Introduction :
Bits of Biomes has been developed for a middle school grade
science curriculum (appropriate for grades 5-8). This Web-based resource
can be used in a variety of instructional settings ranging including
a one-computer classroom, a three-computer classroom, and a networked
computer lab. Bits of Biomes was pilot tested in a three computer
classroom setting with and without Internet connections. In classrooms
without Internet access, students obtain data in the school library.
Purpose :
Bits of Biome activities provide a learning environment through
an inquiry-based approach that includes purposeful exploration and decision
making while using science process skills and hands-on experiences.
Activities are intended for use by both teachers and students.
In Bits of Biome students are guided to investigate characteristics
of biomes. Students explore climatic differences, populations, and ecosystems
in terrestrial biomes.
The activities in Bits of Biomes have been developed in accordance
with the National Science Education Standards.
Guiding Question :
To begin Bits of Biomes, introduce this guiding question to
your students:
"Do selected cities in our study really exhibit the characteristic
climatic conditions of their defined biome?"
Instructional Tasks :
Students collect climatic data on selected cities within each biome.
They use spreadsheets to explore their patterns in their climatic data.
Climatic data in different biomes are compared. Student groups
research characteristics of their biome. These include people and culture,
animal life (vertebrates and invertebrates), plant life and economic
conditions. Each student group contributes a section to a class
"World Travel Book". The "World Travel Book" can
be a class Web site, a hypermedia artifact, or a traditional paper artifact.
Throughout the implementation of this unit, students participate in
hands-on experiments that focus their learning on topics that include
habitats, predator/prey relationships, adaptations to environments,
and food chains.
