Unit : Dirt is Alive
Biomes Around the World 5E Lesson (6th grade science)
Introduction
This lesson will take place during our ecology unit focusing on abiotic and biotic factors in world
biomes. Students will choose a world biome to research and create a biome mural based on
abiotic and biotic factors found in the biome. The focus will be on a unique plant found in the
biome and specifically how soil quality affects the growth of this unique plant. Students will
compare the information obtained from the science museum in our Diggin’ Dandelion Lesson
about the dandelion microbiome to their chosen unique plant and explore how soil quality
affects the growth of both plants.
During this lesson students will understand that different biomes have different abiotic factors
and that abiotic factors in biomes affect an organism’s ability to survive.
The lesson will be implemented after receiving the dandelion DNA sequencing data back from
the science museum.
Real Science
The world contains a wide diversity of physical conditions, which creates a wide variety of
environments: freshwater, marine, forest, desert, grasslands, mountain, and others. In any
particular environment, the growth and survival of organisms depend on the physical conditions.
Environmental factors that affect an organism's ability to survive in its environment, such as food
availability, predators, and temperature, are limiting factors. A limiting factor is any biotic or
abiotic factor that restricts the existence, number, reproduction, or distribution of organisms. For
example, at high elevations, temperatures are too low, winds too strong and the soil too thin to
support the growth of large trees. Vegetation is limited to small, shallow-rooted plants, mosses,
ferns and lichen. Factors that limit one population in a community may also have an indirect
effect on another population. For example, a lack of water could limit the growth of grass in
grassland, reducing the number of seeds produced. The population of rabbits dependent on
those seed for food will also be reduced and the hawks depending on the rabbits will be
reduced too as a result of a decrease in their food supply. Another factor for survive is the ability
of an organism to withstand fluctuations in biotic and abiotic environmental factors. The limits of
an organism's tolerance are reached when the organism receives too much or too little of some
environmental factor. Organisms become fewer as conditions move toward either extreme of
the range of tolerance (too much or too little).
Curriculum Alignment
6.L.2 Understand the flow of energy through ecosystems and the responses of populations
to the biotic and abitoic factors in their environment.
● 6.L.2.3 The effects of abiotic factors in biomes on organisms Summarize how the abiotic
factors(such as temperature, water, sunlight, and soil quality) of biomes(freshwater,
marine, forest, grassland, desert, tundra) affect the ability of organisms to grow, survive
and/or create their own food through photosynthesis.
Learning Outcomes
1. Students will identify abiotic and biotic factors in a chosen biome and research a unique plant
in that biome
2.Students will compare the dandelion microbiome to that of their chosen unique plant and
specifically explore how soil quality affects an organism’s ability to survive
3. Students will analyze the data obtained from the science museum and learn more about
species diversity in soils by studying the microbiome surrounding the dandelion roots
.
Time Required and Location
Students Prior Knowledge
6.L.1.1 Summarize the basic structures and functions of flowering plants required for survival,
reproduction and defense.
6.L.1.2 Explain the significance of the processes of photosynthesis, respiration and
transpiration to the survival of green plants and other organisms.
6.L.2.1 Summarize how energy derived from the sun is used by plants to produce sugars
(photosynthesis) and is transferred within food chains and food webs (terrestrial and
aquatic) from producers to consumers to decomposers.
6.L.2.2 Explain how plants respond to external stimuli (including dormancy and forms of
tropism) to enhance survival in the environment.
Teacher Preparations
1) Prepare abiotic and biotic cards for ENGAGE activity
) Schedule lap top carts or computer lab for students to access MG-RAST (metagenomics
analysis server) in order to compare microbial populations based on the DNA sequencing data
from the dandelion microbiome.
Activities
5E Step
ENGAGE
Activity Description
This activity will introduce the terms abiotic and biotic factors.
Each lab group will recieve a group of cards with different
examples of abiotic and biotic factors. Students will be given
instructions to classify the cards using any strategy they choose.
This activity will ultimately lead to a discussion about the
difference between abiotic and biotic factors in a biome (see
attachment 1 for specific directions).
EXPLORE
Students will visit the computer lab in the media center to begin
EXPLORING unique plants throughout the world. I purposely
Materials
A set of biotic and biotic
cards for each lab group –
cut apart and ready to sort
(attachment 1)
will not mention the research project (found in the explain step)
at this point because I want the students to simply be free to
explore their interests. They will have fun finding plants like the
Corpse Flower that attracts insect pollinators because of its
corpse-like smell or the Shame Princess that closes when
touched and quickly re-opens. Students get excited to find
these unique plants and their adaptations. I will instruct
students to record any plants they are interested in researching
along with their specific location. I ask them to list at least five
different choices.
I find this is an interesting way to being our research on biomes
and build on the student’s excitement about the interesting and
unique plants they’ve found.
EXPLAIN
Biome Mural Project
Student lab groups will choose a biome that they would like to
research. Biome choices will include: tropical rain forest, desert,
grassland, deciduous forest, taiga, tundra, freshwater, marine.
Students may want refer to their list of unique plants when
choosing their biome (this was created in the explore step)and
choose the biome where one of their unique plants can be
found. Students will use the Project Research Guide to learn
about the abiotic and biotic factors of their chosen biome.
Students will also research a unique plant that grows in the
biome and record their findings on the Unique Plant Data
sheet.
After carefully researching the biome, the groups will be asked
to present their findings to the class by creating a mural.
ELABORATE
Compare unique plant with dandelion – soil quality
Add inquiry questions on plant sheet
Use MG-RAST to compare microbes in different soil biomes
Students may choose to make their mural more interactive by
adding Aurasmas or QR codes linking videos, photos or even
music to their murals.
