A Biomes Webquest

Introduction

        Desert, Grassland, Rainforest, Taiga, Temperate Forest, and Tundra.

Task

climate and weather (annual high and low temperature, average precipitation, types of weather)

animals  (endangered and non-endangered species)

vegetation (major trees, shrubs, plants, crops)

landforms (mountains, rivers)

geographic location of the biome throughout the world

places of interest

Process

Why is your biome important?

What are some reasons people might want to visit your biome?

What might happen if your biome didn't exist?

A title slide with the name of your biome and the team members

A slide telling/showing where the biome is located

A climate/weather slide

A slide (or slides) about major animals

A slide (or slides) about vegetation (natural and cultivated)

A slide about major landforms

Slides showing/describing places of interest

A slide encouraging visitors (perhaps with a slogan)

A bibliographic slide citing your sources

When you are finished with your Biome Worksheet  and Question sheet you need to make a power point show.  Each box or question of the worksheet should be one slide.  You may also hunt for pictures to place in you presentation once all your slides are written.  After you have created your PowerPoint presentation, you will need to decide how you will present it.  Divide up the presentation information and practice before you present to the whole class.  In addition to the PowerPoint presentation (depending on how much time you have), your team could also create posters and/or a brochure about your biome.

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Resources

Citing Sources
Citing Internet Sources - Classroom Connect: http://www.classroom.com/community/connection/howto/citeresources.jhtml
Yahooligans! Teachers' Guide: http://www.yahooligans.com/tg/citation.html

Encyclopedias
Compton's Online: http://www.optonline.com/comptons/index.html
Electric Library's Free Encyclopedia: http://www.encyclopedia.com
Information Please: http://www.infoplease.com

Animal Pictures
All About Nature: Biomes   http://www.allaboutnature.com/biomes/pond/pondlife.shtml

Maps
Biomes of the World: http//www.snowcrest.net/geography/slides/biomes/index.html
Graphic Maps Free Clip Art    http://www.graphicmaps.com/clipart.htm
World Biome Locations: http://www.furman.edu/~worthen/biomes/map.htm

Specific Biomes
Desert Images: http://miragemall.com/desertjpegs/imagesf.htm
Desert: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/deserts.html
Desert: http://www.snowcrest.net/geography/slides/biomes/desert.htm
Digital Desert Library: http://horizon.nmsu.edu/ddl/
The Living Desert: http://www.livingdesert.org/home.html

Grassland Biome: http://www.southafrica.net/tourism/grassland.html
Grasslands: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/grasslan.html
Grasslands: http://www.snowcrest.net/geography/slides/biomes/grass.htm
 

Rainforest: http://www.interlog.com/~rainfrst/home.html
Rainforest: http://www.toucansam.kelloggs.ca/eng/enter.htm
Rainforest Information: http://www.rain.org/info_center/index.htm
Virtual Rainforest: http://www.shs.org/rainforest/rainforest.html

Taiga: http://www.runet.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/taiga/taiga.html
Boreal Forest: http://www.snowcrest.net/geography/slides/biomes/boreal.htm

Tundra, the Not-So Barren Land: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/tundra.html
Tundra: http://www.snowcrest.net/geography/slides/biomes/tundra.htm

Area Chambers of Commerce
Cedar Rapids' Chamber of Commerce  http://www.cedarrapids.org/

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Evaluation

Average to Good:
    A completed biomes worksheet
    Fairly thoughtful answers to the questions
    A PowerPoint presentation (with a minimum of 10 slides)
    A somewhat persuasive delivery of the presentation
    Evidence of teamwork

Poor to Fair:
    An incomplete biomes worksheet
    Partial answers to questions
    A PowerPoint presentation with less than 10 slides
    Poor delivery of the presentation (rambling, unclear, unrehearsed)
    Little evidence of teamwork

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