biomes assignment answer key

35.3 Terrestrial Biomes

Learning objectives.

In this section, you will explore the following questions:

• What are the two major abiotic factors that determine terrestrial biomes?
• What are distinguishing characteristics of each of the major terrestrial biomes?

Connection for AP ® Courses

Much of the information in this section is outside the scope of AP ® . You do not need to memorize a list of Earth’s major terrestrial biomes and their descriptive features. However, we learned previously that organisms interact with each other and with their environments to move matter and energy. Biomes are ripe with examples of these interactions. A biome refers to a major type of terrestrial (or aquatic) community distributed according to climate, which determines the predominant vegetation. In turn, the vegetation influences what types of animals can inhabit the area. Comparing the annual totals of precipitation and fluctuations in precipitation from one biome to another provides clues as to the importance of abiotic factors in the distribution of biomes. The same type of biome can occur in different areas of the world ( Figure 35.12 ).

Information presented and the examples highlighted in the section support concepts outlined in Big Idea 2 of the AP ® Biology Curriculum Framework. The AP ® Learning Objectives listed in the Curriculum Framework provide a transparent foundation for the AP ® Biology course, an inquiry-based laboratory experience, instructional activities, and AP ® exam questions. A learning objective merges required content with one or more of the seven science practices.

Visual Connection

• Chapparal is dominated by shrubs.
• Grasses dominate savannas and temperate grasslands.
• Boreal forests are dominated by deciduous trees.
• Lichens are common in the arctic tundra.

Tropical Wet Forest

Tropical wet forests are also referred to as tropical rainforests. This biome is found in equatorial regions ( Figure 35.12 ). The vegetation is characterized by plants with broad leaves that fall off throughout the year. Unlike the trees of deciduous forests, the trees in this biome do not have a seasonal loss of leaves associated with variations in temperature and sunlight; these forests are “evergreen” year-round.

The temperature and sunlight profiles of tropical wet forests are very stable in comparison to that of other terrestrial biomes, with the temperatures ranging from 20 °C to 34 °C (68 °F to 93 °F). When one compares the annual temperature variation of tropical wet forests with that of other forest biomes, the lack of seasonal temperature variation in the tropical wet forest becomes apparent. This lack of seasonality leads to year-round plant growth, rather than the seasonal (spring, summer, and fall) growth seen in other biomes. In contrast to other ecosystems, tropical ecosystems do not have long days and short days during the yearly cycle. Instead, a constant daily amount of sunlight (11–12 hrs per day) provides more solar radiation, thereby, a longer period of time for plant growth.

The annual rainfall in tropical wet forests ranges from 125 to 660 cm (50–200 in) with some monthly variation. While sunlight and temperature remain fairly consistent, annual rainfall is highly variable. Tropical wet forests have wet months in which there can be more than 30 cm (11–12 in) of precipitation, as well as dry months in which there are fewer than 10 cm (3.5 in) of rainfall. However, the driest month of a tropical wet forest still exceeds the annual rainfall of some other biomes, such as deserts.

Tropical wet forests have high net primary productivity because the annual temperatures and precipitation values in these areas are ideal for plant growth. Therefore, the extensive biomass present in the tropical wet forest leads to plant communities with very high species diversities ( Figure 35.13 ). Tropical wet forests have more species of trees than any other biome; on average between 100 and 300 species of trees are present in a single hectare (2.5 acres) of South America. One way to visualize this is to compare the distinctive horizontal layers within the tropical wet forest biome. On the forest floor is a sparse layer of plants and decaying plant matter. Above that is an understory of short shrubby foliage. A layer of trees rises above this understory and is topped by a closed upper canopy —the uppermost overhead layer of branches and leaves. Some additional trees emerge through this closed upper canopy. These layers provide diverse and complex habitats for the variety of plants, fungi, animals, and other organisms within the tropical wet forests. For instance, epiphytes are plants that grow on other plants, which typically are not harmed. Epiphytes are found throughout tropical wet forest biomes. Many species of animals use the variety of plants and the complex structure of the tropical wet forests for food and shelter. Some organisms live several meters above ground and have adapted to this arboreal lifestyle.

