biome research project worksheet

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Welcome, teachers, to Mission: Biomes ! This site was designed for teachers to use in classrooms as a supplementary, interdisciplinary unit. Mission: Biomes is especially appropriate for grades 3 through 8. It is designed to be interactive and self-correcting which will allow each student to work at his or her own pace. We encourage educators to preview the site before using it with students. We hope you enjoy your visit!

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Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) alignment with Mission Biomes

To read all of the Next Generation Science Standards and learn about the different methods of searching the standards, visit https://www.nextgenscience.org/ . You can search by grade levels, practice area, cross cutting concept, or disciplinary core idea.

Mission Biomes NGSS Alignment by Performance Expectation (PEs) :

• 3-LS3-2. Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.
• 3-LS4-3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
• 3-LS4-4. Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change
• 3-ESS2-1. Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.
• 3-ESS2-2. Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.
• 3-ESS3-1. Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.
• 4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
• 4-ESS2-1. Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation.
• 4-ESS2-2. Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth’s features.
• 5-LS1-1. Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water
• 5-LS2-1. Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.
• 5-ESS1-2. Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky.
• 5-ESS2-1. Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.
• 5-ESS2-2. Describe and graph the amounts of saltwater and fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth.
• 5-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.

Middle School:

• MS-LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
• MS-LS1-4. Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.
• MS-LS1-5. C. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms.
• MS-LS1-6. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms
• MS-LS2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
• MS-LS2-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.
• MS-LS2-2. Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.
• MS-LS2-4. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
• MS-LS2-5. Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• MS-LS4 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
• MS-LS4-1. Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past.
• MS-LS4-2. Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships.
• MS-LS4-4. Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.
• MS-ESS Earth’s Systems
• MS-ESS2-1. Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials and the flow of energy that drives this process
• MS-ESS2-4. Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth’s systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.
• MS-ESS2-5. Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses result in changes in weather conditions.
• MS-ESS2-6. Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates
• MS-ESS3 Earth and Human Activity
• MS-ESS3-1. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth’s mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.

Mission Biomes NGSS alignment by Disciplinary Core Idea (DCIs) :

• LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
• LS1.A: Structure and Function
• LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms
• LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms
• LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
• LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
• LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems
• LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience
• LS3: Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
• LS3.A: Inheritance of Traits
• LS3.B: Variation of Traits
• LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
• LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity
• LS4.B: Natural Selection
• LS4.C: Adaptation
• LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans
• ESS1: Earth’s Place in the Universe
• ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System
• ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth
• ESS2: Earth’s Systems
• ESS2.A: Earth Materials and Systems
• ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes
• ESS2.D: Weather and Climate
• ESS2.E: Biogeology
• ESS3: Earth and Human Activities
• ESS3.A: Natural Resources
• ESS3.B: Natural Hazards
• ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
• ESS3.D: Global Climate Change
• PS1: Matter and Its Interactions
• PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday Life

Mission Biomes NGSS alignment by 8 Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) :

• Analyzing and Interpreting Data
• Asking Questions
• Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
• Developing and Using Models
• Engaging in Argument from Evidence
• Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
• Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
• Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

Mission Biomes NGSS alignment by 7 Cross Cutting Concepts (CCCs) :

• Patterns. Observed patterns of forms and events guide organization and classification, and they prompt questions about relationships and the factors that influence them.
• Cause and effect: Mechanism and explanation. Events have causes, sometimes simple, sometimes multifaceted. A major activity of science is investigating and explaining causal relationships and the mechanisms by which they are mediated. Such mechanisms can then be tested across given contexts and used to predict and explain events in new contexts.
• Scale, proportion, and quantity. In considering phenomena, it is critical to recognize what is relevant at different measures of size, time, and energy and to recognize how changes in scale, proportion, or quantity affect a system’s structure or performance.
• Systems and system models. Defining the system under study—specifying its boundaries and making explicit a model of that system—provides tools for understanding and testing ideas that are applicable throughout science and engineering.
• Energy and matter: Flows, cycles, and conservation. Tracking fluxes of energy and matter into, out of, and within systems helps one understand the systems’ possibilities and limitations.
• Structure and function. The way in which an object or living thing is shaped and its substructure determine many of its properties and functions.
• Stability and change. For natural and built systems alike, conditions of stability and determinants of rates of change or evolution of a system are critical elements of study
• The Great Graph Match
• To Plant or Not to Plant?
• The Great Graph Match - Beginner & Advanced Answer Sheet
• To Plant or Not to Plant - Answer Sheet

Some students may be very interested in learning more about specific biomes. The links on the biome information pages provide more in-depth information. Here are some possible research questions to guide them.

