It’s a Wonderful World: Animals in
Their Environments
By Ms. Jennifer Hemme
Process
We will review this WebQuest in class before you start working on your own. Please
wait for us to finish.
You are your own exhibition poster designer; that means that you are to work
independently on your exhibition poster, unless the teacher assigns you to work
in pairs.
Each person must submit an individual exhibition poster, so don’t copy
someone’s work or write both of your names on one digital poster.
To start, read the directions in each section, working from the top section to
the bottom.
One: Choose Your Environment
Your first task is to choose an environment that you would like to use for your exhibition poster.
Go to: Britannica Animal Kingdom (through the SC DISCUS Database)
http://scdiscus.org/
Click on “Discus Kids” on the menu bar and scroll down until you see “Animal Kingdom.” Click on the
icon or picture to open it. Once “Animal Kingdom” is open, click on the “Explore Animals by Habitat”
tab.
Click on the habitats in the main menu. Once you open the habitat page, click on the “Read more
about...” sections to find articles on the habitat itself.
Once you have chosen your habitat, you must take notes on it in your science notebooks. Do not copy or
paste text. Write these headings in your notebooks, leaving at least five lines of space, then take notes:
1. Habitat/Biome Name
2. Features (name at least three)
3. Continents/Countries Where They are Found
(name at least three)
Go back to the “Home” page by clicking the link on the top. Click on the “Explore Animals by Habitat”
tab again and find your habitat.
Click on the habitat again and find at least two animals you like that are on the list.
Write the names of the animals in your notebooks in two columns, then write these headings and take
notes under each animal (make sure you leave at least five lines of space). Your notes should look like
this:
Animal Name
Animal Name
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Where they live
Physical Features
Behavior
Physical Responses
Where they live
Physical Features
Behavior
Physical Responses
Two: Expand Your Animal Facts
Now you will add some more information on your animals and their habitats/biomes. Choose two
more animals by visiting the following sites and reading the information. Each site listed
has a menu of biomes/habitats to visit. If the biome/habitat names are a bit different from the last
site, choose the one that most closely matches yours. If you are stuck, ask for help. Here are the
three sites:
Missouri
Botanical Garden Page
http://www.mbgnet.net/
National
Geographic Animals Page
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/facts/
Exploring
Nature Educational Resource
http://www.exploringnature.org/db/subcat_index.php?dbID=43
For each animal, please take notes on the following information in the same two column format as
in part one:
Animal Name
Animal Name
Where they live
Physical Features
Physical Responses
Animal Behavior
Where they live
Physical Features
Physical Responses
Animal Behavior
Three: General Animal and Plant Adaptations
In this next section, you will write about any general animal and plant adaptations you find in the
following sites.
Mission Biomes
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Experiments/Biome/

NASA Classroom of the Future—Biomes
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/biomes.html

BBC Nature Biomes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/habitats

When you are taking notes, be sure to write down the following facts:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Biome/Habitat Name
Location or Locations
Average Temperature and Climate Information
At least two animal adaptations
At least two plant adaptations
Four: Compare a Local Biome/Habitat with Your World Habitat
As an exhibit designer, you must also have a local connection in your poster. You will collect facts
about a local biome/habitat to compare to your world habitat. Please click on the following
link:

South Carolina Know It All Database “SC Life”
http://www.knowitall.org/sclife/
Choose one of the two biomes/habitats. Then write the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Biome/Habitat Name
Location or Locations
Average Temperature and Climate Information
At least two animal adaptations
At least two plant adaptations

Using a blank page in your notebook, divide the page into two columns.

Re-write the name of the Biome/Habitat Name at the top of both columns.

Briefly write five facts for the local Biome/Habitat in the correct column, then do the
same for the world Biome/Habitat.

Circle three comparisons in each column. You will use these comparisons in your poster,
for a section titled “Closer to Home: SC Biome Fact.”
Five: Independent Research
Using one of the following links, find at least one web page on your own using keywords such as, biome,
habitat, animal adaptations, plant adaptations, biology, zoology, a biome/habitat name, or another
keyword from your keyword list that we brainstormed in a previous lesson.
Here are the links:
 Internet Public Library Kidspace
http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/
 Safe Search Kids
http://www.safesearchkids.com/kids-search-engines/#.U4PTpPldWAi
 Sweet Search
http://www.sweetsearch.com/
 Kids Click
http://www.kidsclick.org/
When you find a site you think you like, please use the CARRDSS checklist we just gave you to evaluate it.
Check mark “yes” or “no” beside each question while you are looking at the site. If you have more “yes”
answers than “no” answers, you may use this site as one of your resources and take more notes or find
pictures and graphics for your exhibit poster.
Six: Artifacts
For any exhibit poster, you must add artifacts in the form of photographs, illustrations, charts,
graphs, maps, and other graphics. Every time you use a graphic, you should write the following
information in a resource list:
Title of Artifact
Artist or Photographer
Title of Web Page
Web Page Address
Skip any missing information. For example, if there is no artist or photographer’s name, you don’t
need to write this down.
~You may use any of the web pages listed in parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 or find more artifacts
using the search engines in part 5. ~
Seven: Resource List for Articles
You will also have to write down the resources you used for your notes. Here is the article
information you should include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Author (last name, first name)
Article Title
Title of Web Page
Web Page Address

As you read in part 6, you may skip missing information if there is no author or article
title. You have a list of resources in parts 1—4.

You will need to pay special attention to the page you visited by using the search engines
in part 5.

Hint: you wrote the web address and web page title on your CARRDSS Evaluation
Checklist.
Eight: Putting It All Together
Your final product will be an exhibition poster. You will have to write all of the information on a
Glogster poster that you create in Glogster Edu
http://edu.glogster.com.
You will have to include the following items:
Your name at either the top or the bottom
Title of Exhibit with the Name of Biome/Habitat
Short Description of Biome/Habitat features
Biome facts, including climate, temperature, location, two animal adaptations,
and two plant adaptations
Four animals with descriptions that include location, physical features, physical
responses, and behavior
A local or SC Biome/Habitat connection
At least four artifacts such as photographs, illustrations, charts, graphs, and/or
maps
A list of resources
Make sure that you use your notes. Don’t copy or paste from the web pages you use.