Savannas are grasslands with scattered trees, and they are located in Africa, South America, and northern Australia ( Figure 35.12 ). Savannas are hot, tropical areas with temperatures averaging from 24 °C to 29 °C (75 °F to 84 °F) and an annual rainfall of 10–40 cm (3.9–15.7 in). Savannas have an extensive dry season; for this reason, forest trees do not grow as well as they do in the tropical wet forest (or other forest biomes). As a result, within the grasses and forbs (herbaceous flowering plants) that dominate the savanna, there are relatively few trees ( Figure 35.14 ). Since fire is an important source of disturbance in this biome, plants have evolved well-developed root systems that allow them to quickly re-sprout after a fire.

Subtropical Deserts

Subtropical deserts exist between 15 ° and 30 ° north and south latitude and are centered on the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn ( Figure 35.12 ). This biome is very dry; in some years, evaporation exceeds precipitation. Subtropical hot deserts can have daytime soil surface temperatures above 60 °C (140 °F) and nighttime temperatures approaching 0 °C (32 °F). In cold deserts, temperatures can be as high as 25 °C and can drop below -30 °C (-22 °F). Subtropical deserts are characterized by low annual precipitation of fewer than 30 cm (12 in) with little monthly variation and lack of predictability in rainfall. In some cases, the annual rainfall can be as low as 2 cm (0.8 in) in subtropical deserts located in central Australia (“the Outback”) and northern Africa.

The vegetation and low animal diversity of this biome is closely related to this low and unpredictable precipitation. Very dry deserts lack perennial vegetation that lives from one year to the next; instead, many plants are annuals that grow quickly and reproduce when rainfall does occur, then they die. Many other plants in these areas are characterized by having a number of adaptations that conserve water, such as deep roots, reduced foliage, and water-storing stems ( Figure 35.15 ). Seed plants in the desert produce seeds that can be in dormancy for extended periods between rains. Adaptations in desert animals include nocturnal behavior and burrowing.

The chaparral is also called the scrub forest and is found in California, along the Mediterranean Sea, and along the southern coast of Australia ( Figure 35.12 ). The annual rainfall in this biome ranges from 65 cm to 75 cm (25.6–29.5 in), and the majority of the rain falls in the winter. Summers are very dry and many chaparral plants are dormant during the summertime. The chaparral vegetation, shown in Figure 35.16 , is dominated by shrubs and is adapted to periodic fires, with some plants producing seeds that only germinate after a hot fire. The ashes left behind after a fire are rich in nutrients like nitrogen that fertilize the soil and promote plant regrowth.

Temperate Grasslands

Temperate grasslands are found throughout central North America, where they are also known as prairies; they are also in Eurasia, where they are known as steppes ( Figure 35.12 ). Temperate grasslands have pronounced annual fluctuations in temperature with hot summers and cold winters. The annual temperature variation produces specific growing seasons for plants. Plant growth is possible when temperatures are warm enough to sustain plant growth and when ample water is available, which occurs in the spring, summer, and fall. During much of the winter, temperatures are low, and water, which is stored in the form of ice, is not available for plant growth.

Annual precipitation ranges from 25 cm to 75 cm (9.8–29.5 in). Because of relatively lower annual precipitation in temperate grasslands, there are few trees except for those found growing along rivers or streams. The dominant vegetation tends to consist of grasses and some prairies sustain populations of grazing animals Figure 35.17 . The vegetation is very dense and the soils are fertile because the subsurface of the soil is packed with the roots and rhizomes (underground stems) of these grasses. The roots and rhizomes act to anchor plants into the ground and replenish the organic material (humus) in the soil when they die and decay.

Fires, mainly caused by lightning, are a natural disturbance in temperate grasslands. When fire is suppressed in temperate grasslands, the vegetation eventually converts to scrub and dense forests. Often, the restoration or management of temperate grasslands requires the use of controlled burns to suppress the growth of trees and maintain the grasses.

Temperate Forests

Temperate forests are the most common biome in eastern North America, Western Europe, Eastern Asia, Chile, and New Zealand ( Figure 35.12 ). This biome is found throughout mid-latitude regions. Temperatures range between -30 °C and 30 °C (-22 °F to 86 °F) and drop to below freezing on an annual basis. These temperatures mean that temperate forests have defined growing seasons during the spring, summer, and early fall. Precipitation is relatively constant throughout the year and ranges between 75 cm and 150 cm (29.5–59 in).