Hands-on Activities

USFS Ecoregions My NASA Data GLOBE ECOSTRESS

Coniferous Forest Taiga by April Pulley Sayre, 1994, Twenty-First Century Books, New York, NY. Part of a series, very informative, more difficult reading level, few pictures.

Biomes of the World: Taiga by Elizabeth Kaplan, 1996, Benchmark Books, New York, NY. Very informative.

The Tree in the Ancient Forest by Carol Reed-Jones, illustrated by Christopher Canyon, 1995, DAWN Publications, Nevada City, CA. Describes interdependence of living things with a Douglas Fir as the central tree. Uses repetitive text to make point. Modeled on the Pacific Northwest forests.

Temperate Deciduous Forest Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins, 1998, Scholastic Press, New York, NY. Photographs of a variety of leaves, very basic, includes description and an easy classification system for leaves.

Temperate Deciduous Forest by April Pulley Sayre, 1994, Twenty-First Century Books, New York, NY. Part of a series, very informative, more difficult reading level, few pictures.

A Tree in a Forest by Jan Thornhill, 1992, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, New York, NY. Presents the life story of a 200-year-old maple tree.

EcoZones Temperate Forest by Lynn M. Stone, 1989, Rourke Enterprises, Inc., Vero Beach, FL. Examines the temperate forest as an ecological niche and describes the trees, plants, and animals supported there.

America’s Forests by Frank Staub, 1999, Carolrhoda Books, Inc., Minneapolis, MN Examines forests as an ecological niche, with good photographs and clear text, upper elementary level.

Desert One Day in the Desert by Jean Craighead George, illustrated by Fred Brenner, 1983, HarperCollins Publisher, New York, NY. Narrative story about a child’s life and journey in the desert biome, contains many desert facts about climate, plants and animals.

Endangered Desert Animals by Dave Taylor, 1993, Crabtree Publishing Co., New York, NY. Begins with information about the desert biome, then proceeds with loads of information about desert animals.

Cactus by Peter Murray, 1996, The Child”s World Inc., New York, NY. Gives information about the desert and the plants that live there, great photographs.

Desert by April Pulley Sayre, 1994, Twenty-First Century Books, New York, NY. Part of a series, very informative, more difficult reading level, few pictures.

Ecology Watch: Deserts by Clint Twist, 1991, Dillon Press, New York, NY. Part of a series, great book with lots of information.

A Desert Scrapbook by Virginia Wright-Frierson, 1996, Simon & Schuster, New York, NY. Story written by author as she journeyed around the desert sketching what she saw, good drawings, lots of information on the animals and plants that live in the desert, not as informative about the climate itself.

Desert Life by Barbara Taylor, 1992, Dorling Kindersley, New York, NY. Lots of good photographs.

The Gentle Desert by Laurence Pringle, 1977, MacMillian Publishing Co., New York, NY. Older book with lots of great information on climate, plants and animals.

Deserts by Seymour Simon, 1990, Morrow Junior Books, New York, NY. Lots of information, good photographs.

Desert Trip by Barbara S. Steiner, illustrated by Ronald Himler, 1996, Sierra Club Books for Children, San Francisco, CA. Relates the experiences of a young girl and her mother as they backpack in the desert where the child learns about the plants, animals, birds, and rock formations.

Grassland One Day in the Prairie by Jean Craighead George, illustrated by Bob Marshall, 1986, HarperCollins Publisher, New York, NY. Narrative story about a child’s life and journey in the prairies, contains many grassland facts about climate, plants and animals.

Endangered Savannah Animals by Dave Taylor, 1993, Crabtree Publishing Co., New York, NY. Begins with some general information about the savannah, then proceeds with lots of information about animals that live there.

Grasslands by April Pulley Sayre, 1994 ,Twenty-First Century Books, New York, NY. Part of a series, very informative, more difficult reading level, few pictures.

Ecology Watch: Grasslands by Alan Collinson, 1992, Dillon Press, New York, NY. Part of a series, includes information about savannas, prairies, steppes, and pampas, also gives information about the plants and animals in these grasslands.

What Do We Know About Grasslands? by Brian Knapp, 1991, Peter Bedrick Books, New York, NY. Great book, includes temperature and precipitation graphs, explains the differences in grasslands.

