Biomes Project
Chapters 5 and 6 include descriptions of and discussion on the different types of biomes on earth.
Included in each chapter are factors that define the biomes, biodiversity within the biomes, different
variations of each biome, and how humans impact or affect the biomes. Your task is to work as a
group with other classmates to develop a 25 minute lesson plan teaching the rest of the class about
your biome. You can develop your lesson however you like, but it must convey the necessary
information about your biome and you must include some form of worksheet or assessment that will
reflect how well the students learned your particular material. This assessment will likely be
distributed as homework, but in some cases may be part of the lesson itself. All members of the
group are expected to put in an equal amount of effort. If you need any materials or access to any
resources, let me know ahead of time so I can make arrangements to meet your needs.
The class will be split up into 6 different biome groups:
- Freshwater biomes: ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, wetlands
- Saltwater biomes: oceans, coral reefs, estuaries, saltwater lakes
- Forests: Main types - tropical, temperate, boreal; Sub types – rain, deciduous, coniferous
- Grasslands: savanna, temperate grasslands, steppes
- Deserts: tropical, temperate, polar, coastal
- Potpourri: tundra (alpine and arctic), mountain, chaparral
You will be scored on the following criteria (100 total points):
Lesson contains descriptions of the appropriate content (55 total points):
Terrestrial:
Aquatic:
Potpourri:
Climate that defines the biome
Salinity, location, and features that determine the biome
Climate and other features (geographic, biological, etc) that determine the biome
(15): ___
Terrestrial:
Aquatic:
Potpourri:
Description of each different type of the biome
Description of different zones and types of biome
Description of variations of the biomes based on geographic location (tundra)
and different altitudes (mountain), and description of characteristics of the biome
(chaparral)
(15): ___
Biodiversity within the biome
Human impact on the biome
Lesson is well-planned (30 total points):
Appropriate timing
Content is conveyed to students in an effective manner
At least 5 sources for information, all correctly cited
Creativity
Every student has a specific role
(10): ___
(15): ___
(5): ___
(10): ___
(5): ___
(5): ___
(5): ___
Assessment (15 total points):
Assessment activity assesses the students on content they learned from the lesson
(5): ___
Assessment is specific and measurable with 10 or more questions
(5): ___
Assessment is creative
(5): ___