Explore the Biomes of the World
Over 8 weeks, students will explore the locations, features, and organisms of the seven land biomes on Earth. After a variety of activities, they will choose which biome they would like to move to and make a brochure about their choice.
Susan Laforet, M.Ed Curriculum and Instruction
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(165)
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What's included
8 pre-recorded lessons
8 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentAssessment
Informal assessments through student products, projects, and games.Grading
Certificate of Completion provided at the end of the course.Class Experience
US Grade 3 - 6
Beginner - Intermediate Level
This 8 week course will focus on seven of the major land biomes on the planet. Each week will focus on one of the biomes in depth, and students will learn about the locations, organisms in that environment, along with the adaptations required for them to survive. They will create an ongoing biome map of the world to locate each one as they move through the course, along with a personal journal of what they learn about each biome so they can evaluate and choose a biome to move to at the end of the course. The course will be interactive through NearPod presentations, journal writing with teacher feedback, games such as Quizzlet, Gimkit, andBlooket, and a culminating scavenger hunt of the world. There will also be optional cross-curricular extensions each week. Teacher feedback will be posted within one week of product submission each week, and all messages are answered within 24 hours. The course begins with learning what a biome is and how it differs from an ecosystem or habitat. Then learners will explore a different biome each week. We will cover deserts, both cold and hot, tropical rainforest, temperate forests, tundra, taiga, and grasslands. Students will have the opportunities to build a rainforest in a bottle, make a grassland diorama, create multimedia presentations, play games, and create their own game. The final week will include a digital escape room that covers all of the course material. Teacher created videos accompany each week's lesson. All learning styles are addressed, with many opportunities for student choice.
Learning Goals
Students will learn the locations of seven land biomes on Earth. They will explore the various climates, organisms, benefits from and environmental threats to each biome, then decide which one they like best and write a letter to a friend to explain why they would want to move there.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created CurriculumStandards
Aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)8 Lessons
over 8 WeeksLesson 1:
The Desert Biome
After learning what a biome is and how it differs from an ecosystem or habitat, students will explore the desert biome and find that not all deserts are hot. They will complete a travelogue about the biome each week to gather all of the information in one place, and begin a world map to locate each biome on the planet. They will add to the map each week as they mover through the unit. Lesson 2:
The Rainforest Biome
Students will explore the rainforests of the world, adding to their map and completing a travelogue. They will learn how the rainforest climate is connected to its latitude, the difference between tropical rainforests and temperate rainforests, and the importance of the rainforest to the health of the planet. Lesson 3:
The Temperate Forest Biome
This lesson focuses on the temperate forests of the world. Students will use the travelogue template to explore the climate, plants, and animals in the temperate. They will also learn the difference between the temperate forest and the deciduous forest, and locate the miome on their world map. Lesson 4:
The Tundra Biome
Students will learn why the tundra is actually considered a desert. They will explore the adaptations necessary for animals to survive in this biome, and where the biome is located by labeling it on the world map. The travelogue is also part of this week's lesson. Other Details
Parental Guidance
Students will do all research through Symbaloo using sites pre-screened by the teacher for accuracy and safety. They will not use Google searches for anything. Pre-screened and teacher created YouTube videos will be used in many classes. Additionally, games will be played on Gimkit, Kahoot, Blooket, and Genially. All created by the teacher and listed as private. Each week's lesson will be presented on NearPod and will include interactive activities.
Supply List
Complete supply list may be found at - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E_a_NBnZg8yAXB9pF-yyFWjKy4UYd7x4/view?usp=sharing
Joined July, 2021
4.9
165reviews
Star Educator
Teacher expertise and credentials
Texas Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
Master's Degree from Grand Canyon University
I have been sharing my love of science and math and STEM with elementary students in public schools for over 28 years. I served most of that time in the classroom and then moved into Instructional Coaching to help other teachers improve their practice in those areas. I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction.
Classes with Ms. Susan are fun, engaging, and hands on, with an inquiry approach in everything we do. My goal is to latch on to the natural curiosity children have about the world around them and use that to explore science, engineering, and math concepts in a rich and meaningful way. I believe in teaching in ways that children learn, using strategies and activities that foster a love of learning. As a retired teacher, I am not bound by district or state policies and I am able to use fun, creative lessons to instill the academics that children need to master, not the ones they need to pass state assessments.
One of my favorite quotes from Carl Sagan sums up my approach to science education - "Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge." In Ms. Susan's Super Science and Math classes, students will be challenged to think!Reviews
Self-Paced Course
$10
weekly or $80 for all content8 pre-recorded lessons
8 weeks of teacher support
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1 year of access to the content
Completed by 2 learners
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Ages: 8-12