Biomes of the World: Grasslands by Edward Ricciuti, 1996, Benchmark Books, New York, NY. Part of a series, gives good information on grasslands.

Prairies by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, photographs by William Muñoz, 1996, Holiday House, New York, NY. Great book, lots of great photos.

Chicaro, Wild Pony of the Pampa by Francis Kalnay, 1958, Walker Publishing Company, Inc., New York, NY. Newbery Honor Book — Adventures of a boy and his pony on the Argentine Pampa.

Our World Grasslands by David Lambert, 1987, Silver Burdett Ginn, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Explores grasslands around the world, lots of photographs, upper elementary level.

EcoZones Prairies by Lynn M. Stone, 1989, Rourke Enterprises, Inc., Vero Beach, FL. Examines prairies as an ecological niche and describes the trees, plants, and animals supported there.

Rainforest Rainforest by Michael George, 1992, Creative Education, Minnesota. Beautiful illustrations, great information.

Tropical Rainforest by April Pulley Sayre, 1994, Twenty-First Century Books, New York, NY. Part of a series, very informative, more difficult reading level, few pictures.

Rainforest: Lush Tropical Paradise by Jenny Wood, 1991, Gareth Stevens Children’s Book, Milwaukee. Great book, shows canopy and map, very informative on plants and animals.

At Home in the Rainforest by Diane Willow, illustrated by Laura Jacques, 1991, Charlesbridge Publishing, Watertown, MA.

What Do We Know About Rainforests? by Brian Knapp, 1991, Peter Bedrick Books, New York, NY. Part of a series, great information.

Exploring the Rain Forest by Mattias Klum and Hans Odoo, 1997, Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., New York, NY. Describes the variety, beauty, and interrelatedness of plant and animal life found in rainforests in Costa Rica, Brazil, Nigeria, and Borneo.

Nature’s Green Umbrella, Tropical Rain Forests by Gail Gibbons, 1994, Morrow Junior Books, New York, NY. Describes the climatic conditions of the rainforest as well as the different layers of plants and animals that comprise the ecosystem.

Rainforests and Reefs by Caitlin Maynard, Thane Maynard and Stan Rullman, 1996, Franklin Watts, New York, NY. Journal of a 14-year-old who went to Belize and wrote about her experiences and observations, also includes many postcards, photos, and other writing samples.

Here is the Rainforest by Madeleine Dunply, illustrated by Michael Rothman, 1994, Hyperion Books for Children, New York, NY. Repetitive poem about the rainforest and the plants and animals that live in the rainforest. Has good accurate information.

Forests and Jungles by Rae Bains, illustrated by Joel Snyder, 1985, Troll Associates, Mahwah, NJ. Explores the rainforest biome, elementary level.

Tundra Tundra by April Pulley Sayre, 1994, Twenty-First Century Books, New York, NY. Part of a series, very informative, more difficult reading level, few pictures.

Above the Treeline by Ann Cooper, illustrated by Dorothy Emerling, 1996, Denver Museum of Natural History Press, CO. Mostly about the animals that live in the tundra.

Biomes of the World: Tundra by Elizabeth Kaplan, 1996, Benchmark Books, New York, NY. Lots of information, great pictures.

Arctic Tundra: Land with No Trees by Allan Fowler, 1996, Children’s Press, New York, NY. Very easy reading, but still informative.

Tundra by Donna Walsh Shepherd, 1996, Franklin Watts, New York, NY.

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George, 1972, HarperCollins Publishing, New York, NY. Newbery Medal Book. An Eskimo teenager is lost in the Artic tundra. She survives with the help of a wolf pack.

EcoZones Arctic Tundra by Lynn M. Stone, 1989, Rourke Enterprises, Inc., Vero Beach, FL. Examines the Arctic tundra as an ecological niche and describes the trees, plants, and animals supported there.

Snow Bear by Jean Craighead George, paintings by Wendell Minor, 1999, Hyperion Books for Children, New York, NY. Picture book about a little girl and a polar bear cub, with references to the tundra biome.

Other What is a Biome? by Bobbie Kalman, 1998, Crabtree Publishing, New York, NY. Great resource and quick reference for many biomes.

