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Total Duration:
61 to 90 Minutes
Materials and Resources:
An electronic device, (individually or in groups of 2-4)
An electronic device, (individually or in groups of 2-4; if devices are not available to students this can be done whole group using a digital projector)
Students should already have a solid foundation on biomes- their climate, including average precipitation, examples of other plant and animal species that thrive, and a general idea of where they are found in the world.
Opening Activity: (Approx. 15 minutes)
Begin this lesson by having students visit the NASA Earth Observatory website activity, "To Plant or Not to Plant?" This activity can be completed individually or in groups of 2-4. (If individual devices are not available, the teacher can lead this activity as a discussion.)
Bill Botanist is the character in this activity and he needs help planting specimens in the appropriate biome. When students click on, "Enter Mission," (with a shovel icon), they will be taken to a new page where they can click on each plant, read the description, and select the appropriate biome. Students will receive immediate feedback on their answer choice.
Groups that finish early can click on "Great Graph Match" on the top right of the page, to review biomes' average temperature and precipitation.
Final Project: (Approx. 30-45 minutes)
Once it appears that most groups have finished, you will explain the project. You can either assign a biome to each group or allow your students to choose.
Once biomes have been chosen/assigned, students will need the "Imaginary Species Planning Guide," which is merely a tool to guide their thinking. (Their species can be either a plant or an animal.)
After they have planned out the various characteristics of their species, demonstrating that they have a clear knowledge of what traits would be necessary to thrive in their assigned biome, students will illustrate a member of their species. Their illustration should clearly show each of the characteristics listed on their planning guide. These characteristics should also be labeled.
Once time is up, have one person from each group share their species and describe the various characteristics. The attached rubric can be used by the teacher to grade all of the necessary components.
Assessment Strategies
This activity in itself is an assessment, so a rubric is provided to assure that students have included all aspects required in this project.
Acceleration:
Intervention:
Students who need extra support should be placed in groups with teammates sensitive to the needs of that student.
The teacher may need to more closely supervise groups that contain students who are struggling with the concept.
View the Special Education resources for
instructional guidance in providing modifications and adaptations
for students with significant cognitive disabilities who qualify for the Alabama Alternate Assessment.