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October 1, 2001
Earth Education: The Biomes Web Tour
By Susan Silverman
Children of all ages enjoy studying the different climates of biomes and learning about the plants and animals that form these distinctive ecosystems. For educators, biomes can spark countless creative, multicultural and interdisciplinary lessons and projects. Best of all, by teaching this subject you raise the environmental awareness and ecological intelligence of the next generation of biome caretakers.
Biomes-Habitats
A treasure chest of resources awaits you at Enchanted Learning's Biome site. Find in-depth information about biomes and detailed related animal information pages. Challenge older students by asking them to complete the printable animal labeling pages. Younger students will love coloring the Biome 2001 calendar in which each month highlights a different biome!
[Recommended Grades: 3-6]
Biomes
This Evergreen Project site features fascinating biome facts, useful charts and excellent related links. You'll find scientific, historical and conservationist information written on an upper-elementary student's reading level. Don't forget to click on the biome galleries for beautiful environmental photography!
[Recommended Grades: 4-6]
The CyberZoo: Your Key to Biomes
Seventh graders from the Whitesboro Middle School in New York partnered with scientists to create this phenomenal biome resource. You'll learn all about the plants, animals and climates that make different biomes unique. Be sure to check out the CyberZoo Animal List detailing which animals live in each biome. Animal names hyperlink to animal pages featuring cool pictures, zoo observations, adaptation strategies and more. What a gold mine of information!
[Recommended Grades: 6-8]
World Biomes
The West Tisbury School from Martha's Vineyard presents this fabulous resource, where you can click on each world biome to find out about its plants, animals and climate. The maps at this site are especially useful for teaching the locations of world biomes. Be sure to visit the thoughtful "Our Planet" page that explains why understanding and respecting biomes is critical to our planet's survival.
[Recommended Grades: 4-8]
WebQuest: Biomes of the World
This site, presented by the Ida B. Wells Academy in Tennessee, offers step-by-step guidelines for teaching a cooperative-learning unit on biomes. Your students will research biomes, learn their importance and share their discoveries with the rest of the class. Student activities include creating scientific charts, making a biome world map and writing and producing a biome-awareness play. Talk about multi-disciplinary education!
[Recommended Grades: 6-8]
WebQuest: World Biomes
Develop your student's researching, organizing, writing and presenting skills with Stephanie Hicklin's Biomes Web Quest. Students systematically gather information about biomes using their local library and Internet resources. They then create educational brochures about biomes to share with the class. The site provides all the information and resources your students need to complete this project successfully.
[Recommended Grades: 4-8]
Tour of Biomes
The Chicago Public School's "Student Zone" offers one of the coolest biome sites online. Students become ecologists and working together study biomes around the world. They are then challenged with tough problem-solving questions related to their research. Your students will even learn how to read a climograph!
[Recommended Grades: 6-8]
Eureka! A New Biome: Webquest
Check out this exciting project created by the Sullivan Middle School in Illinois. It's the early 1500's and your students are explorers. During their journey they discover a new type of biome that they must describe to scientists back home. The site includes project steps, recommended resources and tips for conducting a final evaluation. With the preparatory work already done, you're free to enjoy the fun of biome discovery and historical recreation with your students!
[Recommended Grades: 5-8]
Web Quest: Biome Cultures
This fun, imaginative Web Quest from Genoa Middle School in Ohio asks students to consider what it's like to inhabit various biomes. Students become biome experts, then plan a special evening out in their biome of choice. They decide which foods will be served, who will attend, what they will wear and more. Your class is sure to enjoy the fun, biome-related cultural activities found at this site.
[Recommended Grades: 5-8]
Biomes of the World
The Smithfield Rhode Island school district created this resource on biomes such as lakes and ponds, rivers and streams, coral reefs and more. You will find tons of related links, student artwork and interesting tidbits of information. It's obvious students were involved in building this site, so perhaps your children will be inspired to create their own Web resource!
[Recommended Grades: 4-7]
By teaching children about biomes, we educate them about the importance of protecting ecosystems. They come to understand the codependence of organisms, and the way individual habitats can alter the health of other complex communities. Ultimately they learn why environmental conservation matters to all of us - no matter which biome we inhabit. Happy Trails!
Email: Susan Silverman
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