Magic School Bus series by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen: MSB in the Rainforest MSB Goes to Seed

National Geographic Really Wild Animals series: Totally Tropical Rain Forest Amazing North America Swinging Safari

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Biome Project

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• Page ID 20802

• Shannan Muskopf
• Granite City School District via Biology Corner

Introduction

You will be given a biome to research in class. The information collected will be used to create a pamphlet, website, or poster that describes the biome. Think about what makes your biome unique and the types of plants and animals that live there as well as dominate weather patterns. As you gather information about the biome, take notes and think about how you can organize this information and put it into your own words. Your final project will need to include references to material you included. Pictures are encouraged to make your presentation interesting to your audience, which is your classmates.

• taiga (coniferous forest)
• temperate deciduous forest
• tropical rainforest
• temperate grassland or prairie savannah (also listed as grasslands on some sites)
• freshwater (lakes, rivers, or streams)

Projects / Presentations

Use any of the following formats, check with your instructor for additional instructions or information: If you have another idea for your project, check with your instructor.

1. A flyer that you can hand out to the class (ask your teacher to make copies) or use a publisher program to make the pamphlets. Canva.com has tri-fold pamphlet creators.

2. A web page (poster). http://poster.4teachers.org/ is an online service that makes it easy to make web posters and publish them online. Teachers will need to sign up for this service or use a comparable service.

3. Make a real poster on poster board. Create a self-standing project board that has pictures and information about your biome.

4. Make a digital poster or infographic using Piktochart

5. Make a presentation using Google Slides or Prezi and present to the class on a digital projector.

6. Create a website on weebly.com or make a Tumblr page .

Requirements

1. The name of your biome (title page) which includes a brief introduction to your project. 2. The biome’s characteristics (climate, average temperature, average precipitation amounts, are there seasons) and locations in the world (continents, countries) 3. 4-6 plants that are found in your biome. Describe an adaptation they have for surviving in the biome. (Ex) large horizontal roots 4. 4-6 animals that are found in your biome. Describe an adaptation they have for surviving in the biome. (Ex) thick fur 5. Threats to the biome . Give some details to the threats (what are some causes/effects of the threats. (Ex) deforestation-destroying habitats 6. Why would someone want to visit this biome? 7. Pictures to include: a map of the biome location, two plants you described, two animals you described, and one picture of the threat. 8. References - include websites, books or other resources you used to create your project, give credit to images you used.

Biome Project

Introduction

You will be given a biome to research in class.  The information collected will be used to create a pamphlet, website, or poster that describes the biome.  Think about what makes your biome unique and the types of plants and animals that live there as well as dominate weather patterns. As you gather information about the biome, take notes and think about how you can organize this information and put it into your own words. Your final project will need to include references to material you included. Pictures are encouraged to make your presentation interesting to your audience, which is your classmates.

taiga (coniferous forest) temperate deciduous forest tropical rain forest

tundra desert

temperate grassland or prairie savannah (also listed as grasslands on some sites)

freshwater (lakes, rivers, or streams) ocean

Projects / Presentations

Use any of the following formats, check with your instructor for additional instructions or information: If you have another idea for your project, check with your instructor.

1. A flyer that you can hand out to the class (ask your teacher to make copies) or use a publisher program to make the pamphlets. Canva.com has tri-fold pamphlet creators.

2. A web page (poster). http://poster.4teachers.org/ is an online service that makes it easy to make web posters and publish them online. Teachers will need to sign up for this service or use a comparable service.

3. Make a real poster on posterboard. Make a self standing project board that has pictures and information about your biome.

4. Make a digital poster or infographic using Piktochart

5. Make a presentation using powerpoint or Prezi and present to the class on a digital projector.

6. Create a website on weebly.com or make a Tumblr page .

Requirements

1. The name of your biome (title page) which includes a short introduction to your project 2. The biome’s characteristics (climate, average temperature, average precipitation amounts, are there seasons) and locations in the world (continents, countries) 3. 4-6 plants that are found in your biome.  Describe an adaptation they have for  surviving in the biome.  (Ex) large horizontal roots 4. 4-6 animals that are found in your biome.  Describe an adaptation they have  for surviving in the biome.  (Ex) thick fur 5. Threats to the biome .  Give some details to the threats (what are some causes/effects of the threats. (Ex) deforestation-destroying habitats 6.  Why would someone want to visit this biome? 7. Pictures to include are: a map of the biome location, two plants you described, two animals you described, and one picture of the threat. 8. References - include websites, books or other resources you used to create your project, give credit to images you used.

