As of September 30, 2005, the North Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium is no longer in operation.
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Activity One: (This activity would take one class period, or 60 minutes.)
Lesson outcome(s):
Students will:
Materials:
(It would be useful to have students in a lab setting to accomplish the tasks involved in this lesson; however, student groups could be rotated through one work station.)
Lesson:
Divide students into groups and have students go to The Amazing Picture Machine and search for selected biomes. (For example, one group might search for a picture representative of a desert and a taiga and another group might search for a picture of a temperate forest and a tundra. All six biomes should be represented by the class investigation: rain forests, taiga, temperate forests, deserts, grasslands, and tundra.)
Once students have obtained their pictures, have students use observation skills to brainstorm a list of what they notice about the two pictures. Next have students determine what is similar about the two pictures and ways in which the pictures are different. Students should develop their lists on chart paper to be shared during large group discussion.
Have students return to large groups and discuss their findings. As students present their findings to the large group, (Students would need to display their picture using a computer projection devise and hang up the chart that they developed during their small group work.) ask for input from other students in the large group. (Does anyone see any other important information portrayed in these two pictures? Does anyone else notice other ways in which these pictures are alike or different?)
After adding large group input to the charts developed by small groups, ask students to suggest reasons for the similarities and differences. (Temperature, precipitation, and elevation are the major factors that determine biome characteristics.)
Following the large group discussion, ask individuals to write a paragraph in their Science Journals explaining the major factors that shape a biome. Have students justify their reasoning and give examples of their thinking.
Assessment:
Journal Reflections:
Activity Two: (This activity would take several days to accomplish.)
Lesson Outcome(s):
The students will:
(A computer lab would be helpful to accomplish the tasks in this lesson; however, groups of students could be rotated through one work station.)
Lesson:
Organize students into biome groups. Have groups of students search the The Amazing Picture Machine Web site for a picture that represents their specific biome. Ask students to develop a plan to use any materials they want to create a three-dimensional representation of their biome based on the picture they found. Students are given the freedom to determine their own projects. For example, students may build a diorama to create their model. Students might begin with a box and use tempera paint or construction paper to create the background. Students could use clay, sand, and small rocks to create the land forms. Clay could be used to create the plant and animal life or students may choose to draw these representations. I have found that, given the opportunity, students will be very creative about their models.
(Optional activity: Have students present their plans to the large group for suggestions and then provide time for students to revise their plans.)
Provide the students with time to work on their models. During working time, the teacher should conference with small groups.
After students have completed their projects, it would be helpful to review appropriate speaking skills and give students time to practice their presentations. Have students present their three-dimensional projects to the large group, explaining the major factors determining their biomes.
The audience should be provided with a listener evaluation form to be used during the presentations.
Assessment:
Rubric designed to assess learning
Lesson Outcome(s):
The students will:
Materials:
(A computer lab with Internet connections would be helpful to accomplish the tasks in this lesson; however, groups of students could be rotated through one connected work station.)
Lesson:
Assign groups of students to research a specific biome and have a variety of books, CD-ROMs, and other research materials available for student use. Allow students time to develop their research. It may be helpful to provide students with a rubric and research guide. (An example research guide may be found in the "Assessment" section.) For example, the teacher may direct student research by asking students to look for specific information, such as plant and animal life. As students are working, the teacher should conference with small groups to guide students' investigations.
After students complete their research, provide assistance as they create their multimedia presentations. (This activity could be accomplished with posters or pictures if multimedia software is not available.)
Students present projects to the larger group. Provide a list of conceptual ideas for the student audiences to guide their thinking as they listen and critique the presentations. (An example of a listening evaluation form may be found in the "Assessment" section.)
Assessment:
Rubric designed to evaluate factual information in the multimedia presentation, the design of the multimedia presentation, and speaking skills involved in the oral presentations will be used. (Sample rubrics may be found in the "Assessment" section.)
Teacher preparation:
To prepare an online project, the teacher would need to make contact with a teacher listserv or other online teacher contact database. One suggestion is the Classroom Connect Web Site Teacher Contact Database (http://www.classroom.net). It would be important to have keypals (internet penpals) located in each of the six biomes represented. When you have contacted one keypal location in each of the six biomes, ask each classroom to commit to measuring temperature and precipitation over a certain period of time. I would suggest that you collect data for at least three weeks. Students also may commit to sending digital photos representative of their biomes. Teachers involved in the project may want to determine the types of information that would be useful to represent in the shared photographs. (Animals, plants, human activity, terrain etc.)
Lesson Outcomes:
The student will:
Materials:
Students will be placed in five biome groups. Each of the five groups will take turns collecting the data to share with their keypals. Have students design a rotation for collecting temperature, precipitation, and visual information. Next, have students design a method of visually representing and organizing the information they receive from their keypals. Students may want to use a spreadsheet, or they may decide to design a chart or graph of their information. Have students predict what they think the average temperature and precipitation might be during the recording time in the biome they are studying. Ask students to predict what the data might reveal about the biome they are investigating. Student predictions should be recorded in their journals to be reviewed after the data collection has been completed.
Students should plan the photos they feel would best represent their biome and develop a strategy to collect the photos. (Optional: You may want to consider having a photographer or art teacher come in and discuss basic principles of photography with your students.)
After the data has been collected from the keypals, have biome groups analyze the data looking for patterns. What was the average precipitation over the past three weeks in the biome you are studying? Is this what you predicted? If not, what do you think is the reason for the difference? Do you see any relationship between the temperature and precipitation? Explain your thinking? How might the temperature and precipitation have been different if we had collected the data at a different time of the year? Develop similar guiding questions for precipitation.
Once students have analyzed the data for a specific biome, combine two groups so that they might compare and contrast the data from two different biomes. Ask students to draw conclusions about the data. What are the differences in the temperature and precipitation in the two biomes you are investigating? What do you think causes the differences? Can you think of how the temperature and precipitation may account for the types of animal and plant life found in the biomes? the landforms? This may be accomplished in a variety of ways. Students may present findings to the larger group by giving an oral report, or students may follow a question-and-answer format provided for the teacher. Does this data support the things you have previously learned about your biome? Justify your answer. What is the relationship of temperature and precipitation to the development of plant and animal life in your biome?
After the completion of this activity, have biome groups create an animal and/or a plant that would be successful in the biome they studied. Have students justify their thinking.
Assessment:
Project:
Students will create an animal and/or a plant that would be successful in the biome they are studying. Students will be asked to write the justification for their thinking.
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