EVALUATE
30 POINTS: students were able to work successfully in their
groups to complete the
research project; students displayed a thorough understanding
of their biome and
answered all the questions about their plant; students included
visuals and
diagrams in their presentations and were able to convey
information clearly to the
class
20 POINTS: students worked somewhat successfully in their
groups to complete the
research project; students displayed a general understanding of
their biome and
Copies of Biome Mural
Project guidelines
(attached)
answered most of the questions about their plant; students
included some visual
elements in their presentations and were able to convey the
information adequately to
the class
10 POINTS: students worked in groups to complete the
research project; students
developed some understanding of their biome and answered
half of the questions
about their plant; students completed their display and were
able to present the
information to the class
Critical Vocabulary
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Photosynthesis - the process by which plants use sunlight to change water and carbon
dioxide into glucose, water, and oxygen.
Soil - the portion of the earth's surface consisting of disintegrated rock, humus,
Bacteria - microscopic organisms that often play a role in the decay of living things, the
process of fermentation, and sometimes in causing disease. Bacteria are each made up
of only one cell, but different kinds of bacteria can take different shapes. These
organisms live in all parts of the earth including oceans, deserts, glaciers, hot springs,
and in the bodies of most living things. While some kinds of bacteria are dangerous,
most kinds are useful because they help in the digestion of food, in the making of soil, in
the creation of medicines, and in many other natural processes.
Abiotic Factors -a nonliving condition or thing, as climate or habitat, that influences or
affects an ecosystem and the organisms in it: Abiotic factors can determine which
species of organisms will survive in a given environment.
Biotic Factors - a living thing, as an animal or plant, that influence or affect and
ecosystem
Fungus - one of a large group of living things that appear similar to plants but cannot
make their own food using sunlight in the way plants do. Fungi consume plant, animal,
and other living matter. Mushrooms, yeasts, and molds are fungi. Fungi help decompose
dead plants and animals.
Symbiosis - the living together of two dissimilar organisms, as in mutualism,
commensalism, or parasitism.
Organic material - any biotic material
Environment - All the biotic and abotic material including the air, water, minerals,
organisms, and all other external factors surrounding and affecting a given organism at
any time.
Biomes - complex biotic community characterized by distinctive plant and animal
species and maintained under the climatic conditions of the region, especially such a
community that has developed to climax.
Biomes Around the World – attachment 1
Biotic/Abiotic Engage Activity
Objective:
The students will be able to discover biotic/abiotic factors from given items
in a group of cards.
Instructions:
Using the cards provided, break students up into groups of 8. Ask each
group to look through the cards and begin to classify them into groups.
They should look for similarities and differences among the objects on the
cards. They can start by making 4 or 5 groups – eventually work them
down into making 2 groups.
Students can write the strategies they used to group them on a separate
paper.
At the end of the activity, discuss with students the groups they came up
with. They should have been able to come up with living and non-living
things. Introduce the terms biotic and abiotic.
Time permitting; you can do a whole class Venn-diagram.
Make 8 copies (or desired number of lab groups) of the words
below. Then cut out the words to create abiotic and biotic cards
for each lab group.
Fungi
Rain
Bacteria
Lake
Desert
String
Rock
Wool
Cotton
Snail
Gold
Plastic
Grapes
Air
Clouds
Plant
Leaves
Whale
Clock
Water
Fish
Paper
Glass
Sand
Aluminum
Wooden Ruler
Biomes Around the World – attachment 2
BIOME MURAL PROJECT
BIOME_________________________________________________________________
GROUP MEMBERS________________________________________________________
PURPOSE: Your job is to become an expert on the biome of your choice. Biome choices
include: tropical rain forest, desert, grassland, deciduous forest, taiga, tundra, freshwater,
marine. After carefully researching the biome following the project research guide, your
group will be asked to present your findings to the class by creating a mural.
Objectives (students will)
 Understand that Earth’s surface is divided into a number of biomes characterized by
unique plants and animals and a distinctive climate.
 Identify adaptations of plants in specific biomes
 Explain how certain adaptations help plants to survive in the specific biomes
PROCEDURE:
1. Use the project research guide to research your chosen biome.
2. After learning about your chosen biome, your group will pick a unique plant that grows
there. You will research the plant and record your findings on the Unique Plant Data sheet.
3. Students will create a mural of their biome including all information in project research
guide.
PRESENTATION:
Each group will be asked to present their mural for no more than 5 minutes. During the
presentations, the student audience will complete the World Biomes Chart to include
information learned about each biome.
Biome Project Research Guide
ABIOTIC FACTORS (record in chart below)
Precipitation – annual rainfall and patters
Average daily or monthly temperature
Temperatures – highs/lows and seasonal changes
Soil quality
BIOTIC FACTORS (record in chart below)
Flora (plants) List 3-5 examples
Fauna (animals) List 3-5 examples
Create a food web that could be found in your biome with a least 3 food chains. Include visuals
of each item in your food chain (print from web, magazines or hand drawn). Identify and label
all parts of the food web. Draw a sketch of your food web below.
UNIQUE PLANT DATA
Choose one unique plant from your biome and research the plant in depth and record your
findings below.
First, draw a sketch of your plant in the space below. Add labels to identify unique features
Plant Common
Name________________________________
Plant Scientific
Name________________________________
What makes this plant unique?
1. Describe the structure of your plant’s roots, stems, or leaves. How tall is it? What does it
look like?
2. Explain any unique adaptations of the plant you picked. How do these adaptations help it
survive in this biome?
3. What abiotic factor of the biome has the greatest effect on this particular plant?
4. Do you think this plant could live in a biome with very different abiotic factors? Why or why
not?
5. How does this plant fit into the existing food web of the biome?
ADD SOIL QUALITY – MICROBIOME INQUIRY QUESTIONS HERE