BIOMES LESSON

BIOMES LESSON PLAN

Key Vocabulary
Biomes, climate, terrain, flora, fauna, evergreen forest, desert, rainforest, deciduous forest, grasslands, tundra

Lesson Materials
• Hangers
• Construction paper
• Crayons, scissors, pencils, glue, hole punch
• Fishing line
• Biome printables (3 copies of each per student)
• Flora and Fauna printable
• Books about biomes
  Some great suggestions:
  What is a Biome? (Bobby Kalman)
  A World of Biomes Series (Philip Johansson)
  Biome Atlases (Library Binding)

Biome Lesson Introduction
Read aloud a book about biomes to the class and ask the following comprehension questions:
• What is a biome? (an environment)
• What are the six major biomes in the world? (tundra, evergreen forest, deciduous forest, grasslands, rainforest, desert)

Explain to students that the biomes often have different types of animals and plants, or fauna and flora, which have adapted to the environment.

Tell students that sometimes, the same animals and plants can live in more than one biome.

Ask students:

• Could a polar bear live in a desert? Why or why not?
• What animal could live in a desert? Why?

Tell students that they will get a chance to find out more about the different biomes because they will be researching and creating biome mobiles.

Body
Model for students how to make the mobiles and write the steps on the whiteboard.

Tell students that they will first research the different biomes and fill out a Biome printable for each biome. They can use text books, trade books, internet or other resources. Explain the different sections of the printable and the definitions of terms (climate, terrain, etc.). Cut out the biome cards (6 altogether).

Students will then use the blank printables to draw a realistic picture of the biome based on the facts they have collected. Students will then color and cut out the animals and plants on the Flora and Fauna printable and glue the animal and plant that best fit the biome onto the picture.

Students can also draw their own plants and animals on their picture. Students will then cut a piece of construction paper to mount the picture and then glue the biome facts on the back of the construction paper. Students should have six rectangles with pictures of the biomes on one side and the corresponding fact card on the backside. Check students' work to assess understanding of concepts.

Students can now create their biome mobile. They can cover the hanger with construction paper and punch six holes in the top part. Student can then punch holes in the top of their biome cards to attach the cards to hanger with fishing line. Have students cut varying lengths of fishing line so that the cards are staggered. Student can write "Biomes" or another title for their mobile on the hanger part.

Closure
Ask students to share their mobiles with the class or in groups. These make wonderful decorations in the classroom.

Extension Activities
• Have students create bulletin boards of each biome in the classroom. Blow up the Flora and Fauna printable on a copy machine and put up the animals and plants in the appropriate biome. Have students add their own plants and animals as they learn about each biome.

• Students can use the Biome printables to make a biome mini-book. Use the printables as fact cards for research or the pages for the book.

• On a map, have students identify the biome locations in a continent or the world and create a bulletin board.

• Students can do oral reports or research projects on a particular biome in groups.

• Students can write descriptive paragraphs about a particular biome, in which they use their five senses to describe the environment.

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