Because of the moderate annual rainfall and temperatures, deciduous trees are the dominant plant in this biome ( Figure 35.18 ). Deciduous trees lose their leaves each fall and remain leafless in the winter. Thus, no photosynthesis occurs in the deciduous trees during the dormant winter period. Each spring, new leaves appear as the temperature increases. Because of the dormant period, the net primary productivity of temperate forests is less than that of tropical wet forests. In addition, temperate forests show less diversity of tree species than tropical wet forest biomes.

The trees of the temperate forests leaf out and shade much of the ground; however, this biome is more open than tropical wet forests because trees in the temperate forests do not grow as tall as the trees in tropical wet forests. The soils of the temperate forests are rich in inorganic and organic nutrients. This is due to the thick layer of leaf litter on forest floors. As this leaf litter decays, nutrients are returned to the soil. The leaf litter also protects soil from erosion, insulates the ground, and provides habitats for invertebrates (such as the pill bug or roly-poly, Armadillidium vulgare ) and their predators, such as the red-backed salamander ( Plethodon cinereus ).

Boreal Forests

The boreal forest, also known as taiga or coniferous forest, is found south of the Arctic Circle and across most of Canada, Alaska, Russia, and northern Europe ( Figure 35.12 ). This biome has cold, dry winters and short, cool, wet summers. The annual precipitation is from 40 cm to 100 cm (15.7–39 in) and usually takes the form of snow. Little evaporation occurs because of the cold temperatures.

The long and cold winters in the boreal forest have led to the predominance of cold-tolerant cone-bearing plants. These are evergreen coniferous trees like pines, spruce, and fir, which retain their needle-shaped leaves year-round. Evergreen trees can photosynthesize earlier in the spring than deciduous trees because less energy from the sun is required to warm a needle-like leaf than a broad leaf. This benefits evergreen trees, which grow faster than deciduous trees in the boreal forest. In addition, soils in boreal forest regions tend to be acidic with little available nitrogen. Leaves are a nitrogen-rich structure and deciduous trees must produce a new set of these nitrogen-rich structures each year. Therefore, coniferous trees that retain nitrogen-rich needles may have a competitive advantage over the broad-leafed deciduous trees.

The net primary productivity of boreal forests is lower than that of temperate forests and tropical wet forests. The aboveground biomass of boreal forests is high because these slow-growing tree species are long lived and accumulate standing biomass over time. Plant species diversity is less than that seen in temperate forests and tropical wet forests. Boreal forests lack the pronounced elements of the layered forest structure seen in tropical wet forests. The structure of a boreal forest is often only a tree layer and a ground layer ( Figure 35.19 ). When conifer needles are dropped, they decompose more slowly than broad leaves; therefore, fewer nutrients are returned to the soil to fuel plant growth.

Arctic Tundra

The Arctic tundra lies north of the subarctic boreal forest and is located throughout the Arctic regions of the northern hemisphere ( Figure 35.12 ). The average winter temperature is -34 °C (-29.2 °F) and the average summer temperature is from 3 °C to 12 °C (37 °F–52 °F). Plants in the arctic tundra have a very short growing season of approximately 10–12 weeks. However, during this time, there are almost 24 hours of daylight and plant growth is rapid. The annual precipitation of the Arctic tundra is very low with little annual variation in precipitation. And, as in the boreal forests, there is little evaporation due to the cold temperatures.

Plants in the Arctic tundra are generally low to the ground ( Figure 35.20 ). There is little species diversity, low net primary productivity, and low aboveground biomass. The soils of the Arctic tundra may remain in a perennially frozen state referred to as permafrost . The permafrost makes it impossible for roots to penetrate deep into the soil and slows the decay of organic matter, which inhibits the release of nutrients from organic matter. During the growing season, the ground of the Arctic tundra can be completely covered with plants or lichens.

Link to Learning

Watch this Assignment Discovery: Biomes video for an overview of biomes. To explore further, select one of the biomes on the extended playlist: desert, savanna, temperate forest, temperate grassland, tropic, tundra.

• boreal forest

Science Practice Connection for AP® Courses

For five different terrestrial biomes, create a visual representation to describe each biome and factors that affect its climate. What unique adaptations help plants and animals survive in each biome?

Think About It

In what ways are the subtropical desert and the Arctic tundra similar?

