Major Biomes of the World

This module includes information about the major biomes of the world, including Marine, Freshwater, Desert, Tundra, Forests, and Grasslands. Students will have the opportunity to explore these different biomes, create biomes with an online tool called SwitchZoo, and to talk and write about their favorite biome and what makes it unique.

Resources and Technologies Used in This Module:

Nearpod - this is a program that should be very familiar to students. They will need to log in using the code given by their teacher. They will also need to enter their first name and last initial when they log into a presentation. This will let their teacher know they participated in the presentation and will allow their teacher to see their answers to quizzes and open-ended questions to check for student understanding of the material.
Canvas - There are several different features in Canvas your student will use for this lesson, including assignments, quizzes, and discussions. Students may also be asked to take a picture of an assignment and upload it into Canvas as well as type a written response into Canvas. To create a guardian account in Canvas, click here and scroll down to "Help for Parents."
SwitchZoo - This game is accessible online and lets students try creating different biomes with plants, animals, climate, and precipitation.
Minecraft for Education - Teachers may assign a Minecraft activity as part of this module. There are biomes already created in this program and students can explore and build within these biomes. Students will need to download this program on their computer if they haven't already. They can do so by going to the Davis School District Student Resources page and clicking in the Mincraft Download link.

Enrichment Opportunities:

To learn more about biomes and the animals living in these environments, you can visit the following wesbsites:

At Home Activities:

Great Books about Biomes and Natural Resources:

Informational Books

Where Is the Great Barrier Reef?
Where Is Antarctica?
Where Is the Amazon?
Where Are The Galapagos Islands?
Who Was Earnest Shackleton?
The Magic School Bus: On the Ocean Floor
The Magic School Bus: Polar Animals
The Magic School Bus: The Rain Forest
The Magic School Bus: Sea Creatures
Plants and Ecosystems by Alexa Kurzius
You Wouldn't Want to Be a Polar Explorer by Jen Green

Fiction:

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
Island of the Blue Dolphin by Scott O'Dell
Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner
Chickadee by Louise Erdrich
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Water Princess by Susan Verde

Technology Help:

If you students help uploading a video into Canvas for an assignment, watch the following video: