Biome WebQuest-Science
Grade 6
adapted
from the WebQuests listed below under
“Biome
WebQuest Internet Sites”
A travel agency is trying
to boost travel to different parts of the world by increasing the advertising
and selling vacation packages. You have been hired to make a Travel Brochure
and a presentation to sell a travel package
Task
Working as a group, compile
a brochure and develop a short presentation to the class to sell your vacation
package. After all presentations are finished, the class will vote on the
most appealing vacation. Winners will receive a bonus!
Vacation
Packages
|
taiga
(coniferous forest)
|
|
Tundra
|
|
tropical
rain forest
|
|
Desert
|
|
temperate
grassland (prairie)
|
|
savannah
(also listed as grasslands on some sites)
|
|
temperate
deciduous forest
|
|
freshwater
(lakes, rivers, or streams)
|
|
Ocean
|
Process
Each team will select a biome.
It is the team's job to research the biome and gather facts and information
about that biome. Each member of the team will become an expert in a particular
aspect of the biome
Team
Roles
|
Botanist
|
Plant
Expert
|
|
Zoologist
|
Animal
Expert
|
|
Meteorologist
|
Weather
Expert
|
|
Geographer
|
Map and
Area Expert
|
Discuss with your team which
role each of you will assume. Remember that you are all responsible for
learning about the biome you are presenting, but your role reflects an
area of particular focus for you as your research
Each team member should choose
a website from the resource list and find their biome, they should record
facts and information about the biome that would be useful in the presentation.
This fact sheet will be turned in to show that you did your share
of the group work. Please do not print out whole web pages, a list of facts
on notebook paper is fine.
Remember your role. You can
write down anything useful you think the team will need, but your focus
should be on the role you were assigned (geographer, meteorologist, Zoologist,
Botanist)
The
Activity
Make
a Travel Brochure
All
brochures must include the following information:
-
Name
of biome
-
Map
of biome location(s)
-
Landforms
(i.e. mountains, water, etc.)
-
Types
of animals (at least 5)
-
Main
types of plants (at least 5)
-
Include
a description of each of the three different types of interactions among
organisms: competition, predation, and symbiosis
-
Climate
(climograph-
annual temperature and precipitation)
-
Ecological
concerns and conservation efforts
-
The
benefits and drawbacks to vacationing in the biome (your personal opinion)
Presentation
Rejoin your group and discuss
your findings. Develop your presentation to the class. You may want to
bring pictures and other "props" from home to help showcase your vacation
package.
Make sure each person of your
group speaks during the presentation, to give their expert advice in their
area. You may want to assign one person as a narrator or presentation project
leader to do most of the speaking or summarizing.
Timeline
of Due Dates
Due by
Due by the middle of April-Complete
the above travel brochure during computer class
Resources
| Biomes
of the World
http://users.snowcrest.net/freemanl/world/biomes/ Learn about Biomes
Nearctica Biomes
Biomes and Habitats
|
The World's Biomes
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/
Tropical Rainforests and Other
Biomes
http://www.panda.org/kids/wildlife/mntropic.htm
Biomes of the World
http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/biomes/biomes.html
Introduction to Biomes
http://www.runet.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/intro.html
Evaluation
|
|
Needs
Work (30 pts)
|
Adequate
(35 Pts)
|
Excellent
(50 pts)
|
|
Fact
Sheet (individual)
|
Has
less than 5 facts
|
Has
15 or more facts, missing focus on the member's role
|
Has
at least 30 facts, facts related to the member's roles
|
|
Brochure
and Presentation (group)
|
Information
lacking or inaccurate, disorganized
|
Gives
accurate information, lacking some organization, or lacking some information,
or all team members didn't speak
|
Organized,
creative and gives accurate information about a vacation a person would
take in the target biome.
|
|
|
|
|
+5
bonus to winners
|
Biome WebQuest
Internet Sites
http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/biome.html
Travel Agency=Travel
Brochure and Presentation as stated above
http://www3.telus.net/thesoks/biomeswpo.html
Another
WebQuest similar to above with a choice of travel brochure, poster, or
magazine article as the activity and outcome
http://www.longmeadow.k12.ma.us/wms/pages1/renius/biome.html
WebQuest
similar to above with Hyper Studio project as the end product
“What’s
It Like Where You Live-Information about Biomes of the World