Teacher Support

• The activity is an application of AP ® Learning Objective 2.22 and Sciences Practices 1.3 and 3.2 because students are refining models to answer questions about how interactions among biotic and abiotic factors influence ecosystem dynamics.
• Activity answers should include representations of temperature and the amount of precipitation. Also important to include are the type of geography of the region: flat, mountainous, etc., as well as the types of vegetation typically found in the biome. A well thought out representation may also include seasonal variation such as the dormant season of a chaparral biome during which fires may play a part returning nutrients to the soil versus the rain that falls during the winter.
• The Think About It question is an application of AP ® Learning Objective 2.24 and Science Practice 5.1 because students are comparing two different biomes with respect to their shared characteristics.
• Think About It Sample Answer: The subtropical desert and arctic tundra, while different in many ways, share some significant similarities. Both biomes experience very low annual precipitation and can experience significantly cold temperatures at night, though the latter is more prevalent in the Artic tundra. As a result, in both biomes, plants have a very short growing season, and in that season, both biomes experience rapid growth. Both biomes are also characterized by low species diversity and low primary productivity.

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Biomes and Ecosystems

Biomes and Ecosystems explores the various types of environments that exist in the world. Students will learn the difference between a biome and an ecosystem and be able to describe their traits. They will also discover facts about some specific kinds of biomes, such as deserts and tundras.

In the “Options for Lesson” section of the classroom procedure page, you will find several ideas for additional activities or alternatives that you can incorporate into the lesson. One idea is to plan a field trip to a nature reserve, body of water, or similar place at which students can identify different ecosystems.

Description

Additional information, what our biomes and ecosystems lesson plan includes.

Lesson Objectives and Overview: Biomes and Ecosystems teaches students about the various types of both of these environments. Students will discover their unique characteristics and will be able to differentiate between the two. They will also learn facts about specific kinds of both types of settings. This lesson is for students in 5th grade and 6th grade.

Classroom Procedure

Every lesson plan provides you with a classroom procedure page that outlines a step-by-step guide to follow. You do not have to follow the guide exactly. The guide helps you organize the lesson and details when to hand out worksheets. It also lists information in the yellow box that you might find useful. You will find the lesson objectives, state standards, and number of class sessions the lesson should take to complete in this area. In addition, it describes the supplies you will need as well as what and how you need to prepare beforehand.

Options for Lesson

There are several suggestions in the “Options for Lesson” section of the classroom procedure page that you could incorporate into the lesson if you want to extend it or have time. One such suggestion is to plan a field trip to either a nature reserve, some kind of body of water, or similar place for students to experience various biomes and ecosystems within those biomes. You could assign students one biome to research and later present to the class that includes information and images. Another idea is to create an ecosystem in the classroom using a tank or other container filled with plants, water, fish, snails, and other living organisms. You could also display images of different types of biomes that students have to identify. One final idea is to extend the discussion on the impact that construction, pollution, and similar forces have on ecosystems.

Teacher Notes

This page provides an extra bit of information or guidance on what to expect from this lesson plan. It suggests that you teach this lesson at the same time as others that explore specific biomes or environments. You can use the blank lines to write out your thoughts as we you prepare the lesson for your students.

BIOMES AND ECOSYSTEMS LESSON PLAN CONTENT PAGES

Individual, population, community.

The Biomes and Ecosystems lesson plan includes five content pages. The lesson begins by explaining the difference between a biome and an ecosystem. To illustrate the point, it asks students to think of themselves as individuals who live in a house with their family members. Though each person lives in the same place and interacts with each other, they are not the same. Each person is only one part of a family, and an ecosystem is only one part of a biome. Multiple biomes create an even larger system—Earth! All living and nonliving things are pieces of an ecosystem, and all ecosystems are pieces of a biome.

There are different levels at which something can be a part of an ecosystem on Earth. These levels are individual, population, community, ecosystem, biome, and biosphere. The first—individual—includes any single species. These organism do not breed with organisms from other groups (apart from some plants, which do cross-breed). For example, humans only breed with other humans.

Next, population describes a larger group of the same individuals, or species, that may have different traits. They must live in the same geographic area to be considered part of the same population. An example of this is people who live in the same area but have different hair colors or eye colors. The next tier is community, which describes when different populations interact in a community. This includes organisms from different species. For example, rabbits live alongside other organisms like raccoons and birds in their communities.

