Project TELL Unit/Lesson Plans
Areas with an asterisk (*) are required; all other areas are recommended.
Template Description
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a rubric for a lesson.
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a rubric for a unit.
click on level for description (Mastery) (Secondary) (Mastery) (Secondary) Students worked in
groups of 3 on this project. Arcview
Instructions in PDF format
Unit
title*
BIOMES OF THE BIOSPHERE
Subject
area*
Biology
Secondary
subject
Geography, Technology
Grade*
10th
Duration/time*
3 class periods
Overview*
In this
lesson, students learn about the biomes of the world by creating an
electronic version of a biome map they find on the Internet.
Technology
overview*
Level 1:
Students will access information.
Students search online and in
textbooks for a biomes map of the world and for a geopolitical map
of the world.
Level 2:
Students will collect data for research.
Students find attributes
for the biome they study.
Level 3:
Students will analyze information.
By comparing their two maps and
the attributes they have collected, students determine the climate,
physical factors, and possible biotic community of their assigned
biome.
Level 4:
Students will synthesize and communicate information.
The analysis is synthesized
into a GIS map of a biome, and then communicated to the rest of the
class in three ways: a presentation about the biome, a two page
paper about the biome, and a model of the biome.
Focus questions*
What are the biomes
of the world and where are they located? What are the attributes of
selected biomes? How can biomes be represented electronically?
Content
standards and benchmarks*
Michigan Science:
SCI.I.1.HS.3 Gather and synthesize information from books and other
sources of information.
SCI.II.1.HS.3 Show how common themes of science, mathematics, and
technology apply in real-world contexts.
SCI.III.5.HS.1 Describe common ecological relationships
between and among species and their environments.
SCI.V.3.HS.1 Explain how interactions of the atmosphere,
hydrosphere, and geosphere create climates and how climates change over
time.
Content
standards and benchmarks*
Technology
standards and benchmarks*
National Educational Technology
Standards (iste):
9-12.5.3 Use technology tools and resources for managing and communicating
personal/professional information.
9-12.5.8 Select and apply technology tools for research, information
analysis, problem-solving, and decision-making in content learning.
Technology
standards and benchmarks*
Resources*
Internet,
textbooks and atlases, Arcview software, computers
Lesson
Plan(s)*
Steps 1 and 2 below took one day.
Step 3 took two days.
Student tasks:
1. Using the Internet and textbook, obtain a map showing all
of the biomes of the biosphere. Example
2. Identify on a world map the location of each biome.
3. Using Arcview GIS, create a project incorporating the following
themes:
A. world map
B. biome locations (polygons)
C. attribute table for each biome
theme containing the yearly
precipitation, yearly temperature range, common producers,
herbivores, and carnivores.
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or more links on
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4. Create a layout of the project and print.
5. Create a presentation for the class on a specific biome assigned
to your lab group, write a descriptive paper about your specific biome
(two page minimum), and create a model of your specific biome with your
lab group in the plant room at an assigned time.
Assignment for paper
Example
student materials
Assessment*
Notes
on grading Assignment
sheet
Reflection
Students
are able to get a much more in depth understanding of an assigned biome
because of the multiple projects. GIS allows them to use a new
technology to synthesize information about a biome and use it in teaching
about a biome to others.
Home
activities
Credits
Bob Martonen, Science
Instructor, Kingsford Senior High School, 431 Hamilton Avenue, Kingsford,
MI 49802 bmartonen@kingsford.org
