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© Copyright 2002 • AIMS Multimedia • Biologically Speaking: Biomes of the World • #2603

Biologically Speaking: Biomes of the WorldINTRODUCTION TO THE AIMS TEACHING MODULE (ATM)

Rationale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Organization and Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

INTRODUCING Biologically Speaking: Biomes of the World

Jump Right In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

PREPARATION FOR VIEWING

Introduction to the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Introduction to Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Discussion Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

AFTER VIEWING THE PROGRAM

Suggested Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Checking Comprehension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Which Biome is It? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11True or False . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Word Search Puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Spell it Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14And That Biome Is… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

ADDITIONAL AIMS MULTIMEDIA PROGRAMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

ANSWER KEYS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19


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Congratulations!You have chosen a learning program that will actively motivate your students and provide you with easily accessible and easily manageableinstructional guidelines and tools designed to make your teaching role efficient and rewarding.

The AIMS Teaching Module (ATM) provides you with a video program correlated to your classroom curriculum, instructions and guidelines foruse, plus a comprehensive teaching program containing a wide range of activities and ideas for interaction between all content areas. Ourauthors, educators, and consultants have written and reviewed the AIMS Teaching Modules to align with the Educate America Act: Goals 2000.

This ATM, with its clear definition of manageability, both in the classroom and beyond, allows you to tailor specific activities to meet all of yourclassroom needs.

AIMS Teaching Module written by Pat Davies© Copyright 2002 AIMS Multimedia

All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted without written permission of AIMS Multimedia with these exceptions: Persons or schools purchasing thisAIMS Teaching Module may reproduce consumable ATM pages, identified in Section 4, for student or classroom use.

AIMS Multimedia is a leading producer and distributor of educational programs serving schools and libraries since 1957. AIMS draws upon the most up-to-date knowledge, existingand emerging technologies, and all of the instructional and pedagogical resources available to develop and distribute educational programs in videocassette and CD-ROM.

Persons or schools interested in obtaining additional copies of this AIMS Teaching Module, please contact:

AIMS Multimedia at:Toll Free: 1-800-367-2467

Fax: 818-341-6700Web: www.aimsmultimedia.comEmail: [email protected]

RATIONALE

In today’s classrooms, educational pedagogy is often founded onBenjamin S. Bloom’s “Six Levels of Cognitive Complexity.” Thepractical application of Bloom’s Taxonomy is to evaluate students’thinking skills on these levels, from the simple to the complex:

1. Knowledge (rote memory skills), 2. Comprehension (the ability to relate or retell), 3. Application (the ability to apply knowledge outside its origin), 4. Analysis (relating and differentiating parts of a whole), 5. Synthesis (relating parts to a whole)6. Evaluation (making a judgment or formulating an opinion).

The AIMS Teaching Module is designed to facilitate these intellectualcapabilities, and to integrate classroom experiences and assimilationof learning with the students’ life experiences, realities, andexpectations. AIMS’ learner verification studies prove that our AIMSTeaching Modules help students to absorb, retain, and to demonstrateability to use new knowledge in their world. Our educationalmaterials are written and designed for today’s classroom, whichincorporates a wide range of intellectual, cultural, physical, andemotional diversities.

ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT

To facilitate ease in classroom manageability, the AIMS TeachingModule is organized in three sections:

I. Introducing this ATM will give you the specific information you need to integrate theprogram into your classroom curriculum.

II. Preparation for Viewing provides suggestions and strategies for motivation, languagepreparedness, readiness, and focus prior to viewing the programwith your students.

III. After Viewing the Program provides suggestions for additional activities plus an assortment ofconsumable assessment and extended activities, designed to broadencomprehension of the topic and to make connections to othercurriculum content areas.


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FEATURESINTRODUCING THE ATM

Your AIMS Teaching Module is designed toaccompany a video program written andproduced by some of the world’s mostcredible and creative writers and producersof educational programming. To facilitatediversity and flexibility in your classroomand to provide assessment tools, your AIMSTeaching Module features these components:

ThemesThis section tells how the AIMS TeachingModule is correlated to the curriculum.Themes offers suggestions for interactionwith other curriculum content areas,enabling teachers to use the teachingmodule to incorporate the topic into avariety of learning areas.

OverviewThe Overview provides a synopsis of contentcovered in the video program. Its purpose isto give you a summary of the subject matterand to enhance your introductorypreparation.

ObjectivesThe ATM learning objectives provideguidelines for teachers to assess whatlearners can be expected to gain from eachprogram. After completion of the AIMSTeaching Module, your students will be ableto demonstrate dynamic and appliedcomprehension of”” the topic.