Ecosystem, Biome, Biosphere

The fourth level is ecosystem. In an ecosystem, living things interact with other living and nonliving things. These different populations rely on each other and on the nonliving things in their environment, like when humans rely on the sun for light and energy. Biome is the fifth level. Many different ecosystems that share characteristics make up biomes. Living things must adapt to the conditions in their biome. Three biomes in the United States are desert, grassland, and forest.

There are five different biomes, three of which that can be found in the United States: desert, grassland, and forest. Finally, there’s the biosphere. The biosphere contains everything in all of the biomes, both living and nonliving, including animals, plants, microorganisms, and decaying and dead organisms. The lesson notes that while ecosystems are varied and can exist anywhere, biomes have more specific characteristics.

Ecosystems Everywhere

Next, students will learn more about ecosystems. They will learn that their homes are like ecosystems because they live with other living and nonliving things, like their families, pets, the objects in their house, and the house itself! They and their families rely on both each other and the nonliving things in their home for survival. Every individual thing in an ecosystem has a particular role, or niche. In the ecosystem of a pond, all of the living and nonliving things interact. And they need to interact in order to survive.

If an ecosystem changes, it can cause problems for some of the living organisms in that ecosystem. In the example of a tree trunk, the trunk may begin to decay, and moss may start to grow. Insects eat the moss, and larger animals eat the insects. If there’s a fire and the tree trunk burns, insects will die and all of the animals above it in the food chain will have to find their food somewhere else. Sometimes, if a living organism can’t adapt to the changes in its ecosystem, it can become extinct. Humans can contribute to this through pollution, construction, and deforestation.

Three Important Cycles

The lesson then delves into three important cycles that are a part of ecosystems: the water cycle, the carbon cycle, and the nitrogen cycle. In the water cycle, water moves continuously between the surface of the earth and the air. The water changes from liquid to gas through evaporation and from gas to liquid through condensation. Then it falls from the atmosphere to Earth as precipitation in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail. A plant’s leaves also lose excess water through a process called transpiration.

In the carbon cycle, carbon continuously changes among different living things. Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air and combine it with water to create sugars and other chemicals. Animals or other organisms eat these chemicals, which are now carbon-rich, and recycle them back into the atmosphere. Eventually, after million of years, this carbon that is trapped in dead materials becomes fossil fuels.

In the nitrogen cycle, bacteria converts nitrogen, which makes up about 78% of the air, into other compounds that plants and animals can use. Living organisms need nitrogen to survive, and they use it in various cells and processes, such as DNA and photosynthesis.

This section of the lesson concludes by stating that we have ecosystems everywhere. All of these various ecosystems are part of the major biomes on Earth, which students will learn more about in the next section.

Deserts, Grasslands, and Forests

Finally, students will learn about the five major categories of biomes on Earth: desert, grassland, forest, aquatic, and tundra. Biomes are large ecological areas on Earth. We categorize the different biomes according to their climate, geographic features, soils, and vegetation. Biomes can sometimes appear as an ecosystem because of the interactions between plants and animals, which is a feature of an ecosystem as well. We often see multiple ecosystems in a single biome.

The first type of biome is a desert. Deserts can be hot, dry, semi-arid, coastal, or cold. They cover 20% of the earth and receive little to no rainfall. We characterize them as having little vegetation, poor soil, and animals that burrow to avoid the heat but come out at night. The next type of biome is the grassland of which there are two types: savanna and temperate. Grasslands have moderate amounts of rainfall and large areas covered in grass. Savannas have thin-layered soil and large mammals like lions and giraffes. Temperate grasslands include prairies. They also have high temperatures in the summer but freezing temperatures in the winter.

Forests are another type of biome. They make up 30% of the earth and are important for climate control because they store carbon. Millions of organisms live in forests. The different types of forests include tropical rainforests, like the Amazon, temperate rainforests, and boreal forests. They are characterized by high temperatures and lots of rain, loose soil, many trees, and green leaves.

Aquatic and Tundra

The next biome is aquatic. All water bodies, whether freshwater or marine, are a part of the aquatic biome. Millions of animals live in this biome, and it’s the basis of the water cycle. Life in this biome depends on several factors, such as the presence of sunlight and the surrounding temperature.

The final biome this lesson covers is the tundra, which includes two types. One type is arctic, which is the area around the North Pol. The other is alpine, which encompasses places at the tops of mountains. We characterize this biome by its extremely cold temperatures and little rainfall. Very few plants can survive in these areas, as well as only some animals. This type of biome covers about a fifth of the earth’s surface.

