APES Biomes Project
Indigenous Peoples’ Journal
The phrase indigenous peoples refers to any ethnic group of people who inhabit a
geographic region with which they have the earliest known historical connection,
alongside more recent immigrants (non-natives from other places) who have also
populated the region.
Other related terms for indigenous peoples include aborigines. Aboriginal people,
native people, first people, and autochthonous, which has Greek roots, and means
“sprung from the earth”. It is for that reason, that technically, even we, who have
been here for centuries, cannot be officially classified as “indigenous” peoples of this
country. Indeed, that honor would befall the Native Americans, whose populations
were decimated in the middle and late 19th Century by Europeans. They were the first,
as their ancestors migrated across the landbridge Beringia where the Bering Strait is
now. (Between Alaska and Russia)
We are starting our biomes of the world unit, and in an attempt to gain
perspective that we may not obtain another way, you will be creating an
“Indigenous People’s WIX Webpage”, in which you will be writing your
thoughts and daily rituals as if you were indigenous to the biomes
you’re learning about.
We will be discovering the characteristic richness and diversity of 12
terrestrial biomes, and the aquatic biomes as well…which of course you
will not have to enter into your Indigenous People’s WIX.
The Indigenous People’s WIX Webpage will be counted as a summative
this six weeks, in lieu of the Hopscotch Project. It will be due the first
time, BEFORE the Christmas break. You will have time in class to work
on it occasionally, but you will have to do some of your work at home
too.
The 7 terrestrial biomes you will choose from are:
•
•
•
•
Tundra/Polar ice caps
Taiga (Boreal/Coniferous Forest)
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Grasslands (your choice)
 Temperate Grassland
 Tropical Grassland/Savanna
• Desert
• Rain Forest (Your choice)
 Tropical
 Temperate
• Small-Scale Terrestrial Biomes (Your choice)
 Tropical Deciduous Forest
 Tropical Scrub Forest
 Mountain Alpine
 Chaparral
Formatting your WIX journal:
You will build your initial WIX in class, after viewing the tutorial together
in class. See Link Here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc1P7P0le9g&feature=relmfu
(which I will also attach in Moodle, and to my webpage calendar)
You will build your home page, and attach all the navigation pages as
directed, either above, or to the left of the screen. There will be 8
biomes to choose from (see prior slide), and you must decide on ONLY
Four of them. Once you’ve decided, label each navigation page with the
appropriate biome you’ve chosen to journal about. Don’t forget to make
a tab for citations too, so you will have five navigation tabs on the left.
(or above)
If you’re new to WIX, just take some time and play with it!
Take some time and build the background and title
for each page. It is always easier if that part is done
first. Keep in mind, however, that you may change
any of that at any point if you wish to. Appropriate
backgrounds include scenes from the biome, among
others.
You will be given a few days in class to work on your
journal entries this six weeks.
Navigation pages should begin with a title, which includes the biome
and the name of the indigenous group that you chose.
Also include:
• A map of the area (cut and paste of course). Keep the URL for the
map in a citations page.
• A brief paragraph describing the biogeography of the biome.
• Date your entry, just as you would any journal entry, but please
note…it doesn’t have to correspond to the date you are actually
making your entry. It could be a time from the past and a
different time of year than we are currently in. Describe what the
biome’s climate is like at that time of year.
Also include:
Eugene, Oregon
• A climograph of the
general area where
your indigenous
person is from.
(You may find this
information online,
and cut and paste,
but keep the URL
As you will learn in this unit, a
link for the
climograph is a special graph that
citations page.)
depicts both precipitation (bar) and
temperature data (line) in annual
graphic form.
• Create a complete journal entry in which you become one of the
indigenous people from the biome you have chosen. To keep from
falling behind, you do not have to wait for us to study it in class to
begin your entry. You will describe a day in your life. Your journal
entry should include:
 Discussion of cultural adaptations your indigenous group has
made to its biome…examples include but are not limited to:
 Photographic images of clothing worn, tools used…etc…are appropriate here.
Tell about the types of foods you eat, and how you obtain them. Include
photographic images of at least two foods eaten, and one image of how you
obtain them as well.
 Tell about and include photos of two of the native species you rely on (one
plant and one animal…or two animals, if you are in the Arctic Tundra).
 Describe how you obtain other resources you may need , such as: shelter,
transportation, energy…etc…photographic image of dwelling should be
included too. Tell about your family structure, and describe your role in your
family (ie hunter, provider, gatherer, child-rearing). If you are the hunter, you
may have a lot of time for leisure…if you are mainly responsible for child rearing
and home maintenance, you may have very little time for leisure. What do you
do with your leisure? Photos of anything you mention in your journal entry are
appropriate.
One more thing…if you are a male, your gender will be female
in your journal…if you are female, your gender will be male!
• Create a thinking map appropriately depicting or organizing ANY
information you wish to, about your biome. (PLEASE NOTE:
Choose a different thinking map with each entry! Your choices
include:
 double-bubble; brace map; flow map; multi-flow map; bridge map; tree
map. If you cannot figure out how to design one of these electronically,
simply make one manually, photograph it, and link it to the page.
• Create a COLORFUL drawing depicting your daily life, or routine
within your biome. It should be of something you’ve spoken
about in your journal entry. You have your choice of media
(markers, colored pencils, crayons…etc) I am NOT an art
critic…however I am an expert at assessing effort. Stick figures are
fine, as long as they took you some time! Photograph your sketch,
and link it to your journal entry.
Add any and all URLs you visited, or used (including research
information and photographic images) to the citations page
link.
That will be it for each entry. Please look at the
rubric (next slide) to determine how much
needs to be done to get the grade you desire.
(which better be 100!) Remember…you can only
get what you reach for.
I will be collecting and grading this project Twice. I’ll do an interim
grade, to be taken on the first two biomes of your choice BEFORE
Winter Break. The second grade will be taken at the end of the six
weeks (semester), when both grades will be averaged together for one
summative!
Item Description
Interim Grade
First Two biomes
Homepage: Appropriate background, with title,
name, period, and all four linked navigation
__________ out of 5
pages. Shows effort, Bonus points for animation
or interactive features.
__________ out of 5
__________ out of 5
__________ out of 5
__________ out of 40
__________ out of 40
__________ out of 5
__________ out of 5
Thinking Map
Any map depicting information appropriate for
__________ out of 5
that biome. Different for each biome.
Photographs:
Appropriate number of photographs per entry: 2 __________ out of 25
of food you eat, 1 of how you obtain it; clothing
worn, two native species you rely upon (one
plant, one animal), shelter in which you live;
transportation; leisure activities…etc.
Colorful sketch or drawing
depicting daily life mentioned in your journal
__________ out of 15
entry. in your biome (your choice of media)
MUST BE AN ORIGINAL that you make yourself!
__________ out of 5
__________ out of 25
__________ out of 15
TOTAL SCORE
_________ OUT OF 100
BONUS POINTS:
_________ OUT OF 100
RUBRIC
Navigation pages
Three biomes of your choice linked, and a
citations page with complete APA citations
Journal Entries
All four biomes visited and written about
appropriately as described in project
description. Each entry is at least 300 words
(with word count) Gender switching is
accomplished
Climograph of your biome
Electronic, or an original made by you
Final Grade
Last Two biomes