Biome Project
Introduction
You are on a team of world renowned scientists studying biomes around the globe. Your job is to study the biome and give a full report on the area and make recommendations as to its health and what can be done to fix any environmental issues.
Task
Work as a group to develop a presentation for the United Nations conference on conservation. Presentations will be in the form of a tri-fold board. After all presentations are finished, the class will vote on the best presentation. Winners will receive a bonus, extra credit and entry into the science fair!
Biomes taiga (coniferous forest) tundra tropical rain forest desert
Mountainous regions temperate grassland or prairie savannah (also listed as grasslands on some sites) temperate deciduous forest freshwater (lakes, rivers, or streams) oceanic and neritic zones. Including coral reefs
Process
Each team will choose a biome. It is the team's job to research the biome and gather facts and information about that biome. Each member of the team will become an expert in a particular aspect of the biome. You must come up with a hypothesis and research a solution to one human impact problem.
Team Roles
 Botanist/zoologist - this person will be an expert in the plant and animal life
(flora and fauna) of the biome. Be sure to identify the threatened or endangered flora and fauna and where it is found in the biome
 Meteorologist/geographer - the weather and location expert. What are the weather patterns, rainfall, and climate? Where is it located in the globe showing specifics on why the biome has the climate it does
 Ecologist – this person will be the expert on the impact that humans are having on this biome-what are the concerns for this area? What activities are particularly detrimental to the ecosystem(s) and what are its effects?
 Conservationist – This person is responsible for finding out what can be done to lessen the impact by humans on the ecosystem both globally and individually
Discuss with your team which role each of you will assume. Remember that you are all responsible for learning about the biome you are presenting, but your role reflects an area of particular focus for you as your research.
Each team member should choose a website from the resource list and find their biome, they should record facts and information about the biome that would be useful in the presentation.
This factsheet will be turned in to show that you did your share of the group work.
Please do not print out whole webpages, a list of facts on notebook paper is acceptable.

Remember your role. You can write down anything useful you think the team will need, but your focus should be on the role you were assigned (ecologist, conservationist, meteorologist, zoologist/botanist)
Some questions to consider:
What kinds of activities could people do in this location?
What kinds of plants and animals live there?
What's the weather/climate like?
What is the geographic location of your biome? What part of the world is it in?
Are there any dangerous elements?
Is there “eco-tourism”?
Why are the animals or plants endangered or threatened?
What is the human impact and what can be done to help solve the problem?
Presentations
1.
Groups are making a tri-fold board and writing a report. You must come up with a hypothesis and research a solution to one human impact problem. This research must be all inclusive (what is the issue, what can be done, how the solution will help the environment. You must give data even if it’s hypothetical but it must be researched based. For example: If everyone in Phoenix unplugs their unused appliances we could save “X” amount of electricity per day and in turn save “X” amount of CO2 from going into the atmosphere. You would then research how much could be saved and give suggestions and recommendations for implementation, number of coal fired power plants that could be saved etc)
Resources
Biomes - Missouri Botanical Gardens http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/
The World's Biomes http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/
Biomes of the World http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/biomes/biomes.html
Introduction to Biomes http://www.runet.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/intro.html
UC Berkley’s biome page http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/
Blue planet biomes http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm
YouTube biome movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7cZ3b6PH2s
Ecosystems and pollution http://eschooltoday.com/ecosystems/what-is-a-biome.html
Human impact http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/human-impact-on-environment.html
How to make less of an impact http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/armenia/help_us/eco_help_living/
*Also you are free to use search engines, such as google , to locate information
Evaluation Rubric (checklist)
1. Botanist/Zoologist - plants are illustrated in the presentation with detail and include pictures of the flora and fauna as well as information related to that plant or animal’s value to the area, harmful or dangerous plants or animals can also be discussed.
__4 pts __3pts ___2pts ___1pt ___0 pt

2. Meterologist/geographer - the biome's weather patterns are discussed, seasonal changes and a map is included in the presentation __4 pts __3pts ___2pts ___1pt ___0 pt
3. Ecologist – Research shows the specific human impact on the area __4 pts __3pts
___2pts ___1pt ___0 pt
4. Conservationist – Suggestions of how to lesson human impact globally as well as individually __4 pts __3pts ___2pts ___1pt ___0 pt
5. Overall Presentation - each member spoke and contributed to the presentation, presentation had a smooth flow and organization is evident; document is creative and well organized.
__4 pts __3pts ___2pts ___1pt ___0 pt
TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: ________ out of 20