Preparation for ViewingIn preparation for viewing the videoprogram, the AIMS Teaching Module offersactivity and/or discussion ideas that youmay use in any order or combination.

Introduction To The ProgramIntroduction to the Program is designed toenable students to recall or relate priorknowledge about the topic and to preparethem for what they are about to learn.

Introduction To VocabularyIntroduction to Vocabulary is a review oflanguage used in the program: words,phrases, and usage. This vocabularyintroduction is designed to ensure that alllearners, including limited Englishproficiency learners, will have fullunderstanding of the language usage in thecontent of the program.

Discussion IdeasDiscussion Ideas are designed to help youassess students’ prior knowledge about thetopic and to give students a preview of whatthey will learn. Active discussion stimulatesinterest in a subject and can motivate eventhe most reluctant learner. Listening, as wellas speaking, is active participation.Encourage your students to participate at therate they feel comfortable. Model sharingpersonal experiences when applicable, andmodel listening to students’ ideas andopinions.

FocusHelp learners set a purpose for watching theprogram with Focus, designed to givestudents a focal point for comprehensioncontinuity.

Jump Right InJump Right In provides abbreviatedinstructions for quick management of theprogram.

After Viewing the ProgramAfter your students have viewed theprogram, you may introduce any or all ofthese activities to interact with othercurriculum content areas, providereinforcement, assess comprehension skills,or provide hands-on and in-depth extendedstudy of the topic.


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SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

The Suggested Activities offer ideas foractivities you can direct in the classroom orhave your students complete independently,in pairs, or in small work groups after theyhave viewed the program. To accommodateyour range of classroom needs, the activitiesare organized into skills categories. Theirlabels will tell you how to identify eachactivity and help you correlate it into yourclassroom curriculum. To help you scheduleyour classroom lesson time, the AIMShourglass gives you an estimate of the timeeach activity should require. Some of theactivities fall into these categories:

Meeting Individual NeedsThese activities are designedto aid in classroom continuity.Reluctant learners andlearners acquiring Englishwill benefit from these

activities geared to enhance comprehensionof language in order to fully grasp contentmeaning.

Curriculum ConnectionsMany of the suggestedactivities are intended tointegrate the content of theATM program into othercontent areas of the

classroom curriculum. These cross-connections turn the classroom teachingexperience into a whole learningexperience.

Critical Thinking Critical Thinking activities aredesigned to stimulatelearners’ own opinions and

ideas. These activities require students to usethe thinking process to discern fact fromopinion, consider their own problems andformulate possible solutions, drawconclusions, discuss cause and effect, orcombine what they already know with whatthey have learned to make inferences.

Cultural Diversity Each AIMS Teaching Modulehas an activity called CulturalAwareness, Cultural Diversity,

or Cultural Exchange that encouragesstudents to share their backgrounds,cultures, heritage, or knowledge of othercountries, customs, and language.

Hands OnThese are experimental ortactile activities that relatedirectly to the material taughtin the program. Your students

will have opportunities to make discoveriesand formulate ideas on their own, based onwhat they learn in this unit.

WritingEvery AIMS Teaching Modulewill contain an activitydesigned for students to usethe writing process to express

their ideas about what they have learned.The writing activity may also help them tomake the connection between what they arelearning in this unit and how it applies toother content areas.

In The NewsroomEach AIMS Teaching Modulecontains a newsroom activity

designed to help students make therelationship between what they learn in theclassroom and how it applies in their world.The purpose of In The Newsroom is toactively involve each class member in awhole learning experience. Each student willhave an opportunity to perform all of thetasks involved in production: writing,researching, producing, directing, andinterviewing as they create their ownclassroom news program.

Extended ActivitiesThese activities provideopportunities for students towork separately or together toconduct further research,

explore answers to their own questions, orapply what they have learned to othermedia or content areas.

Link to the World These activities offer ideasfor connecting learners’classroom activities to their

community and the rest of the world.

Culminating ActivityTo wrap up the unit, AIMSTeaching Modules offersuggestions for ways toreinforce what students have

learned and how they can use their newknowledge to enhance their worldview.

ART

5© Copyright 2002 • AIMS Multimedia • Biologically Speaking: Biomes of the World • #2603

ADDITIONAL ATM FEATURES

VocabularyEvery ATM contains an activity thatreinforces the meaning and usage of thevocabulary words introduced in theprogram content. Students will read or findthe definition of each vocabulary word, thenuse the word in a written sentence.

Checking ComprehensionChecking Comprehension is designed tohelp you evaluate how well your studentsunderstand, retain, and recall theinformation presented in the AIMS TeachingModule. Depending on your students’ needs,you may direct this activity to the wholegroup yourself, or you may want to havestudents work on the activity pageindependently, in pairs, or in small groups.Students can verify their written answersthrough discussion or by viewing the video asecond time. If you choose, you canreproduce the answers from your AnswerKey or write the answer choices in a WordBank for students to use. Students can usethis completed activity as a study guide toprepare for the test.

Reproducible ActivitiesThe AIMS Teaching Module provides aselection of reproducible activities, designedto specifically reinforce the content of thislearning unit. Whenever applicable, theyare arranged in order from low to highdifficulty level, to allow a seamlessfacilitation of the learning process. You maychoose to have students take these activitieshome or to work on them in the classroomindependently, in pairs or in small groups.

Checking VocabularyThe checking Vocabulary activity providesthe opportunity for students to assess theirknowledge of new vocabulary with this wordgame or puzzle. The format of thisvocabulary activity allows students to use therelated words and phrases in a differentcontext.

TestThe AIMS Teaching Module Test permits youto assess students’ understanding of whatthey have learned. The test is formatted inone of several standard test formats to giveyour students a range of experiences in test-taking techniques. Be sure to read, orremind students to read, the directionscarefully and to read each answer choicebefore making a selection. Use the AnswerKey to check their answers.

Additional AIMS MultimediaProgramsAfter you have completed this AIMSTeaching Module you may be interested inmore of the programs that AIMS offers. Thislist includes several related AIMS programs.

Answer KeyReproduces tests and work pages withanswers marked.

JUMP RIGHT IN

Preparation• Read Biologically Speaking: Biomes of

the World Themes, Overview, andObjectives to become familiar withprogram content and expectations.

• Use Preparation for Viewingsuggestions to introduce the topic tostudents.

Viewing• Set up viewing monitor so that all

students have a clear view.

• Depending on your classroom size andlearning range, you may choose tohave students view BiologicallySpeaking: Biomes of the World togetheror in small groups.

• Some students may benefit fromviewing the video more than one time.

After Viewing • Select Suggested Activities that

integrate into your classroomcurriculum. If applicable, gathermaterials or resources.

• Choose the best way for students towork on each activity. Some activitieswork best for the whole group. Otheractivities are designed for students towork independently, in pairs, or insmall groups. Whenever possible,encourage students to share their workwith the rest of the group.

• Duplicate the appropriate number ofVocabulary, Checking Comprehension,and consumable activity pages for yourstudents.

• You may choose to have students takeconsumable activities home, orcomplete them in the classroom,independently, or in groups.

• Administer the Test to assess students’comprehension of what they havelearned, and to provide them withpractice in test-taking procedures.

• Use the Culminating Activity as a forumfor students to display, summarize,extend, or share what they havelearned with each other, the rest of theschool, or a local communityorganization.


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Biologically Speaking: Biomes of the WorldThemes

Biologically Speaking: Biomes Of TheWorld explores the seven major biomesof the Earth. Students will learn how abiome’s climate is influenced by theregion’s latitude, elevation, and near-ness to oceans and mountains. The rela-tionship of climate to organisms in thesurrounding region, the plant life andanimal life of each biome, and eachbiome’s typical geographic features arealso explored.

Overview

Most of the Earth’s surface is populatedwith plant and animal life. However,there are many variations in the types oforganisms that occupy different regions.Large areas that are populated by char-acteristic plant and animal life arecalled biomes. Biologically Speaking:Biomes Of The World explores the envi-ronmental factors that govern theseregions.

Objectives

• To study each of the seven majorbiomes of the Earth

• To explain the factors that deter-mine climate, including latitude,elevation, and nearness to oceansand mountains

• To discuss the relationship betweenclimate and organisms in the bio-mes

• To study the characteristic animaland plant life of each biome

• To discuss the geographical featuresof each biome, and their effects onthe region

Introduction to the Program

Each area of the Earth is populated withits own unique variety of plants and ani-mals. Regions such as the tropical rain-forest with its high temperatures,abundant rainfall and plentiful foodsupply, are home to millions of speciesof organisms. Other areas, such asharsh deserts, are populated by only thehardiest of organisms, those able towithstand extreme temperatures and ascarcity of water. Links between aregion’s geographic location, its cli-mate, and the organisms that surviveand thrive there are what give the Earththe broad versatility of its biomes.