Biomes Lesson Plans

In biology we begin the year with the characteristics of life, and then move into ecology. I like starting with ecology because it involves relatively easy concepts. Many students will have learned the basics in middle school, so it’s not a scary way to start the year. When working my way through the content, I essentially just teach in the order of the levels of organization (start with population dynamics, move onto community interactions… you get the idea. End with biomes).

I generally don’t have a ton of time left in the quarter, so if I get to spend 2-3 days on biomes thats a win. Since time is short I focus on the big picture- what causes these biomes? What patterns do we see when we look at a biome map? Why is biodiversity important within biomes? What is the human impact on biomes? Big picture concepts. What I DO NOT spend time on is having students memorize information about each biome. My goal is for students to walk away with an understanding of why biodiversity is important and how we can protect the natural world, not ramble off facts such as which biome receives the most precipitation and which biome has the greatest swing in annual temperature. (Stepping off soapbox). 

MISSION BIOMES: Need a website for students to do research on each biome so they can complete their brochure? Check out this site from NASA.  INTERACTIVE GAME: If you teach middle school, you may want to check out this interactive game where students match an animal to the continent it lives on. 

SPEED DATING: There are a few biome speed dating activities that are available for free on the internet. (I cant always find a reliable link so you will need to do a Google search). 

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Biomes Worksheets & Learning Unit – Exploring Our Natural World

Have you traveled to another part of the country, or the world? Perhaps you’ve seen pictures of the Sahara Desert, a coral reef, African grasslands teeming with wildlife, or the Rocky Mountains. Have you noticed things about the natural world in these places that are different from where you live? Perhaps there is more or less plant life, or different types of animals. This diversity is part of what makes our home planet unique and interesting. In this unit, you’ll learn about biomes — like deserts, oceans, and grasslands — and why they’re both important and fun to study. And scroll down for some biomes worksheets for the classroom, too!

First, some biome basics; think of these definitions as going from broader to narrower in scope, like a series of egg-shaped nesting dolls:

Biosphere is the scientific term for all of the living elements and their environments on our planet, from the earth’s crust up into the inner atmosphere.

A biome is a major community of animals and plants living in a unique physical environment and climate. Biomes are often characterized by their predominant plant life and precipitation (rainfall).

An ecosystem is everything that co-exists within a given environment. An ecosystem can exist within a biome, and can be as small as a tidal pool or as large as most of a continent.

A population of plants or animals refers to the total number of a given type or species living in the same area, like a herd of bison or a pride of lions living in one region.

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A habitat is the type of environment where a plant normally grows or an animal normally lives (think of where a cactus normally grows or a fish normally lives).

An adaptation occurs when a plant or animal changes its behavior or physical features in order to better survive within its environment.

Types of Biomes

Land-based (terrestrial) biomes.

There are three general types of forest biomes: tropical, temperate, and taiga. A forest biome has many tall trees concentrated in a large area.

Climate Conditions – Tropical forests tend to be closer to the equator and have much more rainfall than temperate forests, and most exist south of the equator. Temperate forests have less extreme temperature changes and are neither too hot nor too cold throughout the year. Taiga forests (all called coniferous forests for the fir trees that thrive there) have the coldest temperatures and least rainfall.

Plant Life – The abundant rainfall of tropical forests allows plants to flourish. The more moderate temperature shifts within temperate and taiga forests allow trees to grow very tall over many seasons. Trees in temperate forests tend to shed their leaves in the fall, where the “evergreen” coniferous trees in the taiga keep their needle-like leaves year-round.

Animal Life – Forest biomes tend to be biodiverse, particularly tropical forests, where birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects flourish. Black bears, deer, wolves, porcupines, and rabbits are common temperate forest mammals, and grizzly bears, moose, and and wolverines are common in taiga forests.

Grasslands and Savannas

A grassland biome is a large area of land with tall grasses and shrubs, with few trees.

Climate Conditions – There are a few sub-categories of grasslands named for their region and/or average temperature. For example, a prairie is a temperate (cool, dry weather) grassland, and a savanna is a tropical (hot, moist weather) grassland. Prairie grasslands cover a large portion of middle United States. In South America, grassland regions are called pampas, and in Asia they are known as steppes.

Plant Life – As the name suggests, grasslands are known for grasses that grow there, with fewer trees by comparison. Unlike the soft, short green grass of a typical suburban or urban yard, prairie and savanna grasses tend to be coarse and tall, designed to withstand wind and a lack of rain. There is a wide variety of grasses that grow in grasslands around the world, depending on the amount of rainfall in a given area.

