Lesson Plan Format
Title: Learning Cycle-Climate of the World
Grade Level: 8th grade
Time Frame: 3 class periods
Big Idea: With this activity, students will be asked to make predictions of what kind of biomes they may have based on
the conditions and pictures they have. They will learn the location and the characteristics of the major climate zones and
the different types of biomes that are found throughout the world.
Objectives/Outcomes/Expectations [Content,
concepts, science process skills, social skills and
applications that students get out of the activity]
Assessment [how objectives are measured/recorded]
1. Students will be able to demonstrate appropriate
lab behaviors.
2. Students will be communicating effective in their
groups of four or five.
3. Students will be able to communicate and explain
their group’s ideas about each section to the class.
4. Students will be able to explain the difference
between climate and weather.
5. Students will be able to explain what a biome is.
1. Observational assessment by the teacher.
6. Students will be able to give examples of different
biomes.
5. & 6. When I ask them to revisit how they
classified their sections earlier, they should be
able to classify the sections correctly based on
what they just learned.
7. Students will be able to apply this new knowledge
to a different situation.
2. Observational assessment by the teacher.
3. White paper where ideas are written down and the
presentation to the whole class.
4. Based on questions I ask them and when they
apply their knowledge on the test.
7. Based on the new situation I give them.
Materials Needed:
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7 or 8 sets of graphs
7 or 8 sets of pictures of animals and plants
7 or 8 sets of 4 beakers
- 1 beaker of sand
- 1 beaker of top soil
- 1 beaker of moist top soil
- 1 beaker of ice and water
Sheets of large white paper for student’s data, explanations, conclusions for presentations
Markers for writing on poster paper
Science notebooks
Procedures (be specific & please indicate amount of time in bold
for each procedure – probably need more than this amount of
space)
1. Behavioral Expectations (5 minutes)
o Demonstrating appropriate lab behaviors
o Working in groups of 4 or 5, which we will count off to
form groups
o Groups are a team, so everyone must contribute to
coming up with a solution for your group
o Group members must understand and come to an
agreement of your solution
o I will be watching for good teamwork, effective, and
appropriate communication
Academic
Adaptation
Behavioral or
Social
Adaptation
Assertive
Technology
Exploration Phase (to go through directions-5 minutes)
2. Hand out the worksheet with the directions and objectives on it.
Go through and explain the directions.
3. Explain to the students what each person’s job is based on their
number for picking up supplies.
o When I say it’s OK, find group members and find a
place to work.
o Member #1: picks up graphs
o Member #2: picks up animal/plant pictures
o Member #3: picks up four beakers with different
substances in them
o Member #4: picks up large white paper and markers
4. Divide large white paper into 4 sections vertically (up and down)
5. Number each section 1-4. Section 1 corresponds with beaker 1.
6. For all the sections, your group will discuss and write down on
the large sheet of white paper the following:
o What kind of stuff is in each beaker?
o Describe the stuff in each beaker.
o Looking at the graphs, which graph would correspond
with each beaker? Write the number from the graph
on your sheet of paper and explain why.
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Looking at the pictures of plants and animals, which set
of pictures would correspond with each beaker? Write
the number from the pictures on your sheet of paper
and explain why.
Give each section a classification or a name from what
you know based on the stuff in each beaker, the animals,
and the plants you put in that section.
Your group will pick one person to come up in front of
the class to explain what your group’s findings were and
conclusions your group made. Presentations will be
made the next day of class.
7. Count off students by 7’s or 8’s, so I will have 7 or 8 groups of
four.
8. Tell the students to find group and place to work.
9. Work time (30-40 minutes)
Concept Development phase (1-2 class periods)
10. Group Presentations-have the students write down one thing that
was different from your group’s idea or write down one thing
they learned for each presentation.
11. After group presentations ask the students what some of the
similarities were between everyone posters and presentations?
12. Ask what were some differences between what groups thought?
13. Based on your classification for each section, what scientific
term could we use?
o Biome: a large region characterized by a specific type
of climate and the plants and animals that live there
14. What are biomes classified as again?
o Climate: is the average weather conditions in an area
over a long period of time
o Determined by two main factors: 1.) Temperature and
2.) Precipitation
o The temperature of an area depends on what?
- Latitude: the distance north or south,
measured in degrees, from the equator
- The higher the latitude the cold the
climate is.
15. What is the difference between weather and climate?
o Weather: is the condition of the atmosphere at a
particular time and place
16. Now that we know what a biome is, what are some examples of
the Earth’s biomes? (As biomes get said, fill in chart on board
that students will copy into their science notebook.)
o Tropical Zone: warm zone located around the equator
- Tropical Rain Forest
- Tropical Deserts
- Tropical Savannas
o The Temperate Zone: climate zone between the Tropics
and the polar zone
- Temperate Forests
- Temperate Grasslands
- Chaparrals
- Temperate Deserts:
o The Polar Zone: includes the northernmost and
southernmost climate zones
- Tundra: driest on Earth; long, cold winters
with almost 24 hours of night and short, cool
summers with almost 24 hours of daylight
- Permafrost: prevents the water in the thawed
soil from draining
- Upper layer is muddy and excellent breeding
ground for insects
17. Draw a picture of the zones.
Polar (66.5oN)
Temperate Zone
Tropical Zone (23.5oN)
Equator (0o)
Tropical Zone (23.5oS)
Temperate Zone
Polar Zone (66.5oS)
18. Describe each biome (Fill in chart-temperature, precipitation,
soil, one or two animals and plants)
o Tropical Rain Forest
- Warm and wet because they are near
equator
- Strong sunlight year-round; little light
difference between seasons
- Greatest number of plants and animals
- Soil is poor
- Rapid decay of plants and animals returns
nutrients to the soil, but these nutrients are
quickly absorbed and used by other plants.