Introduction to Vocabulary

Write the following words on the boardand explain that they will be referencedin the video. Some students may beunfamiliar with the terms. If the meaningof any word is unclear to the group, askvolunteers to use an appropriate refer-ence source to check the term andreport their findings to the class.

Encourage students to note the contextin which the words are used in the pro-gram, and to be prepared to discusstheir meaning.

biome, climate, coniferous forest, decid-uous forest, desert, freshwater, grass-land, latitude, marine, temperaterainforest, tropical rainforest, tundra

Discussion Ideas

Ask the class to name as many climateregions as they can. Accept answerssuch as desert, forest, mountain, andcoastal. What factors contribute to theclimates of these regions? Can climatesbe influenced only by natural factors, orcan they also be influenced by factorscaused by humans? (Natural factorssuch as latitude, elevation, temperature,humidity, wind patterns, and nearnessto mountains or bodies of water can allaffect climate. Humans can also changea region’s climate. For example, largeforests once covered much of the east-ern U.S. Most of those forests were cutdown, and the land turned into grass-land for grazing, or into large townsand cities. Elsewhere in the world - suchas in Egypt - dry lands have been irri-gated and turned into fertile farmland.)

Focus

Ask students to think for a few momentsabout their surroundings - the biome inwhich they live. What other types ofbiomes would they like to visit? Tell themthey are about to learn more about theEarth’s biomes, and what makes each ofthem diverse, interesting, and unique.


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SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

Connection to GeographyThe factors of latitude, elevation, temperature, wind speed, and nearness to mountains and oceanscombine to create a region’s climate. Have students work in small groups, using appropriate referenceresources, to learn more about the climate of their community or state. What is the elevation? The aver-age temperature at this time of year? What is the latitude? How close are mountains, the ocean or otherlarge bodies of water? How do these factors contribute to the area’s climate? When they have con-cluded their research, have each groups compile their information into a report and select a represen-tative to present their findings to the class.

Meeting Individual NeedsAsk students to look up the words climate, weather, and environment in the dictionary. What does eachword mean? What do the words have in common? (Climate is the average weather of a region.Weather is a region’s current state of temperature, precipitation, wind speed, humidity and other fac-tors. Environment consists of surrounding objects and conditions, including weather.)

Cultural DiversityWhat might it be like to live in a desert? On a coastal island? In a temperate rainforest? Ask studentsto research one of the locations listed to learn more about its climate, people and lifestyles. Tell them toassume the persona of a student living in that region and write a one-page diary entry about their day’sactivities, including elements of the outdoors.

African Savanna (grassland)Brazilian Rainforest (tropical rainforest)Cairo, Egypt (desert)Canadian Pacific Coast (temperate rainforest)Jamaica (marine aquatic biome)

Connection to ArtUsing information from the Cultural Diversity activity, ask students to draw an outdoor scene mentionedin their diary entry. Encourage them to include themselves in the drawing. What articles of clothing arethey wearing? What buildings are nearby? What are nearby people doing? What kinds of plants andanimals are included in the picture?

Label a classroom wall as “Biomes of the World” and display the drawings, grouped by location.

In the NewsroomDivide the class into seven groups and assign each group one of the seven major biomes to researchand prepare a news report on, “Our Biome, the Whole Story.” Ask them to research details of geo-graphic location, latitude, elevation, climate, and the variety of animals, plants and other living organ-isms common there. Have each group select one or two anchorpersons to present their news story tothe class. If feasible, videotape their presentations for review and further discussion.

60 Minutes

GEOGRAPHY

30 Minutes

60 Minutes

30 Minutes

ART

Extended


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Critical ThinkingThe biome we live in affects many things in our lives. How do our surroundings and weather affect whatwe wear? How might our food supply differ from what is available in other biomes? Would adults’ jobsor the sports, hobbies and other outdoor activities we enjoy be possible in other biomes? How mightour homes, schools and roads need to be different if our biome was different? (Student answers willvary, but should include discussion of temperature, precipitation, plant and animal life and other fac-tors that greatly influence lifestyle.)

Hands OnMany biomes can exist within the same country. After the class has determined what type biome theircommunity is located in, encourage students to spend a few days exploring their outdoor environment.Provide each student with a small notebook for the purpose and ask them to make notes of any animallife they observe, as well as the current weather patterns. If feasible, have them also collect small spec-imens of plant life. They should also include drawings of animals, larger plants and geographical fea-tures such as mountains or rivers. When the assignment is concluded, display the notebooks so thatstudents can enjoy the work of their classmates.

Link to the WorldAll over the world, changes are occurring in various biomes. Some of these changes have been blamedon human actions, such as the burning of fossil fuels. Acid rain from the burning of coal has alreadydamaged much of the Earth’s forests, coral reefs, and coastal communities. In addition, rainforests arebeing destroyed to make room for grazing livestock. The damage to the ozone layer, the subsequentgreenhouse effect and the beginning of polar ice cap melting are also blamed in part on the use of fos-sil fuels.

Ask students to think about these problems for a few moments. What are some ways that everyone canhelp protect the Earth’s biomes? Who is responsible for doing these things? (Answers will vary, butshould include: using less electrical power, carpooling, recycling paper, metal cans, plastics, using solarenergy as feasible, cleaning up pollution and supporting laws that protect the Earth, contributing timeor money to conservation groups. As far as responsibility goes - it’s the responsibility of everyone liv-ing on Earth to do these things.)

Culminating ActivityHave students work individually or in small groups to create a multi-media presentation about the biomein which they live. Brainstorm with the class the topics that should be covered, as well as the types ofmaterials and media they would like to include in their presentation. Have each individual or group pre-sent to the entire class. If feasible, videotape their presentations for review and further discussion.

30 Minutes

Extended

45 Minutes

Extended

Name

VOCABULARY

The following vocabulary words are from Biologically Speaking: Biomes Of The World. Fill in the numberof each term next to its closest definition, then on a separate piece of paper use each term in a sentence.

1. biome2. climate3. coniferous forest4. deciduous forest5. desert6. freshwater7. grassland8. latitude9. marine10. temperate rainforest11. tropical rainforest12. tundra

________ hot regions near the equator with extremely wet weather and abundant plant and animal life

________ distance north or south or the equator, measured in degrees

________ area populated by broadleaf trees, with fairly mild winters

________ the combination of average temperature, precipitation, and other weather factors in an area

________ hot, dry region with little plant life

________ a type of aquatic biome, featuring salt water, such as coastal waters, coral reefs, and open oceans

________ area populated by evergreen trees, with fairly cold winters

________ region with abundant plant life, but few trees

________ area with heavy rainfall and lots of trees, mostly coniferous

________ large area populated by characteristic plant and animal life

________ aquatic regions such as ponds, lakes, and rivers

________ vast, treeless arctic or alpine plain


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Name

CHECKING COMPREHENSION

Read the following sentences and circle the letters of the words that best fill each blank.

In order for life to exist, there are four basic requirements. Nutrients, such as 1 , are needed to make living cells. Energymust also be available, either from the sun or from 2 energy stored in the tissues of other organisms. The third require-ment is 3 . The final requirement for life is a range of 4 that allow chemical reactions to take place. In dif-ferent areas of the Earth these basic requirements are more, or less, available. The overall availability of these requirements in aregion result in that region being a certain type of 5 , or a region with characteristic plants and animals. An area’saverage weather, or 6 , is affected by many environmental factors. Elevation and nearness to 7 can helpdetermine the temperature and rainfall of a particular region. 8 , or location north and south of the equator, is anotherfactor that contributes to climate. Places close to the 9 , which has a latitude of zero degrees, are very hot and wet.These environmental and geographical factors determine a biome’s 10 .


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1.a) ice and fireb) water and airc) calcium and nitrogend) salt and sand

2. a) chemicalb) electricalc) solard) ocean

3. a) saltb) waterc) oxygend) oil

4. a) animalsb) plantsc) temperaturesd) weather patterns

5. a) countriesb) precipitationc) hemispheresd) biomes

6. a) climateb) latitudec) elevationd) forecast

7.a) mountains and oceansb) towns and citiesc) plants and animalsd) none of the above

8. a) temperaturesb) longitudec) latituded) elevation

9. a) equatorb) sunc) desertd) grassland

10.a) plant lifeb) animal lifec) weatherd) all of the above

Name

WHICH BIOME IS IT?

Draw a line from the biome in the left-hand column to its correct description in the right-hand column.


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coniferous forest

deciduous forest

desert

freshwater

grassland

marine

temperate rainforest

tropical rainforest

tundra

either oligotrophic or eutrophic

broad leaves drop off in autumn

dry, bare ground, with some vegetation

wet, coastal area with coniferous trees

can be either arctic or alpine

gets enough rain for plants, but not trees

trees stay green year round

includes coral reefs and vent communities

hot, wet, with many layers of vegetation

Name

TRUE OR FALSE

Place a T beside each true statement and an F beside each false statement.

1. ________ Latitude is the average temperature of a region.

2. ________ The British Isles are warmer than would be expected because of the warm ocean currents of the Gulf Stream.

3. ________ Deciduous trees have broad leaves that help them conduct photosynthesis all year long.

4. ________ Some desert mammals are so efficient at using and storing water from the plants they eat that they can go their

whole lives without drinking water.

5. ________ Higher elevations have lower temperatures because the air is more dense.

6. ________ The Earth’s marine biomes cover about one-third of the planet.

7. ________ Tropical rainforests are believed to contain about half the planet’s species.

8. ________ The waxy coating and needle-like shape of their leaves help evergreens minimize water loss.

9. ________ The equator has a latitude of 90 degrees, the highest latitude possible.

10. ________ Tundras can occur because of a high elevation or a far northern latitude.


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Name

WORD SEARCH PUZZLE

These vocabulary words from Biologically Speaking: Biomes Of The World can be found in the maze below.The letters of the words may be arranged horizontally, vertically, diagonally or backwards.

X B L M R C V Z T M W K

C L I M A T E Q R Y G P

G F L O S W X B O D R H

J R A F M P R D P Z A K

T E T P J E W D I C S M

F S I U W R V G C Z S D

E H T M N P W Q A S L R

N W U P F D G H L R A D

I A D P F O R E S T N M

R T E W X N P A S Y D V

A E R Q P D F G J L M H

M R Y W J K T R E S E D

WORD BANKbiomeclimatedesertforest

freshwatergrasslandlatitudemarinetropicaltundra


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Name

SPELL IT OUT

Use the clues below to fill in the missing letters.

1. W ____________________________________

2. O ____________________________________

3. R ____________________________________

4. L ____________________________________

5. D ____________________________________

6. B ____________________________________

7. I ____________________________________

8. O ____________________________________

9. M ____________________________________

10. E ____________________________________

11. S ____________________________________

a) common standard of measurement for rainfall or other precipitation

b) found at a latitude of zero degrees

c) describes a poorly fed body of fresh water

d) trees that drop their leaves in autumn

e) type of energy used by plants during photosynthesis

f) liquid contained in cells of all living organisms

g) biome that receives great amounts of rainfall

h) area populated with characteristic plant and animal life

i) nearness to these can change an area’s climate

j) measured in degrees north and south of the equator

k) a type of marine biome


14

Name

AND THAT BIOME IS ...

Next to each phrase below, write the name of the biome being described.

1. ____________________________ trees drop their leaves in the autumn

2. ____________________________ single-celled phytoplankton are the main food source here

3. ____________________________ large inputs of sediment and nutrients make these areas murky and low in oxygen

4. ____________________________ much of the animal life is arboreal because there are few edible plants near

the ground

5. ____________________________ plants grow close to the ground to protect themselves from the harsh winter winds

6. ____________________________ in the United States, most of these areas have been converted to growing crops or

for grazing livestock

7. ____________________________ most animals sleep during the day in underground burrows

8. ____________________________ trees have a resin that works as an antifreeze and flexible branches that help them

survive heavy snowfall


15

Name

TEST

Circle the letter of the correct answer.

1. The four basis requirements of life are:

a) carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium

b) sun, water, plants and nutrients

c) nutrients, energy, water and a range of temperature

d) soil, energy, water and solvents

2. Climate is the measure of a region’s:

a) humidity

b) wind speed

c) temperature and precipitation

d) all of the above

3. The distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees, is known as:

a) elevation

b) longitude

c) latitude

d) none of the above

4. There are _______________ major types of biomes on the Earth.

a) seven

b) ten

c) four

d) twelve

5. Much of the animal life in a tropical rainforest is arboreal, referring to animals that:

a) are most active at night

b) live in trees

c) live near water

d) live underground


16

Name

TEST (CONTINUED)

6. Since most desert animals are nocturnal, they spend the daytime hours:

a) resting in underground burrows

b) hunting

c) laying in the sun

d) looking for trees to climb

7. Which of the following is a food source in open ocean marine biomes?

a) phytoplankton

b) kelp

c) zooplankton

d) answers a and c

8. Grasslands cannot support the growth of trees because:

a) too much rainfall causes them to flood

b) constant snowfall freezes growing plants

c) the climate is too warm

d) there is not enough rainfall

9. Freshwater that is poorly fed based on nutrient content is:

a) oligotrophic

b) murky

c) eutrophic

d) oxygen-poor

10. What are the major types of marine biomes?

a) aquatic, stream-fed, coastal and temperate

b) coral reef, freshwater and open ocean

c) eutrophic, tide pool and coral reef

d) coastal waters, coral reefs, open ocean and vent communities


17


18

ADDITIONAL AIMS MULTIMEDIA PROGRAMS

You and your students might also enjoy these other AIMS Multimedia programs:

2604-EN-VID: Biologically Speaking: Ecosystems and the Cycles of Nature8207-EN-VID: Animal Communities8559-EN-VID: Ecosystems: Nature in Balance8206-EN-VID: How Animals Survive8205-EN-VID: How We Classify Animals8598-EN-VID: Learning abut Science: Flowers

ANSWER KEY for page 9


19

VOCABULARY

The following vocabulary words are from Biologically Speaking: Biomes Of The World. Fill in the numberof each term next to its closest definition, then on a separate piece of paper use each term in a sentence.

1. biome2. climate3. coniferous forest4. deciduous forest5. desert6. freshwater7. grassland8. latitude9. marine10. temperate rainforest11. tropical rainforest12. tundra

________ hot regions near the equator with extremely wet weather and abundant plant and animal life

________ distance north or south or the equator, measured in degrees

________ area populated by broadleaf trees, with fairly mild winters

________ the combination of average temperature, precipitation, and other weather factors in an area

________ hot, dry region with little plant life

________ a type of aquatic biome, featuring salt water, such as coastal waters, coral reefs, and open oceans

________ area populated by evergreen trees, with fairly cold winters

________ region with abundant plant life, but few trees

________ area with heavy rainfall and lots of trees, mostly coniferous

________ large area populated by characteristic plant and animal life

________ aquatic regions such as ponds, lakes, and rivers

________ vast, treeless arctic or alpine plain

Students’ sentences will vary; accept any that demonstrate understanding.

11

12

6

1

10

7

3

9

5

2

4

8



20

CHECKING COMPREHENSION

Read the following sentences and circle the letters of the words that best fill each blank.

In order for life to exist, there are four basic requirements. Nutrients, such as 1 , are needed to make living cells. Energymust also be available, either from the sun or from 2 energy stored in the tissues of other organisms. The third require-ment is 3 . The final requirement for life is a range of 4 that allow chemical reactions to take place. In dif-ferent areas of the Earth these basic requirements are more, or less, available. The overall availability of these requirements in aregion result in that region being a certain type of 5 , or a region with characteristic plants and animals. An area’saverage weather, or 6 , is affected by many environmental factors. Elevation and nearness to 7 can helpdetermine the temperature and rainfall of a particular region. 8 , or location north and south of the equator, is anotherfactor that contributes to climate. Places close to the 9 , which has a latitude of zero degrees, are very hot and wet.These environmental and geographical factors determine a biome’s 10 .

1.a) ice and fireb) water and airc) calcium and nitrogend) salt and sand

2. a) chemicalb) electricalc) solard) ocean

3. a) saltb) waterc) oxygend) oil

4. a) animalsb) plantsc) temperaturesd) weather patterns

5. a) countriesb) precipitationc) hemispheresd) biomes

6. a) climateb) latitudec) elevationd) forecast

7.a) mountains and oceansb) towns and citiesc) plants and animalsd) none of the above

8. a) temperaturesb) longitudec) latituded) elevation

9. a) equatorb) sunc) desertd) grassland

10.a) plant lifeb) animal lifec) weatherd) all of the above



21

WHICH BIOME IS IT?

Draw a line from the biome in the left-hand column to its correct description in the right-hand column.

coniferous forest

deciduous forest

desert

freshwater

grassland

marine

temperate rainforest

tropical rainforest

tundra

either oligotrophic or eutrophic

broad leaves drop off in autumn

dry, bare ground, with some vegetation

wet, coastal area with coniferous trees

can be either arctic or alpine

gets enough rain for plants, but not trees

trees stay green year round

includes coral reefs and vent communities

hot, wet, with many layers of vegetation



22

TRUE OR FALSE

Place a T beside each true statement and an F beside each false statement.

1. ________ Latitude is the average temperature of a region.

2. ________ The British Isles are warmer than would be expected because of the warm ocean currents of the Gulf Stream.

3. ________ Deciduous trees have broad leaves that help them conduct photosynthesis all year long.

4. ________ Some desert mammals are so efficient at using and storing water from the plants they eat that they can go their

whole lives without drinking water.

5. ________ Higher elevations have lower temperatures because the air is more dense.

6. ________ The Earth’s marine biomes cover about one-third of the planet.

7. ________ Tropical rainforests are believed to contain about half the planet’s species.

8. ________ The waxy coating and needle-like shape of their leaves help evergreens minimize water loss.

9. ________ The equator has a latitude of 90 degrees, the highest latitude possible.

10. ________ Tundras can occur because of a high elevation or a far northern latitude.

F

T

F

T

T

F

F

T

F

T



23

WORD SEARCH PUZZLE

These vocabulary words from Biologically Speaking: Biomes Of The World can be found in the maze below.The letters of the words may be arranged horizontally, vertically, diagonally or backwards.

X B L M R C V Z T M W K

C L I M A T E Q R Y G P

G F L O S W X B O D R H

J R A F M P R D P Z A K

T E T P J E W D I C S M

F S I U W R V G C Z S D

E H T M N P W Q A S L R

N W U P F D G H L R A D

I A D P F O R E S T N M

R T E W X N P A S Y D V

A E R Q P D F G J L M H

M R Y W J K T R E S E D

WORD BANKbiomeclimatedesertforest

freshwatergrasslandlatitudemarinetropicaltundra



24

SPELL IT OUT

Use the clues below to fill in the missing letters.

1. W ____________________________________

2. O ____________________________________

3. R ____________________________________

4. L ____________________________________

5. D ____________________________________

6. B ____________________________________

7. I ____________________________________

8. O ____________________________________

9. M ____________________________________

10. E ____________________________________

11. S ____________________________________

a) common standard of measurement for rainfall or other precipitation

b) found at a latitude of zero degrees

c) describes a poorly fed body of fresh water

d) trees that drop their leaves in autumn

e) type of energy used by plants during photosynthesis

f) liquid contained in cells of all living organisms

g) biome that receives great amounts of rainfall

h) area populated with characteristic plant and animal life

i) nearness to these can change an area’s climate

j) measured in degrees north and south of the equator

k) a type of marine biome

ater

olar

quator

ountains

pen ocean

nches

iome

eciduous

atitude

ainforest

ligotrophic



25

AND THAT BIOME IS ...

Next to each phrase below, write the name of the biome being described.

1. ____________________________ trees drop their leaves in the autumn

2. ____________________________ single-celled phytoplankton are the main food source here

3. ____________________________ large inputs of sediment and nutrients make these areas murky and low in oxygen

4. ____________________________ much of the animal life is arboreal because there are few edible plants near

the ground

5. ____________________________ plants grow close to the ground to protect themselves from the harsh winter winds

6. ____________________________ in the United States, most of these areas have been converted to growing crops or

for grazing livestock

7. ____________________________ most animals sleep during the day in underground burrows

8. ____________________________ trees have a resin that works as an antifreeze and flexible branches that help them

survive heavy snowfall

deciduous forest

coniferous forest

desert

grasslands

tundra

tropical rainforest

eutrophic freshwater

open ocean marine



26

TEST

Circle the letter of the correct answer.

1. The four basis requirements of life are:

a) carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium

b) sun, water, plants and nutrients

c) nutrients, energy, water and a range of temperature

d) soil, energy, water and solvents

2. Climate is the measure of a region’s:

a) humidity

b) wind speed

c) temperature and precipitation

d) all of the above

3. The distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees, is known as:

a) elevation

b) longitude

c) latitude

d) none of the above

4. There are _______________ major types of biomes on the Earth.

a) seven

b) ten

c) four

d) twelve

5. Much of the animal life in a tropical rainforest is arboreal, referring to animals that:

a) are most active at night

b) live in trees

c) live near water

d) live underground



27

TEST (CONTINUED)

6. Since most desert animals are nocturnal, they spend the daytime hours:

a) resting in underground burrows

b) hunting

c) laying in the sun

d) looking for trees to climb

7. Which of the following is a food source in open ocean marine biomes?

a) phytoplankton

b) kelp

c) zooplankton

d) answers a and c

8. Grasslands cannot support the growth of trees because:

a) too much rainfall causes them to flood

b) constant snowfall freezes growing plants

c) the climate is too warm

d) there is not enough rainfall

9. Freshwater that is poorly fed based on nutrient content is:

a) oligotrophic

b) murky

c) eutrophic

d) oxygen-poor

10. What are the major types of marine biomes?

a) aquatic, stream-fed, coastal and temperate

b) coral reef, freshwater and open ocean

c) eutrophic, tide pool and coral reef

d) coastal waters, coral reefs, open ocean and vent communities

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