Build-a-Biome

Apr 17 2011

Source: abowers

Summary Information

Keywords:

design, ecosystem, diversity, population, biotic, abiotic, environment, decomposer, producer, consumer, bottle, biome

Topic:

Earth Science

Target Grade (Ages):

Grade 8 (Ages 13-14)

Estimated Time Required:

5-8 hours

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LESSON

Goals and Prerequisites

Goals:

Students will:

Observe and analyze the interrelations between plant and animal survival
Learn how to build ‘ecosystem’ structures that mimic various ecosystems.

Prerequisites:

Students should:

Have a working knowledge of the scientific method.
Be able to keep a record of detailed notes and figures.
Be able to describe the difference between a living and nonliving organism.

Instructional Objective(s)

Explain how diversity of living and nonliving populations relate to stability.
List factors that limit growth of individuals and populations.
Explain how living and nonliving environments change over time and respond to disturbance.
Describe relationships between humans and the living environment.

Instructional Resources

Background:

PRE-PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Part One (1-2 class periods):

Start off the lesson with an overview of different biomes of the world. Students should take notes with a KWL chart. There are several alternatives. If you have a Netflix account, I would recommend viewing all or a portion of Home, directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, or Understanding Science: Volume 4: Ecosystems by Dr. Science (this one’s on instant!). If you don’t have a Netflix account, you can use one of two PowerPoints, found here:

teacher.kent.k12.wa.us/kentwood/estephens/documents/biomesstudentnotes.ppt: In-depth, covering more information about biotic and abiotic substances, weather patterns, etc., as well as biome information
www.azgfd.gov/i_e/ee/biomes.ppt: Overview ofthe world’s biomes with pictures and a few facts.

After they gain preliminary information, conduct a class discussion from these questions:

Compare and contrast the climates of each biome. Which biomes had similar precipitation averages? Which biomes had similar average temperatures?
Did students come across any plant or animals common in multiple biomes? Discuss why specific plants or animals can live in more than one biome.
Choose an extreme environment of a specific biome we just looked at and think about type of plants live there. For example, look at plants that live on a rocky cliff or the frozen tundra. What adaptations help them survive these extreme climates?
Consider the biome in which you live. What plants live in this biome? How are they affected by abiotic and biotic factors? What can humans do to protect the plant life in your biome?
Compare and contrast the environmental factors that consistently threaten the population size of plants in each biome. Which plants are threatened? Suggest steps for protection. Is this plant population of concern for the entire world?
Choose an area of the world for a road trip and describe the biomes that you would encounter during your trip. For example, you might start a road trip in Washington, D.C., and travel west to California and then up the Pacific coast to Alaska. How could you distinguish one biome from another? What characteristics set each biome apart?

Place students in groups of three for the duration of the project. Have them create and sign a contract for working successfully and receiving a satisfactory DAILY group participation grade. (Please see Group Work Rubic. ) Teacher can print out and staple multiple copies and have students tear off one rubric per class.

Part Two (2 class periods):

Activity 1

Students will generate research on a biome that the teacher provides. It is best for teachers to pick from the following (these biomes are easiest to recreate in the classroom without extra materials):

Grassland
Wetland
Coastal desert
Hot desert
Savanna
TropicalForest
Temperate Forest
Estuary
Taiga
Alpine or Arctic Tundra

Note: These biomes may be easily maintained depending on the natural climate in your region and time of year.

Students will be gathering all the information they need to recreate their biome. This is including, but not limited to: flora, fauna, topography, elevation, climate, and human influence. Designate one student at least two topics for research. Student research may be done in a variety of formats to suit the school and student resources, as well as time permitting for the teacher (computer carts, library, internet articles printed off and brought in, website suggestions below). After they have researched their environment, they will write up a one paragraph summary on each subject totaling AT LEAST 6 paragraphs (more if there are more group members).

Activity 2

Students will use the information from their research to create a materials list to build their biome. Pose questions (some found in materials list) to guide their materials list. Also consider what precautions will students set up for species? Sometimes, species will get sick, die, or escape. Have students explain how they would prevent/handle each of these situations in the most humane way possible. Show students examples of ways to construct biomes with photos. (I have some pictures from my class last year uploaded as well as other classroom biomes.) Have them explain what specific materials are feasible, affordable, and successful for their environment.

Activity 3

Print out or project the teacher anonymous blog, explaining how to make one particular type of biome to house an ecosystem at http://teacheranonymous.blogspot.com/2008/04/how-to-make-bottle-biome.html. Student groups will discuss how to make it differently depending on their biome. Then, draw up a blueprint of what their biome will look like on graph paper. Detail is important here. Have students write captions that explain how the blueprint will sustain the population. Be sure students do this before materials are purchased! A neighboring group will then critique draft of biome. Have students check to make sure that materials and construction make sense for their biome. Students critiquing work will give positive feedback, as well as one comment for improvement of the blueprint.

Note: Teachers will collect blueprints and materials list, OK the blueprints and create a shopping list for the following class period.

KWL Video

Materials:

Students will use the information from their research to create a materials list to build their biome. Pose the following questions to students to guide their materials list:

What abiotic resources do you need? Why?
What biotic resources including producers, consumers, and decomposers will you require?
How will they all get nutrients and oxygen?
When should you add them to your ecosystem?
How will you care for your biotic specimens in your environment?

Anticipate students needing some or all of the following:

Sand
Soil
Native plants
Pond/filtered water
Small terrestrial or aquatic species (redworms, snails, fish, crickets, mealworms, crayfish, etc.)
Rocks
Pebbles
2 liter soda bottles with caps
Twine
Clear plastic gallon-sized bags

Build-a-Biome Rubrics

Biome Project Rubric (KAREN LINK)
Group Work Rubric (KAREN LINK)

Biome Project Assessment

Biome Project Presentation Rubric

Build A Biome Image 1

Build A Biome Image 2

Group Assessment

Procedure:

PROJECT (5+ class periods)

Note: It is preferable to start your project near the end of the week to give students biomes time to establish themselves over the weekend.

Teacher will set out materials for students to create their biome that has been approved by the teacher and their peers. Students will take the materials that they asked for and begin constructing the ecosystem shell. (Reference the teacher anonymous blog.) After construction is complete, add soil, water, and aquatic plants and/or seeds to the ecosystem. WAIT UNTIL ECOSYSTEM IS ESTABLISHED/GROWING TO ADD LIVE SPECIMENS. This should take at least 5-7 days. Discuss with students about the necessity of this. (If they are added too soon, they will die without oxygen or food.) For examples of what the final product might look like, please see these photos:

Build-a-Biome Image 1 Build-a-Biome Image 2

Reflect and discuss the different designs in the room. How are they suited for each biome? Discuss the location of each biome for the duration of the project. Did the construction of the biomes match the blueprints made by each group? Did you have to make some changes? Why or why not?
Journaling your observations: Students will create a field journal to document the progress of their biome. Provide each student with several sheets of construction paper and colored construction paper. Fold the construction and graph paper in half, hole punch on either side and secure with string. Alternatively, staple the crease where the paper was folded. Each day they have class, each student will be taking detailed notes on their biome by answering questions to the following prompts:

Date:
Time:
Location (windowsill, chair, bookshelf, fridge, outdoors):
Outdoor weather conditions:
Number of producers
Number of consumers:
Number of decomposers:
Number Draw and describe any changes your biome
(First entry only) Describe the types of abiotic factors inside biome. What purpose do they serve?
(First entry only) What questions do you have about your biome? What you do predict will happen? Make a hypothesis stating the survival rate of each factor in your biome.
(Subsequent entries) Reflect on your previous entries. Why do you think these changes occurred? If there is no change, why not? What symbiotic relationships do you witness? If not, look at another group that has these relationships. What makes their biome successful? Should you interfere with your ecosystem? What are the implications of this?

Assessments and Rubrics

POST PROJECT

Part Four (2 class periods)

Student group members will combine observations from the project (a self-sustaining ecosystem should take about two weeks to stabilize) and present their findings to the rest of the class.

They will take students through the design process and discuss what they learned, errors, and ways to improve the project. One way to set up the presentation is as follows:

Have students compare notes from AT LEAST five days of observations.
Write key points from the checklist on notecards, bring up biome and present information.
Have each student present two checklist points for credit.

Checklist:

Did you answer the questions you originally ask about your biome? Explain.
Reflect on the amount of wildlife in the biome from one observation to the next. Does the ecosystem function on its own? Why or why not?
What did you learn about the role of producers, consumers, and decomposers in your biome?
Why are both biotic and abotic factors important for an ecosystem to be successful?
Did you disturb your biome in any way? For what reason? How does this simulate human impacts in our own ecosystem?

See Biome Project Rubric for grading.

Biome Project Assessment

Biome Project Presentation Rubric

Build a Biome Rubric (XLS)

Build a Biome Rubric (XLSX)

Group Assessment

Credits

Discussion questions for Pre-Project provided by: Mary C. Cahill, middle school science coordinator, Potomac School, McLean, Virginia.

RESOURCES

Original Resources

Biome Project Assessment

Biome Project Presentation Rubric

Build A Biome Image 1

Build A Biome Image 2

Build a Biome Rubric (XLS)

Build a Biome Rubric (XLSX)

Group Assessment

KWL Video

Contributed Resources

Contribute a Resource

Click the button above if you would like to contribute a resource to this lesson.

STANDARDS

Click here to add Standards

The Living Environment Core Curriculum

Standard Type: New York

Objective 1:

Standard 6.1a: Energy flows through ecosystems in one direction, typically from the Sun, through photosynthetic organisms including green plants and algae, to herbivores to carnivores and decomposers.
Standard 6.3b: Through ecological succession, all ecosystems progress though a sequence of changes during which one ecological community modifies the environment, making it more suitable for another community. These long-term gradual changes result in the community reaching a point of stability that can last for hundreds or thousands of years.

Objective 2:

Standard 6.1d: The number of organisms any habitat can support (carrying capacity) is limited by the available energy, water, oxygen, and minerals, and by the ability of ecosystems to recycle the residue of dead organisms through the activities of bacteria and fungi.
Standard 6.1e: In any particular environment, the growth and survival of organisms depend on the physical conditions including light intensity, temperature range, mineral availability, soil/rock type, and relative acidity (pH).
Standard 7.1a: The Earth had finite resources; increasing human consumption of resources paces stress on the natural processes that renew some resources and deplete those resources that cannot be renewed.

Objective 3:

Standard 6.3c: A stable ecosystem can be altered, either rapidly or slowly, through the activities of organisms (including humans), or through climatic changes or natural disasters.The altered ecosystem can usually recover through gradual changes back to a point of long-term stability.

Objective 4:

Standard 7.1c: Human beings are part of the Earth’s ecosystem. Human activities can, deliberately or inadvertently, alter the equilibrium in ecosystems. Humans modify ecosystems as a result of population growth, consumption, and technology. Human destruction of habitats through direct harvesting, pollution, atmospheric changes, and other factors are threatening current global stability, and if not addressed, ecosystems may be irreversibly affected.
Standard 7.2b: When humans alter ecosystems wither by adding or removing specific organisms, serious consequences may result. For example, planting large expanses of one crop reduces the biodiversity of the area.

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