- If not they are washed away by heavy
rains
- Temperature Range: 25oC-28oC (77F82F)
- Precipitation: 200 cm or more
o Tropical Deserts
- Driest place on Earth
- Plants adapted to survive in a place with
little water
- Hot or cold deserts
- Majority of hot deserts, like Sahara, in
Africa
- Hot deserts caused by cool sinking air
masses
- Soil very poor
- Temperature Range: 16oC-50oC (61F120F)
- Precipitation: 0-25 cm
o Tropical Savannas
- Can be referred to as grasslands
- Dominated by tall grasses, with trees
scattered throughout
- Climate vary warm, with a dry season that
lasts 4-8 months followed by short periods
of rain
- Soil are nutrient poor, but grass fires
(common during dry season) leave solid
nutrient enriched
- Temperature Range: 27oC-32oC (80F90F)
o Temperate Forests
- Very high amounts of rainfall and
seasonal temperature differences
- Summers are warm and winters cold
- Deciduous trees: trees that lose their
leaves when the weather becomes cold
- Evergreens: trees that keep their leaves
year-round
- Soil usually quite fertile because of high
organic content contributed by decaying
leaves that drop in the winter
- Temperature Range: 0oC-28oC (32F-82F)
- Precipitation: 76-250cm
o
o
o
o
o
Temperate Grasslands
- Warm summers and cool inters
- Known as prairies in America, steppes of
Eurasia, veldt of Africa, and pampas of
South America
- Grasses most common vegetation
- Soil is most fertile of all biomes
- Temperature Range: -6oC-26o C (21F-78F)
- Precipitation: 38-76 cm
Chaparrals
- Cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers
- Vegetation is evergreen shrubs, which are
short, woody plants with thick, waxy
leaves
- Waxy leaves are adaptations that help
prevent water loss in dry conditions
- Soil is poor because it’s rocky and
nutrient poor
- Temperature Range: 11oC-26oC (51F78F)
- Precipitation: 48-56 cm
Temperate Deserts
- Cold Deserts
- Hot in the daytime, but very cold at night
- Large change in temperature is caused by
low humidity and cloudless skies
- Very Dry because generally located
inland, far away from the moisture source,
or are located on the rain-shadow side of a
mountain range
- Temperature Range: 1oC-50oC (34F120F)
- Precipitation: 0-25 cm
Tundra
- Next to the deserts, tundra is the driest
place on Earth
- Long, cold winters with almost 24 hours
of night, and short, cool summers with
almost 24 hours of daylight
- Underneath the thawed soil lies a
permanently frozen layer of soil called
permafrost
- This frozen layer prevents water in the
thawed soil from draining
- Upper soil layer is muddy and is great
breeding ground for insects
- Temperature Range: -27oC-5oC (-17F41F)
- Precipitation: 0-25 cm
Taiga
- Long, cold winters and short, warm
summers
- Soil frozen during winter
- Soil is very acidic
- Temperature Range: -10oC-15oC (14F59F)
-
Precipitation: 40-61 cm
19. Biomes are described in textbook on pages 75-82
20. Revisit each section classified and ask them what the correct
classification should be?
21. We looked at the different biomes and their temperatures, but
why do you think there is such a temperature difference at these
different areas? (HINT: think latitudes)
o Answer has to do with solar energy. Solar energy heats
the Earth. Latitude determines the amount of solar
energy a particular area receives.
o Sun’s rays hit the equator at a 90o angle-at this angle a
small area of the Earth’s surface receives more direct
solar energy resulting in high temperatures.
o Near the poles, the sun’s rays strike the surface at a
lesser angle than at the equator. This lesser angle spreads
the same amount of solar energy over a large area,
resulting in lower temperatures.
Application
22. Based on what we just learned about the descriptions of different
biomes, identify each biome this person visited based on the
descriptions.
o It’s beautiful around here. But I made the mistake of
touching a cactus, just to see how prickly it was. It can
be really warm during the day and cold at night. Where
am I? (Temperate Deserts)
o I can’t wait to get home, the mosquitoes are terrible! Our
highlight was a glimpse of the caribou herd. (Tundra)
o Will it ever stop raining? At least everything is green
and lush. And the monkeys are sssssoooo cute!
(Tropical Rain Forest)
o I saw my first kangaroo today. You can see them from
the car, hopping across the wide-open spaces. (Tropical
Deserts)
Components Embedded in the Lesson Procedure
Students' Misconceptions or Trouble Areas: Students may mix up the definitions for the terms weather and
climate. Students may confuse rain forests with forests in monsoon-climate regions. While rain forests have a
fairly steady rate of precipitation, monsoon forests have a rainy season and a dry season. Students may think you
have to travel to the tropics to find a rain forest. Western Washington state is home of the largest temperate rain
forest in the world.
Questions to ask: Questions are throughout my lesson plan and will depend on what student’s responses are to
presentations and questions I ask them.
Background Knowledge: Will be based on what student’s prior knowledge is.
Staging/Tips/Tricks/Safety: Make sure during the exploration phase I am walking around listening to all students
asking them questions trying to find out their misconceptions.
Worksheets: Attached-Directions for exploration phase