Introduction

You are a housing developer seeking to build an eco-friendly community somewhere in North America. Being eco-wise, you want to find a biome that will best suit this community and least affects the ecosystems that are found there. Knowing that something or someone will be affected by your decision, how can you best decide which biome will benefit both the families and the environment of that biome? Be sure to consider the pros and cons of your decision.

Essential Questions

How are biomes changing because of human behavior?

How can we lessen the human impact on the world's biomes?

You will be researching a particular biome. You will choose a biome found in North America. You will be discovering the plants and animals that live in your biome. You will want to learn about the biome's climate, location, and type of soil. You will be presenting this information as a photo-story. Pictures should enhance your project. Think of your presentation as an advertisement for future residents of your eco-friendly community.

Some questions to consider:

Which biomes are found in North America?
Where are these biomes located (relative)?
What are the characteristics of the different biomes?
What are the relationships among organisms in a biome?
What are the relationships among living and nonliving things in a biome?
How does the location determine the type of biome?
How do temperature and precipitation impact the biome?
What types of soil are found in this biome?
Which plants thrive in this biome?
How does a food chain for your biome operate?
Are there any endangered species in your biome?
How are humans impacting your biome?
What interesting features are in your biome?

To accomplish your task, follow these steps:

1. Select one of the biomes found in North America.

2. Use 4 note cards to organize your information (remember that notes are written in your own words and should be phrases).

• One card should be for location, climate, and interesting features of the biome.
• The second card should have soil type, plants, and how precipitation and temperature impact your biome.
• The third card is for animals, relationships among living and nonliving things, and endangered species.
• The fourth card is for human impact on your biome.

3. Begin your research with print resources.

• Find more details, particularly about the plants and animals, using library resources or the Internet.

5. While looking at different websites, you may want to copy and save pictures that you want to use in your final project. Save them in a folder on your computer (label them as you go).

6. Once you have enough information on your note cards, you should begin your photo story. You will need a minimum of a six-page story.

• Page 1: Title of your biome, your name, an appropriate graphic
• Page 2: Tells location and climate
• Pages 3: Soil type and plants
• Pages 4-5: Animals
• Page 6: Human impact

7. Consider what makes a good advertisement and photo story. The information should be clearly stated with appropriate conventions of writing. Pictures should be appropriate. Backgrounds and borders can add to the presentation so the viewers will want to see your story.

Resources

Print Resources:

Encyclopedias

Books about your biome

Internet Links:

• The World's Biomes http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/
• Biomes of the World http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/index.htm
• Earth Floor http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/biomes.html
• World Biomes (good for pictures of biomes) http://www.worldbiomes.com/
• Enchanted Learning http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/
• Major Biomes of the World http://www.radford.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/main.html
• Blue Planet http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm
• Introduction to Biomes http://curriculum.calstatela.edu/courses/builders/lessons/less/biomes/introbiomes.html
• Biomes http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/B/Biomes.html
• Biomes of the World http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/biomes/biomes.html

	1	2	3	4	Score
Research	Only 1 or 2 note cards are completed.	Most of the note cards completed, but all sections are not completed.	All sections of the research are complete.	Additional, unique information is collected.
PhotoStory Presentation	Not all pages are created.	Pages are created, but they do not have both text and graphics.	All pages are completed with graphics and text.	Photo Story is creative and has added features to make it more interesting.
				Total

When all the photo stories are completed, you will be given time to view each of the presentations for biomes of North America. You will evaluate the presentations and decide which biome would best meet the needs of the eco-friendly community. You will need to defend your choice by explaining why you've made your choice.