Each different type of biome is important to the overall well-being of the earth. They each have a role to play. The aquatic biome is the source of the water cycle and is a part of climate formation all over the world. Other biomes provide food, release oxygen into the air, absorb carbon dioxide, and more. Biomes and ecosystems are both very important for all life on Earth.

Here is a list of the vocabulary words students will learn in the Biomes and Ecosystems lesson plan:

• Individual—any living organism of a single species
• Population—a group of the same individuals that have different traits and live in the same geographic area
• Community—the populations of different species that interact with each other in a geographic area
• Ecosystem—a setting that includes a community of living things that interact with each other and with non-living things
• Biome—a collection of ecosystems that share similar characteristics
• Biosphere—the group of biomes that merge together to form a giant community of all living and non-living things; Earth
• Niche—the role each living thing plays within an ecosystem
• Evaporation—when liquid changes to gas and floats up into the atmosphere
• Condensation—when gas changes into a liquid
• Precipitation—when water falls from the atmosphere in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail
• Transpiration—when excess water evaporates from a plant’s leaves

BIOMES AND ECOSYSTEMS LESSON PLAN WORKSHEETS

The Biomes and Ecosystems lesson plan includes three worksheets: an activity worksheet, a practice worksheet, and a homework assignment. Each of these worksheets helps students demonstrate what they learned and solidify their grasp of the concepts of the lesson. The guidelines on the classroom procedure page outline when to hand out each worksheet to the students.

OBSERVATION ACTIVITY WORKSHEET

The activity requires students to work with a partner and observe a specific area outdoors. Students will explore the area and list possible ecosystems of any size that exist there. The chart on the worksheet lists three prompts for them to fill out as they complete the assignment. After they finish filling out the table, students will answer three questions.

BIOMES AND ECOSYSTEMS PRACTICE WORKSHEET

The practice worksheet splits into three sections. For the first section, students will review 12 descriptions and decide which level of an ecosystem the statements refer to. They will use each of the six levels twice. The second part requires students to fill in the blanks for eight sentences. There is no word bank for this section, so you may or may not allow your class to refer to the content pages. Finally, students will respond to a prompt about what they believe their niche is in the world.

NAME THE BIOME HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

Similar to the practice worksheet, the homework assignment has two sections. First, students will review 15 statements and decide whether each one represents a desert, grassland, forest, aquatic, or tundra biome. The second part requires students to decide whether each of five statements is true (T) or false (F).

Worksheet Answer Keys

The last couple pages of the lesson plan document are answer keys for the practice and homework worksheets. The correct answers are all in red to make it easy to compare them to students’ work. For the most part, students’ responses should mirror the answer keys exactly, with very little variation only on the final prompt of the practice worksheet. If you choose to administer the lesson pages to your students via PDF, you will need to save a new file that omits these pages. Otherwise, you can simply print out the applicable pages and keep these as reference for yourself when grading assignments.

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I used the video and Ecosystem teaching packet as an optional end of year extra credit assignment. We have been learning about Ecosystems and the materials reinforced vocabulary, concepts, and how these items work together.

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Earth's biomes

Biomes and climate.

Biomes are large areas of the earth with defined climates and plant life. Students connect different biomes to climate, plant life and animal life.

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The Biology Corner

Biology Teaching Resources

Color the North American Biomes

This coloring activity is suitable for beginning biology students who are learning about the plants and animals found in each major biome.  The worksheet does require a basic geography knowledge, which I found somewhat lacking in my freshman students.  

I usually place a large map of North America on the overhead projector for students to reference to help them color the biome map.    

The map gives clues about the location of each biome and requires students to color the regions a specific color.  Biomes represented are:  temperate deciduous forest, grassland,  desert, tundra, rain forest, coniferous forest, freshwater, and ocean.

Questions at the end of the activity ask students to identify where major biomes are located and which biomes you would pass through if you were travelling from one area to another, for example, travelling from Los Angeles to Washington D.C.  

A final question asks students to color a world map.  This might be too time consuming for what students are likely to learn, though might be a good extra credit exercise or just a point for class discussion.  

For example, students may notice that the deciduous forests are all found at about the same latitudes.

Grade Level:  7-9 Time Required:  20-30 minutes

HS-LS2-6 Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem