by Patrick Farace
Introduction Tasks Resources Process Evaluation Conclusion
Introduction: A biome is a geographical area characterized by certain ecosystems (plant and animal communities) as well as similar rainfall and temperature ranges. The abiotic, or nonliving parts of the environment, such as temperature, geography, and the amount of water available, influence the animals and plants that inhabit the area. Animals and plants in a biome interact with one another in several ways. These relationships can be expressed in a food web. Each biome is challenged by changes to these environmental factors. This often upsets the delicate balance that must be maintained to keep all the communities of the biome surviving. Many of these challenges are the result of man's living and changing the environment. That which we call progress has effects on the environment that we do not realize.
Tasks: Each student will be assigned a different biome to research. You are a member of a small study team. The organization that you work for develops background locations for reality like TV shows. Your boss is very ecology minded. He wants to try some different locations for the shows. He has directed you to research a specific biome and prepare a fact sheet so that he will be able to select the new locations for the show. To get a better feel for how much damage a show could cause to the ecology of the biome, he wants you to go into detail about the ecological concerns of the biome. You will research the assigned biome and complete the following tasks:
Task 1: Complete a biome fact sheet
detailing all the abiotic (non-living) factors of the biome and selected organisms that inhabit the
biome. You will submit your fact sheet as an electronic file. Only
your Food Web (Task 2) will be be on paper. Your fact sheet will be organized as described in the instruction
sheet that you received and will follow the following model:
Part 1 - Cover - (Your cover shows a map
with the biome marked, your name, period, date and name of biome.)
Part 2 - Location, Climate, and A-biotic Factors - (Describe the
location of the biome in the world, the climate - temperature, rainfall,
sunlight, amount of oxygen - any non-living or abiotic factor that could have an
effect on the organisms living there.) This section will consist of at
least 3 paragraphs of 8 sentences each.
Part 3 - Producers - Select at least 3 producers that
you will use in your food web (see task 2) Describe each producer in at least
one paragraph. Include each organism's scientific and common names as part
of your paragraph.
Part 4 - Consumers - Select at least 2 primary
consumers (herbivores), 3 secondary consumers (carnivores & omnivores), and
2 scavengers that you will use in
your food web (see task 2). Describe each of these organisms with at least
one complete paragraph description. Include each organism's
scientific and common names as part of your paragraph.
Part 5 - Ecological Concerns - List anything that
would threaten to upset the balance of nature in this biome.
Part 6 - References - List at least 5 web references -
web pages where you found your information.
Task 2: Prepare a food web using the program Inspiration or draw the food web using poster paper. Your food web should include all of the organisms detailed in Parts 3 & 4 of task 1. You should have at least 10 organisms in your food web. You may print out pictures of organisms for your food web. The actual food web will be at least 11 X 17. This paper supplied by the teacher. Your name and period will be placed on the back of the paper. You may use your own paper to make a larger food web.
Blue Planet -
http://blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm
Biomes of the world -
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/index.htm
The World's Biomes -
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/
World Biomes -
http://www.worldbiomes.com
Enchanted Learning -
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/
Biomes -
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/B/Biomes.html
Biomes of the World -
http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/biomes/biomes.html
Process: These are some basic instructions for this quest:
Task 1
Task 2 - Select the organisms that you research with care so that you can complete your food web. Your food web must be made on paper. supplied by the teacher. Copy and paste photographs of the organisms in your food web or find them and print pictures. An example food web is available for you to use.
Evaluation: Evaluation of the fact sheet (Task 1) will be in accordance with the standards used in team language arts paragraphs and content of the descriptions. The food web will be graded on the accuracy of the feeding relationships shown.
Conclusions: This WebQuest has introduced several important concepts of Life Science. You have discovered the diversity of living organisms. You have collected evidence and kept records of your research. You compared organisms scientifically. (GPS-S7L1) You made predictions of the outcome of moving an organism into a different biome. To do this you had to understand about the organism and the biome. You discovered how organisms depend on one another and their environment. You indicated in your food web how energy is transferred through an ecosystem (GPS-S7L4).