Animal Life – Prairie dogs, bison, wolves, coyotes, and mice are common North American grassland mammals, and grouse and hawks are common birds. In Africa, elephants, lions, and zebra are common grassland inhabitants.

This is the coldest biome aside from polar deserts; a harsh, treeless environment with very low temperatures. Tundra biomes exist at both high altitudes near mountaintops and close to the Arctic Circle. Summers are very short and winters are very long in the tundra.

Climate Conditions – It’s so cold in a tundra environment that the top layer of soil is frozen year-round, known as permafrost.

Plant Life – Grasses, shrubs, and plants that stay close the ground grow here.

Animal Life – Many animals migrate from the tundra for the winter, returning for the short summer season, including mosquitoes, birds like snowy owls and ptarmigans, and caribou. Some animals remain year-round and even change the color of their fur from brown to white, including the arctic hare and arctic fox.

Did you know that a lack of rain (less than ten inches per year), rather than temperature, is what makes a desert biome? While most of us imagine blistering sunlight, cacti, and sand dunes, both Antarctica and the North Pole are also considered deserts due to their lack of annual rainfall.

Climate Conditions – Deserts are very dry and tend to be hot and/or sunny during the day and very cold at night.

Plant Life – The cactus is a quintessential desert plant, with sharp needles designed to protect them from animals. Some grasses and shrubs also grow in deserts. Trees that grow in deserts are not very tall, and have root systems that extend deep below the surface in order to conserve water.

Animal Life – Most desert animals are nocturnal, an adaptation allowing them to escape the daytime sun and heat. Common desert animals include: Burrowing owls (which nest underground), camels, and snakes.

Water-Based (Marine/Aquatic) Biomes

This biome is a large body of water with a high salt content. Coral reefs are a subset of this biome.

Plant Life – Seaweed, mangrove trees, and algae live in oceans.

Animal Life – Ocean mammals include dolphins, whales, and manatees. Saltwater fish like sharks, swordfish, and tuna live in oceans.

This biome contains water that has far less salt content compared to an ocean. Freshwaters biomes include: Rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes. Wetlands are a combination of freshwater and land, such as a bog or marsh.

Plant Life – Water lilies are a common lake plant, and a wide variety of grasses grow near rivers and streams.

Animal Life – Reptiles, amphibians, and fish all live in freshwater biomes.

Human impact on biomes

Human activity around the world can have serious impacts on biomes. It’s important to understand and develop sustainable practices — actions we can take that prevent excess damage or loss of natural resources — can allow each biome to thrive. Common threats to our biosphere include: Pollution, deforestation (cutting down massive amounts of trees in a forest), mining, over-fishing/over-hunting (taking animals for human use without allowing a population to recover from those losses), and poaching (illegal hunting endangered or rare animals).

Vocabulary Word List

• Biosphere – All living things and the environment in which they live on a planet.
• Biome – A major community of animals and plants living in a unique physical environment and climate.
• Climate – The typical weather conditions in a given area of a period of many years.
• Ecosystem – A group of both living and non-living things that make up an environment.
• Habitat – The environment where a plant normally grows or an animal lives.
• Population – Several plants or animals of the same species living in the same area.
• Biodiversity – The number of different types of plants and animals within a given area.
• Adaptation – A behavior or physical feature that develops in response to a plant or animal’s environment.
• Abiotic – Non-living elements of an ecosystem, such as soil, rocks, air, and water.
• Biotic – The living elements that make up an ecosystem, such as bacteria, plants, and animals.
• Temperate – A climate with less extreme temperature changes and precipitation throughout the year.
• Tropical – A climate with higher temperatures and rainfall year-round.
• Forest Biome – Many tall trees concentrated over a large area.
• Tundra Biome – A harsh, treeless environment with very low temperatures year-round.
• Desert Biome – A harsh, treeless environment with less than 10” of rainfall year-round.
• Grassland Biome – A biome with large areas of grasses compared to trees.
• Ocean – A large, deep body of water with a high salt content.
• Freshwater Biome – Any body of water that does not have a high salt content, such as a lake, stream, or pond.
• Permafrost – Climate conditions so cold that the top layer of soil remains frozen year-round.

