Exploring the Seven Land Biomes: A Comprehensive 8-Week Project for Students
In this 8-week class, students will embark on an exciting journey to explore the seven land biomes of Earth. Through a variety of activities, they will learn about the unique locations, features, and organisms that inhabit each biome.
Susan Laforet, M.Ed Curriculum and Instruction
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(175)
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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 comprehensive 8-week course will explore seven major land biomes on our planet. Each week will focus in-depth on a specific biome, where students will learn about its location, the organisms that inhabit it, and the adaptations these organisms require for survival. Throughout the course, students will create an ongoing biome map of the world to locate each biome and maintain a personal journal to document their learning, culminating in a choice of biome to "move to" at the end of the course. The course will be highly interactive, utilizing NearPod presentations, journal writing with teacher feedback, and engaging games such as Quizlet, Gimkit, and Blooket. A culminating scavenger hunt will challenge students to apply their knowledge in a fun and engaging way. Additionally, optional cross-curricular extensions will be provided each week to enhance learning. Teacher feedback will be delivered within one week of submission, and all messages will be responded to within 24 hours. The course begins with an exploration of what a biome is and how it differs from ecosystems and habitats. Students will investigate a different biome each week, including deserts (both cold and hot), tropical rainforests, temperate forests, tundra, taiga, and grasslands. Students will have opportunities to engage in hands-on projects, such as building a rainforest in a bottle, creating a grassland diorama, and developing multimedia presentations. They will also play educational games and even create their own game. The final week will feature a digital escape room that encompasses all course material. Teacher-created videos will accompany each week's lesson, ensuring that all learning styles are addressed and providing numerous opportunities for student choice and engagement.
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
175reviews
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
weekly8 pre-recorded lessons
8 weeks of teacher support
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content
Completed by 2 learners
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Ages: 8-12
