There’s No Place Like Home
Webquest
4th Grade SC Standards
FORESTS GRASSLANDS POLAR
WETLANDS DESERTS
Introduction
We have received a huge truck with a very unusual shipment of plants and animals. Our class has
been chosen to find an appropriate home for each of them. We need to begin our research
quickly.
The Task
Collect enough information about each of the five possible environments to convince the driver
that he has made a mistake and explain where you would send these plants and animals. Time is
running out and the plants and animals are in critical shape. As soon as he opens the truck we
need to determine each plant’s or animal’s destination within minutes or it may not survive.
The Process
1.
2.
3.
4.
You will be grouped in teams of three students.
Each student is required to keep a journal of his or her findings.
Links to websites are below for you to use.
Begin by drawing pictures of each of the seven environments and describing their
characteristics.
5. Skim sites to find plants and animals that are unique to each environment and list them on
the appropriate page of your journal.
6. Your team is to prepare a convincing speech about each environment.
Links to the Five Environments
General
http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs300/biome.htm
FORESTS
http://www.runet.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/tbdf/tbdf.html
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/forests.html#temperate
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/temp/index.htm
GRASSLANDS
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/grasslnd/index.htm
http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/as/education/projects/webunits/biomes/grass.html
POLAR
http://taggart.glg.msu.edu/bs110/polar.htm
http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/biodome/e2-coll/emp.htm
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/tundra/index.htm
WETLANDS
http://www.nwf.org/kids/cool/wetland1.html
http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/vital/what.html
http://vathena.arc.nasa.gov/curric/land/wetland/
DESERTS
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/desert/desert.shtml
http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/as/education/projects/webunits/biomes/desert.html
http://ths.sps.lane.edu/biomes/desert3/desert3.html
Websites
21st Century Schoolhouse - Multiple Intelligences
file:///C:/WINDOWS/TEMP/21st%20Century%20Schoolhouse%20%20Multiple%20Intelligences.htm
Biome Perserve Project
WebQuest
http://www.woodford.k12.ky.us/webquest/pburchett/biomes/bpp1.htm
Biome/Habitat Animal Printouts
EnchantedLearning.com Comparison, habitats and additional links
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/
Biomes
The World's Biomes
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/
Biomes and Habitats
Biomes-Habitats Facts
http://www.proteacher.com/cgibin/outsidesite.cgi?external=http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/&original=http://www.p
roteacher.com/110021.shtml&title=Biomes-Habitats
Biomes for Teachers!
Lots of links But not many are usable
http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/as/education/projects/webunits/biomes/teacher.html
Biomes of the World
What's It Like Where You Live? ::::
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/index.htm
BIOMES OF THE WORLD
http://www.memphis-schools.k12.tn.us/schools/ibwells.aca/biomes.html
Biomes of the World
What's It Like Where You Live? Six Biomes Simple straight forward information
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/index.htm
Ecology Home Page
Biome Maps and information on characteristics of biomes Great interactive map
http://www.specialedprep.net/MSAT%20SCIENCE/EcologyHomePage.htm#RETURN
FLORIDA'S EVERGLADES & MANGROVES
Picture of mangroves
http://www.educationalimages.com/it040005.htm
Geography World (Ecosystems / Biomes)
Ecosystems/biomes. A collection of websites
http://members.aol.com/bowermanb/ecosystems.html
Grassland
site for picture of stinging nettle and poison ivy
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/grasslnd/index.htm
Grassland
picture of monarch butterfly and milkweed plang
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/grasslnd/index.htm
Introduction to Wetlands
Four types of wetlands
http://vathena.arc.nasa.gov/curric/land/wetland/
Major Biomes of the World
Compare the different ways biomes are classified.
http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0769052.html
Outline Maps
World Maps
http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/world.html
The Biomes of the World
http://redbaron.bishops.ntc.nf.ca/wells/biomes/index.htm
The Grassland Biome
Climate, animals, plants and interesting facts
http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/as/education/projects/webunits/biomes/grass.html
The World’s Biomes
Forests- tropical, temperate and taiga
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/forests.html#temperate
The World’s Biomes
Grasslands - savanna and temperate. Length reading
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/grasslan.html
Tundra
Plants, animals, and climate
http://ths.sps.lane.edu/biomes/tundra4/tundra4.html
Evaluation
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/view_rubric.php3?id=314952
Conclusion
Animals and plants live in a particular environment for a reason. Have you asked yourself these
questions?
What is the weather like in this environment?
What type of shelter and food does this environment offer?
Why would the latitude be important to the environment?
Credits and References
Biome Pyramid http://taggart.glg.msu.edu/bs110/biomes.htm
Great Interactive Map
http://www.specialedprep.net/MSAT%20SCIENCE/EcologyHomePage.htm#RETURN
Background http://www.eskimo.com/~physmith/Backgrounds.html
Teacher Page
This webquest was designed to provide background knowledge before beginning a unit on
organism and their environments. See
http://www.myscschools.com/offices/cso/Science/Sciencef/K8ScienceStandards.doc and refer to
the Life Science standards for 4th Grade.
Materials
Rubric http://rubistar.4teachers.org/view_rubric.php3?id=314952
Journal
Journal page copied seven times
Construction Paper
Stapler (use large construction paper to make cover and staple 7 journal pages inside)
Early Finishers
Games
Ranger Rick's Kid's Zone -- National Wildlife Federation Great games, riddles, quizes
http://www.nwf.org/kids/games.html
Geo - Globe
Geo - Adapt Click on Play Geo-Adapt to guess the answer. Seemed to work slow today.
http://library.thinkquest.org/10157/infadapt.html
WWF QUIZ
Quizes on 15 different animals, Just for fun
http://www.panda.org/kids/quiz/qhome.htm
JigsawLand.com
Solve Puzzles Online Swamp Just for fun
http://www.jigsawland.com/images/swamp/new-swamp-i.htm
Jigzone
Jigsaw Puzzle Cold Trees, Just for fun
http://www.jigzone.com/ms/z.php?14FCIB0X86C97D
Jigzone
Jigsaw Puzzle Palm Island, Just for fun
http://www.jigzone.com/ms/z.php?otd=jz/csCS/Palm_Island.jpg 80_piece_classic 09