Understory Canopy