A WebQuest for 5th grade
in connection with FOSS Science Environments
Investigating Biomes
Any time you want to return here, click on the globe.
Introduction
Evaluation
Tundra
Grassland
Task Process Resources
Conclusion
Aquatic
Desert
Rainforest
INTRODUCTION
You have learned that a biome is a complex community of animals and
plants that live in a specific climatic region. There are five basic
biomes on Earth: Tundra, Grassland, Desert, Forest, and Aquatic. Each
biome has varying temperatures, precipitation, animals, plants, and
environmental concerns.
You and your team of research scientists have been hired by the
National Environmental Scientific Foundation to gather information
about a specific biome. As a team, you will share your information with
the class through a report and an art project. Have fun exploring your
biome as you adventure out on your quest.
TASK
You will work with a team researching the same biome, taking notes
on each paragraph topic and reporting back to your team. Collectively,
the paragraphs you write will complete a research paper on your biome.
Although the work will be done collectively through collaboration of the
team, each of the team members will participate in the completion of
the research paper. In addition, each team is responsible for
completing a biome mural that depicts the animal and plant life of that
environment.
PROCESS
Step One: Determine the roles of each member of your group. Who
will be the Zoologist, Botanist, Climatologist, and Environmentalist.
Step Two: Read about your specific role and begin researching your
biome using the Internet resources provided below. Each role is
provided with some specific questions to investigate, but can add any
additional information that is relevant to the topic. Use the note taking
skills you have been learning in library and class. Share any exciting
information you find with your team members. If you have any
questions, be sure to ask your team members before asking for help
from the teacher.
Step Three: Write an informative paragraph about your topic to share
with your team members. Remember to address the specific questions
under your scientific role.
Step Four: Share your paragraph with the other members of your
team. Each team member should be allowed to add information to your
topic, or delete information that is not relevant or accurate. Each team
member should edit the rough draft.
Step Five: Type a final draft of your paragraph. Each team member
should edit the paragraph for accuracy, grammar, punctuation, and
typing errors. Once the paragraph has been edited and corrected it is
ready for publication.
Step Six: Publication – Each member should cut and paste their own
paragraph into the final paper. Each member can now add pictures,
graphs, and art to enhance their paper. Be sure to evaluate your paper
using the rubric for the best grade. Submit your paper to the teacher’s
Inbox.
Step Seven: During your free time and when class work is complete –
Work or a mural that depicts your biome. Be sure to share in this work
as your entire team will be receiving extra credit for artistic
participation. Ask your teacher for any resources that you might need.
Climatologist: A cliamatologist is someone who studies the climate of a
region. Specific questions include: what is the average annual
temperature in the winter and summer? How much precipitation does
the region receive? How does the climate impact the plant, animal, and
human life? You may want to include a graph that depicts the monthly
temperature and/or precipitation in the biome.
Botonist: A botonist is someone who studies plants. Specific questions
include: What kind of plant life exists in your biome? How does the
plant life support other life forms? What are some unique
characteristics of plant life that allows them to survive in the biome?
Be sure to provide specific examples.
Zoologist: A zoologist is someone who studies animals. Specific
questions include: What kind of animal life exists in your biome? How
does the animal life support other life forms? What are some unique
characteristics of animal life that allows them to survive in the biome?
Be sure to provide specific examples. You may want to include a food
web from your biome.
Environmentalist: An environmentalist is someone who is concerned
about the environment and how humans and nature impacts the
environment. Specific questions include: What environmental factors
impact your biome? How has humanity impacted the biome? What
conservation efforts are being made in the biome to protect the
environment? How can your classmates make a difference?
RESOURCES
The World’s Bomes
Mission Biomes: Earth’s Observatory
Biomes: Webpages written by 9th grade students in Oregon
Habitats and Biomes (Click on the graph)
Introduction to Biomes
What’s it like where you live?
World Biomes
EVALUATION RUBRIC
Criteria
Expert
5 Points
Topic
The main
topic
sentence is
clear and
correctly
placed.
The
paragraphs
have 6 or
more detail
sentences
that relate
back to the
main idea.
Details &
Facts
Summary
Mechanics
Design
Presentation
The main idea
is clearly
restated in
the closing
with
synonyms.
The
paragraphs
have no
errors in
grammar,
punctuation,
capitalization,
and/or
spelling.
Easy to
follow;
creative,
organized,
and neat,
pictures &
graphs
included
Loud, eye
contact,
Practioner Maturing
4 Points
3 Points
Apprentice Novice
2 Points
1 Point
The main topic
is suggested
but not clearly
stated.
The paragraphs
have 4-5 or
more detail
sentences that
relate back to
the main idea.
The paragraphs
have only 3
detail
sentences that
relate back to
the main idea.
The paragraphs
have 1-2 or more
detail sentences
that relate back
to the main idea.
The main idea
is partially
restated in the
closing
sentence.
The closing
sentence is
identical to the
topic sentence.
The paragraphs
have1-3 errors
in grammar,
punctuation,
capitalization,
and/or spelling.
The paragraphs
have 4-7 errors
in grammar,
punctuation,
capitalization,
and/or spelling.
The paragraphs
have 8-10 errors
in grammar,
punctuation,
capitalization,
and/or spelling.
Mostly easy to
follow. Creative
with some
pictures/graphs
and organized
Some difficulty
to follow,
Creative,
mostly
organized; two
or three
pictures/graphs
Shows some signs
of creativity, one
or two
pictures/graphs
Loud, some eye
contact, clear,
Audible, little
eye contact,
Audible, little
eye contact, and
The main
topic
sentence is
missing or
incorrectly
placed.
The
paragraphs
have no
supporting
detail
sentences
that relate
back to the
main idea.
The main idea
is not
restated in
the closing
sentence.
The
paragraphs
have eleven
or more
grammar,
punctuation,
capitalization,
and/or
spelling
errors.
Difficult to
follow and
shows little
signs of
creativity.
No pictures
or graphs
Audible, no
eye contact,
Total
concise, and
knowledgeable
with most points
covered
and confusing in
some points
confusing in some
points
and lacks
cohesion of
major points
CONCLUSION
Congratulations!!! You have just completed a quest through the
different biomes on planet Earth. The National Environmental
Scientific Foundation is proud to accept your work. You will be notified
by the foundation of the importance of your work.