Biomes Worksheets

Reading Comprehension Quiz Answers

• What is the term for ground that remains frozen year-round due to cold weather? (Permafrost)
• A desert is defined by a lack of annual _______________ rather than its average temperature. (Precipitation/Rainfall)
• Name at least three types of grassland biomes (Prairie, Savanna, Steppe, Pampas)
• A group of the same type of animal living together in the same area is called a ____________. (Population)
• A _______________ is a major group of plants and animals living in a unique physical environment and climate type. (Biome)
• A new behavior or physical trait that develops in response to a plant or animal’s environment is called an ______________. (Adaptation)
• What biome is characterized by an abundance of trees? (Forest)
• In what biome are you likely to find elephants? (Grassland/Savanna)
• In what biome do buffalo (also called bison) roam? (Grassland/Prairie)
• What biome exists both near polar ice caps and near mountain tops? (Tundra)

Science Activity: Biome Diorama, aka “Biome-orama”

Biomes Diorama Project Worksheet

Supplies needed:

A shoebox or box similar in size Construction paper Scissors Glue sticks/Glue

Natural elements, such as grass, moss, leaves, stones, and sticks. Modeling clay Yarn or string

Give each biome a number from 1-8 (tropical forest, temperate forest, taiga forest, tundra, desert, grassland, ocean, freshwater). Assign a biome number to each student and have them create a diorama representing the typical plants, animals, and natural features within that biome.

Science Activity: Biome Guessing Game – Match the plant, animal, or physical feature to its biome

Biomes Guessing Game Worksheet

Divide the class into groups, one for each type of biome you’d like to cover (tropical forest, temperate forest, taiga forest, tundra, desert, grassland, ocean, freshwater). Have each group research the physical features, climate, and plant and animal life for their biome. Each group is responsible for developing “Which Biome am I?” quiz questions about their biome, i.e., “I get less rainfall each year than any other biome, which biome am I?” Have students refrain from guessing until each member of the group has the opportunity to present a question.

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Bright in the Middle

Rigorous and Fun Science Activities

7 Biomes Activities to Bring the WOW Factor to Your Classroom

Ecosystems , Middle School Science , WOW Factor Lessons

I still remember one of the biomes activities I did as a middle school student. It’s crazy how something like that just sticks with you throughout the years. I’ll talk more about that later!

Biomes are pretty neat! They are a large group of similar ecosystems and are characterized by specific climate, vegetation, and animal life!

You may notice that various resources label biomes differently. The number and names of biomes can vary because scientists use different criteria to define them.

In this post, I share 7 different biomes activities that you can do in your middle school science classroom. First, I will share three WONDER activities that will help your students to become curious and excited to learn more about biomes. Second, I will share an interactive lesson in which students will learn about the 5 types of biomes (the major ones and subcategories). Finally, I will share three WIDEN activities for students to do that will expand their knowledge on this topic!

WONDER Biomes Activities for Middle School

Time to get your students hype about learning biomes! These activities flow very well in your ecosystem learning activities! Here are 3 WONDER strategies that you can use to introduce your students to biomes  that are fun and engaging!

Where does it live?

The environment impacts what organisms can live there and what organisms cannot. There are some environments that are rich in biodiversity because of the resources available, and there are some that are harsh and do not support much life.

Here’s a fun activity you can try with your students BEFORE learning about biomes. They may or may not know what a biome is, but the point of this activity will be to talk about what type of climate they believe the organisms may be able to survive in.

So, you’ll need to gather some pictures of animals, either printed or on a screen, and ask your students these questions:

• What type of climate/environment do you think this animal lives in?
• What plants do you think live in that environment as well?

Here are some examples of animals you can choose. You don’t have to tell them the biome name. They’ll learn that in the lesson.

• Polar Bear (tundra biome)
• Camel (desert biome)
• Kangaroo (grassland biome)
• Toucan (tropical rainforest biome)
• Panda (temperate forest biome)
• Moose (boreal forest biome)
• Coral Reef Fish (marine biome)
• American Bullfrog (freshwater biome)

You can do more or less. It’s fun to see what they come up with. What type of environment might they be able to survive in? You might even capture some prior knowledge they’ve received from prior grades, the places they’ve visited, or things they might have seen on TV.

Biome Virtual Reality Experience

I found this really awesome resource that allows students to explore biomes through a virtual reality experience. This is one of the fun interactive biome activities

You are able to immerse yourself inside of the biome to look around as well as hear sounds that you may encounter if you were actually there.

