Grasslands

Objectives:

• Students will be able to describe the climate and characteristics of the grasslands biome.

• Students will be able to name flora and fauna native to the grasslands.

• Students will be able to describe the different types of grasslands and state where they are located.

Suggested Grades:

4th Grade - 5th Grade - 6th Grade

Lesson Procedure:

Print the reading comprehension worksheet passage and questions (see below).

Students should read the passage silently, then answer the questions. Teachers may also use the text as part of a classroom lesson plan.

Lesson Excerpt:

Grasslands, as the name suggest, are biomes where the plant life is mostly grass. Prairies, like the Blackland Prairie, are grasslands. There is a moderate amount of rain in the grasslands. They are wetter than deserts but drier than rainforests. Some parts of the year are wetter than others.

Prairies, also known as temperate grasslands, are found in the Midwestern United States. Prairies are sometimes called the “bread baskets” of the world. Natural prairies are less and less common as these areas are being turned into farmland. Crops like corn, wheat and oats are grown in areas of temperate grassland. The climate on the prairie is mild like it is in the deciduous forest biome. In fact, the word “temperate” means “mild.” In temperate grasslands, it is not too cold and not too hot, not to rainy and not too dry.

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