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**Tundra**

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**Deciduous Forest**

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**Savanna**

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**Taiga**

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**Chaparral**

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**Rainforest**

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**Grasslands**

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**Desert**

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**Alpine**





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Desert-scrub







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What is a Biome?
A biome is a large geographical area of distinctive plant and animal groups, which are adapted to that particular environment. The climate and geography of a region determines what type of biome can exist in that region. Major biomes include deserts, forests, grasslands, tundra, and several types of aquatic environments. Each biome consists of many ecosystems whose communities have adapted to the small differences in climate and the environment inside the biome.
All living things are closely related to their environment. Any change in one part of an environment, like an increase or decrease of a species of animal or plant, causes a ripple effect of change in through other parts of the environment.
The earth includes a huge variety of living things, from complex plants and animals to very simple, one-celled organisms. But large or small, simple or complex, no organism lives alone. Each depends in some way on other living and nonliving things in its surroundings.






To understand a world biome, you need to know:
  • What the climate of the region is like.
  • Where each biome is found and and what its geography is like.
  • The special adaptations of the vegetation.
  • The types of animals found in the biome and their physical and behavioral adaptations to their environment.






Ecological Relationships of Biomes
The survival and well being of a biome and its organisms depends on ecological relationships throughout the world. Even changes in distant parts of the world and its atmosphere affect our environment and us. The eruption of a volcano in Mexico, or Southeast Asia can bring the temperature of the whole world down a few degrees for several years.










Our Planet

Plants

Animals

Climate


Index






Virtual Biome Project
What to Do
Create a virtual biome using “Photo Story.”
Your group will select, by a random draw, one of the following biomes.
Arctic Tundra,
Boreal (Coniferous) Forest
Temperate Rainforest (Western North America),
Tropical Rainforest (Amazon),
Desert (Sahara)
Temperate (Deciduous) Forest,
Prairie Grasslands (North America),
Savannah (African Serengeti),
The Abyssal Zone,
Fresh Water Biomes,
The Intertidal Zone

You will create a virtual biome using “Photo Story,” illustrating the types of organisms which live there. In addition, your presentation needs to show how organisms interact with other organisms and the abiotic factors in the biome. Your particular biome must contain the following information:
  • A map showing the location of the biome.
  • Several biotic factors including: plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. You must explain how the various organisms interact with each other.
  • A minimum of four abiotic factors, such as water, soil, etc.
  • Each of the biotic factors must be part of your particular biome. Your particular biome has to make sense.
  • A detailed food web illustrating the energy relationships between producers and consumers.
  • The food web must include pictures and common names of each of the following:


1. Ultimate source of energy that starts it all for most food webs
2. 4 Producers
3. 3 First order / primary consumers
4. 2 Second order/ secondary consumers
5. 1 Third order/ tertiary consumers
6. 2 Decomposers

The text on your slides needs to clearly:
  • Use the correct scientific vocabulary that you have learned so far in this unit.
  • Tell what your biome is about.
  • Show the abiotic factors in your biome.
  • Show the biotic elements (plants and animals) in your biome.
  • Show how the abiotic factors support the biotic elements in the biome.
  • Show how certain organisms are specially adapted to the biome.

Your Photo Story must be narrated. That is to say that the Photo Story requires a voice track that explains each picture of the Photo Story.

How to do it.
Carefully follow the instructions for the research project because your photo story needs to have all the information that the project outlines.
Carefully plan all elements of the presentation, pictures, text, narration and music.
Create a new folder on your desktop. Name it "Biome Photo Story Project" All content must be saved in this folder.
Experiment with Photo Story.
Search for suitable and appropriate images
Import your photos.
Assemble your pictures.
Add your effects and transitions
Write your text.
Add your text.
Add narration.
Add music.
Use your imagination.
Be creative.
Have fun!!!!!

http://drscavanaugh.org/digitalcamera/photostorytelling/storytelling_PhotoStory.htm http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=be2ed7ab7fc46d58
http://www.mbgnet.net/
www.enchantedlearning.com
www.blueplanetbiomes.org
www.ask.com
www.wikipedia.org
www.pics4learning.com
www.discovery.com
www.worldwildlife.org/photogalleries/
http://www.kidzworld.com/article/1951-biomes-of-the-world-aquatic
http://room19vv.tripod.com/


Virtual Biome Photo Story Project
Category
13-15
10-12
7-9
3-6
Originality
Presentation shows considerable originality and inventiveness. The content and ideas are presented in a unique and interesting way.
Presentation shows some originality and inventiveness. The content and ideas are presented in an interesting way..
Presentation shows an attempt at originality and inventiveness
Presentation repeats other people's ideas and/or images and shows very little attempt at original thought.
Content - Accuracy
All content throughout the presentation is accurate. There are no factual errors.
Most of the content is accurate but there is one piece of information that might be inaccurate.
The content is generally accurate, but more than one piece of information is clearly flawed or inaccurate.
Content is confusing or contains many errors.
Sequencing of Information
Information is organized in a clear, logical way.
Most information is organized in a clear, logical way
Some information is logically sequenced.
There is no clear plan for the organization of information.
Text – Font Choice
Font formats (e.g., color, bold, italic) have been carefully planned to enhance readability and content.
Font formats have been carefully planned to enhance readability.
Font formatting has been carefully planned to complement readability and content. It may be a little hard to read.
Font formatting makes it very difficult to read the material.
Use of Images
All images are attractive and accurate support the theme / content of the presentation.
A few images are not attractive but all are accurate and support the theme/content of the presentation.
All images are attractive but a few are in accurate and do not seem to support the theme/content of the presentation.
Several images are unattractive, inaccurate and detract from the content of the presentation.
Effectiveness
Project includes all material needed to gain a comfortable understanding of the topic
Project includes most material needed to gain a comfortable understanding of the material but is lacking one or two key elements.
Project is missing more than two key elements.
Project is lacking several key elements and contains inaccuracies.

Total /90