Another thing that I like is that there are different things to click on that may give facts or show a video. There are also pins you can click to look closer at certain objects.

So, ready for the link? Here it is! It’s by Arizona State University, Ask a Biologist . Check it out!

Nature Walk

Another thing you can do is check out the biome that you live in!

Go outside and go on a nature walk.

Have your students bring their science journal and record their observations.

• What is the weather like?
• How is the climate in this area?
• What animals do you see? What animals have you seen around here before?
• What plant life do you see?
• Are there seasons? What season is it now?

You can add more questions if you wish. Do they know which biome they live in? If not, they will definitely learn in the lesson. I share about it below! You can also see if they know how many biomes are on Earth.

Biomes Interactive Lesson

I’m so excited about this interactive lesson ! If you don’t know what an interactive lesson is, you can check them out here!

Interactive lessons are an important part of the WOW Factor . They are designed to help overcome the overwhelm of information and reduce cognitive load. In this way, they can remember the content and store it in their long-term memory.

They are designed using the 7 steps to help students retain information including highlighting important information, segmenting information, and starting simple.

In this biomes interactive lesson , students will learn about ecosystems, abiotic and biotic factors, and then they will explore the 5 major biomes and their subcategories. In each biome, they learn about the animal life, the plant life, and the climate.

In this lesson, there are embedded activities included for students to process the content before moving on. Some of these include a KWL, exploring outside resources, biomes summary, and drag-and-drop activities! Skip the biomes review worksheet and try this!

You can find this resource in the Bright in the Middle Shop .

You can also find it on TPT .

Be sure to add this to your list of biomes activities for your middle school classroom!

Biomes Explained Through WIDEN Activities

If time allows, it’s always great for students to dive even deeper into a lesson to learn all that they can. This helps build a solid foundation for the rest of the students’ school career, and of course, their actual career and life. Here are three different activities that you can do with biomes! They are great biomes project ideas!

Create a Model

Remember when I told you we’d come back to the biomes project I did in middle school? Well, here we are!

My assignment was to create a model of a biome I was assigned. I was assigned a marine biome, specifically the coral reef, and we had to make a 3-D model of the biome on the inside of a box.

So, I got a shoebox out and made a beautiful model using different objects. I’m sure that thing is thrown away now, but the idea stuck with me.

So, here’s what your students can do!

• Select a biome to create a biome in a box. You can assign it, or they can choose one. They will need a shoebox or a box of around the same size. They can use art supplies, craft materials, small toys, natural materials, pictures, or anything else they can think of to create this model.
• One they have their biome, they will need to research and find information about the plant life, animal life, climate, and any unique features about the biome.
• Then, they can sketch a draft of what their model will look like!
• Then, they can begin to create. They’ll need a background, and then they can add the rest.
• You can create the rubric as you wish, but the important elements include plants, animals, and landscape features!

This is a lot of fun, and you can have your students present this as well!

Create a Biome Creature

This can be so much fun, and it will allow your students to really let their creativity shine! So, what do they do? They can create a creature that would be able to survive in a biome of their choice.

Students can work on this individually, or they can work in partners or groups.

• Once students choose their biome that this creature will live in, they should research it, looking at the plant life, animal life, animals adaptations, climate, etc.
• As students are brainstorming their creature, and then creating it, they must keep these in mind: physical adaptations, diet and feeding habits, special abilities, and life cycle. They should also think about the organism’s role in the ecosystem.
• Students can choose to create an illustration or a model that reflects this organism.
• This will be a great project to present in class if there is time.

Want to take it up a notch? Working in groups? Each student can create an organism for a biome and the group can work together to decide their relationships in the ecosystems.

Travel Brochure

Along the same lines of researching biomes and their animal life, plant life, and climate, students can choose a biome and create a travel brochure! This one will have to have a little flair to it because, the travel brochure should be enticing and make the audience want to visit the biome.

• After students have chosen their biome, they must research the plants, animals, climate, unique features, etc. Are there anything cool things located in the biome already? They can create a travel brochure for that particle place.
• After, they should start thinking of the design of the brochure. Where will they place the important information? Where will they place the picture? How will they engage the audience?
• After they have drafted their ideas, they can start creating. They can make a paper version or a digital version.
• After they finish, students can share their brochures with the rest of the class and even other classes.

Take a vote to see where they would like to visit based on the brochures that were created!

Which one of these example of biomes projects will you choose?

Help your students m a ster science content!

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