Thematic Units - Ecosystems - Biomes
You will find various Lesson Plans on the top portion of this page.
Further down, you will find Web Sites.
We have a page of Books that you can order directly from Amazon.com!
This indicates resources located on The Teacher's Corner.
The Ecosystem Grades 3-5
A great activity to incorporate the all time favorite, 'I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly' into your classroom.
Submitted by: Michael Szewczyk Cooper198@email-removed , a fourth grade teacher at Berkeley Terrace School in Irvington, New Jersey. This tip was published in the NEA's Weekly Tip Newsletter.
Habitats Grades 2-4
A great idea for your study of habitats. It provides students with visual and hands-on activities.
Submitted by: pwelch@email-removed
Biome Discovery Expedition Grade 3-8
"Students use the Internet to discover similarities and differences among biomes. As zoo planners, students depart on an expedition and share experiences in many ways; they return with a decision on which biome the city zoo should construct as well as which plants and animals to include in it."
Create a Food Web Grades 2-4
This is a variation of a game called Web of Life.
Earth's Ecosystems Grades Various
A great collection of units that will have students learning about the different ecosystems, along with the plants and animals.
Ecosystems Grades 6-8
Students will have an understanding of the biodiversity of an ecosystem.
Ecosystem Lessons @ BrainPOP Grades Various
Check out their wonderful free resources.
Farlandia Grades 4-6
This is a fun and creative multi-media interactive web site lesson plan for science .
Habitat Breakdown Grades 3-5
At the end of this activity the student will have a new understanding of how insects/organisms are impacted by factors that are essential to an organism's survival in a particular habitat. The students will understand how lacking just one element of a habitat (food, water, shelter, and space) can affect an organism's chance for survival.
"Habitat Collage" Grades K-1
The students will be able to have certain knowledge of where certain insects can be found.
Ocean Planet Grades All
Explores the role of oceans in our lives.
Regions: Meet the Experts Grades 3-5
Students will gather information and create a web site on prairies and plains using a variety of resources, including the Internet.
Web of Life Grade 2-4
The following lesson plan involving insects will introduce ecosystems and Life cycles to the students. The students will understand how each insect contributes to the overall web of life.
What's it Like Where You Live?
This is a GREAT site! My kids and I have used it for our biome study.
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General Sites
Digital Map Collection
Digital Maps collected at the University of Texas at Austin. Some require Adobe Acrobat Reader. Go to the FAQ page for more information.
Introduction to Biomes
General biome information better suited for an adult reference.
Kids do Ecology
Great resources for ecology, biomes and class projects. (This site is no longer actively maintained, but has some great information.)
Schoolyard Habitats
This site from the National Wildlife Foundation provides ideas and information to help students and their teachers create or enhance the habitats around their school buildings. The site contains a rage of plans and activities, so that schools in lots of different settings can find creative ways of improving their own local habitats. There are lots of illustrations and links to additional resources.
Tour of Biomes
Tour various biomes around the world.
The US Geological Survey Search Page
The USGS has made an enormous amount of information available. This is particularly valuable for those searching for information about the US.
What's it Like Where You Live?
This is a GREAT site! My kids and I have used it for our biome study.
The World's Biomes
This is an introduction to the major biomes on Earth.
World Conservation Monitoring Centre
This site contains an extensive listing and some unique links.
Tundra
Archaeology of the Tundra and Arctic Alaska
Dig up information about coastal communities.
Arctic Circle
A nice site about issues related to use and preservation of Arctic regions.
Arctic Research Consortium of the United States
A compendium of information from several organizations; includes a magazine Witness the Arctic.
Tundra: The Not-So Barren Land
Facts and photos of this biome known for its frost-molded landscapes, extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, poor nutrients, and short growing seasons.
Grasslands
Even more information
Just one more site that provides general information.
Friends of the Prairie Learning Center
This center on the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge has information on the plants and animals of the prairie, as well as info on restoration and preservation of prairies.
Grasslands
Find out about the grasslands around the world.
Grasslands of North America
National Geographic resources.
Serengeti National Park
Truly more information than you'll need from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre.
Coral Reefs
Belize Coral Reef
Learn about the second largest continuous coral reef in the world.
Australian Institute of Marine Science
Australia's tropical marine research agency.
Sea World
A great site with lots of information. Animal Bytes
Desert
California Online Highways
A bit more information from a magazine.
Desert USA
A great site with plenty to keep you busy.
National Park Service
Mojave National Preserve.
Florida Everglades 101
A wonderful, complete course on this unique ecosystem.
Forests
Alaska's Cold Desert
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: America's Last Great Wilderness. Learn about the threats facing the North slope from the Northern Alaska Environmental Center.
The Sierra Club
A site that focuses on the peril that the park faces.
Taiga
Read about this ecosystem, also called the boreal forest, that can be found across North America and Eurasia.
Yosemite Institute Teaching Sites
The institute provides several pages of information.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park's official site.
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The Teacher's Corner has hand selected a bunch of books for our Biomes Unit that you can find at great prices on Amazon.com
