TEACHING
GUIDE
TEACHING
Biomes of
North
America
Set II
5th Grade Reading Level
2
TEACHING
BIOMES OF NORTH AMERICA SET II
Standards
Language Arts— • Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process.
Reading
• Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media.
• Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of
informational texts.
Language Arts— • Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process.
Writing
• Uses the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing.
• Gathers and uses information for research purposes.
• Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions.
Language Arts— • Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes.
Listening and
Speaking
Science
• Understands biological evolution and the diversity of life.
• Understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
• Understands the relationships among organisms and their physical environment.
Multiple Intelligences Utilized
• Linguistic, logical-mathematical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic
Copyright © 2004 by Lerner Publications Company
All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Student pages may be
reproduced by the classroom teacher for classroom use only, not for commercial
resale. No other part of this teaching guide may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written
permission of Lerner Publications Company, except for the inclusion of brief
quotations in an acknowledged review.
Books in the Biomes of North
America Set II series include:
A Journey into an Estuary
A Journey into a Lake
A Journey into the Ocean
A Journey into a River
A Journey into a Wetland
LernerClassroom
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ISBN 0-8225-1748-5 PMS Green 355U
TEACHING
BIOMES OF NORTH AMERICA SET II
Lesson 1
Animal Diary
Purpose: Students will use research, imagination, and
writing skills to create a diary entry from the point of
view of an animal living in a water biome.
Materials
• Biomes of North
America Set II books
• pencils
• lined paper
• Web p. 7
• Writing Tips p. 8
• A Day in the Life
p. 9
• resource books,
animal books, and
Internet access
Objectives
• Identify the animals that live in a particular water
biome.
• Demonstrate knowledge of an animal and its habitat.
• Explain the daily activities of an animal.
• Infer the thoughts that an animal might have.
• Prepare a diary entry from a point of view other than
one’s own.
• Assess and improve a written piece.
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Copy Web p. 7, Writing Tips p. 8, and A Day in the
Life p. 9 for each student.
• Collect books and animal resources or reserve time in
the media center for students to do research.
Pretest
(student)
• List the kinds of animals you would expect to find in
the water biome you are going to study.
Read
(student, class)
• One Biomes of North America Set II book
Discuss
(class)
• How many animals from your list were mentioned in
the book?
• What other animals live in that biome?
Practice
(student)
• Students will research one animal that lives in the
biome you read about.
• Use Web p. 7 to take notes about the chosen animal.
• Use some of the information from Web p. 7 to write
a diary entry from the point of view of the animal.
Describe what the animal sees, hears, smells, and
feels. Describe its daily activities, including what it
eats and its thoughts. Be creative!
• After completing a first draft, students should follow
the instructions on Writing Tips p. 8 to help improve
their writing.
• Complete the writing checklist at the bottom of
Writing Tips p. 8.
• Write final draft on A Day in the Life p. 9.
• Share diary entries with the class.
Evaluate
(teacher)
• Evaluate diary entries based on content, creativity,
and use of resources.
• Compare students’ rough drafts and final drafts.
Did they use the Writing Tips p. 8 to improve their
writing?
Extension
(student)
• Make a drawing or model of your animal to display
with your diary entry.
3
4
TEACHING
BIOMES OF NORTH AMERICA SET II
Lesson 2
Biomes at a Glance
Purpose: Students will learn which plants and animals
live in five different water biomes.
Materials
• Biomes of North
America Set II books
• pencils
• lined paper
• Estuary Biome p. 10
• Lake Biome p. 11
• Ocean Biome p. 12
• River Biome p. 13
• Wetland Biome p. 14
• colored pencils
• additional book and
website resources
Objectives
• List the plants and animals found in several water
biomes.
• Compare and contrast two or more water biomes.
• Examine the living creatures in several water biomes.
• Explain the differences between water biomes.
• Create drawings of water biome wildlife.
• Predict what kinds of plants and animals will live in
different water biomes.
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Copy one Estuary Biome p. 10, Lake Biome p. 11,
Ocean Biome p. 12, River Biome p.13, and Wetland
Biome p. 14 for each student.
• Gather additional sources or reserve time in the
media center for student research.
Pretest
(student)
• Make a list of plants and animals you would expect
to find in the water biome you will study.
Read
(student)
• One Biomes of North America Set II book
• Read each of the remaining Biomes of North America
Set II books, one at a time, followed by the activities
outlined in Lesson 2: Biomes at a Glance.
Discuss
(class)
• Were the plants and animals you read about the
same kinds of living creatures you expected to find in
this biome? Why or why not?
• What other plants and animals did you read about in
the book?
• What surprised you most about this biome?
Practice
(student)
• For each Biomes of North America Set II book you
read, draw and label the plants and animals that live
in that biome on each of the following pages:
• Estuary Biome p. 10
• Lake Biome p. 11
• Ocean Biome p. 12
• River Biome p. 13
• Wetland Biome p. 14
Discuss
(class)
• How are the biomes alike? Which plants and animals
live in more than one of these biomes?
• How are the biomes different? Are there any plants
or animals unique to only one biome? What are
they?
Evaluate
(teacher, student)
• Students will be evaluated on the completeness and
accuracy of the plants and animals labeled on each
Biome worksheeet.
• Students will check their own Biome worksheets for
completeness and accuracy.
TEACHING
BIOMES OF NORTH AMERICA SET II
Lesson 3
Biome Food Web
Purpose: Students will explore the relationships
between living creatures in a water biome.
Materials
• One Biomes of
North America Set II
book
• Food Web p. 15
• T-Chart p. 16
• pencils
• additional resources
Objectives
• List the plants and animals that are part of the food
web in a specific water biome.
• Define the terms herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore.
• Identify herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores in a
biome.
• Construct a food web to illustrate the relationships
between living things in a single biome.
• Examine information in a chart.
• Organize living creatures into categories.
• Draw conclusions based on data collected.
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Copy Food Web p. 15 and T-Chart p. 16 for each
student.
• Gather additional books about animals and/or water
biomes, or reserve time in the media center for
student research.
Pretest
(student)
• What is a carnivore?
• What is an herbivore?
• What is an omnivore?
Read
(class, student)
• One book from Biomes of North America Set II
Discuss
(class)
• Which of the animals you read about are herbivores?
What do they eat?
• Which animals are carnivores? What do they eat?
• Did you read about any omnivores? What are they?
What do they eat?
Model
(teacher)
• Show students how to fill in one strand of the web
on Food Web p. 15, adding additional links.
Practice
(student, pairs)
• Using the information from the Biomes of North
America Set II book and any additional sources,
complete Food Web p. 15.
• Compare your web with a partner’s web.
• Use T-Chart p. 16 to list the herbivores and
carnivores found in the biome you read about.
• Circle any animals that appear on both lists. These
animals are omnivores.
Discuss
(class)
• Did you find more herbivores or more carnivores in
the biome you read about? Why do you think that
is?
• What conclusions can you draw by analyzing the data
on T-Chart p. 16?
Evaluate
(teacher)
• Evaluate each student’s Food Web p. 15 and T-Chart
p. 16 for completeness and accuracy.
5
6
TEACHING
BIOMES OF NORTH AMERICA SET II
Additional Resources
WEBSITES
About the Chesapeake Bay
<http://www.chesapeakebay.net/about.htm>
This site gives an overview of one of America’s
best-known estuaries, the Chesapeake Bay. In
addition to describing the features of the bay, it
has an interactive diagram, which links students
to specific bay information, including plant and
animal wildlife. Vivid descriptions and color
photographs make this site both interesting and
informative.
Biome Photos: Aquatic
<http://www.sc.edu/union/Sears/biomeAq.htm>
This site contains photographs of various water
biomes.
Estuarine Science
<http://www.omp.gso.uri.edu/doee/science
/descript/namerica.htm>
This site, managed by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency, offers
descriptions and photographs of estuaries.
Exploring the Environment: Florida Everglades
<http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/everglades
/FEwetlands1.html>
This educational site gives an overview of the
Everglades, explaining what they are and how
they have changed over time. It explains the
importance of biodiversity and outlines some
wetland plants and animals. A glossary of terms
can be accessed via a link to this site.
Pond Life Animal Printouts
<http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes
/pond/pondlife.shtml>
This site features reproducible pond images, from
the whole pond to the living creatures that call
the pond home.
Water Science for Schools: Earth’s Water: Rivers and Streams
<http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthrivers.html>
This site explains how rivers and streams are
formed, with links to an in-depth glossary, a
lakes and reservoirs page, and more.
The World’s Biomes: Aquatic: The Wild Blue Yonder
<http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5
/biome/aquatic.html>
This site defines various aquatic biomes, including
descriptions of the layers in each biome,
temperatures, and living organisms found there.
BOOKS
Asch, Frank. Sawgrass Poems: A View of the Everglades.
New York: Gulliver Books, 1996.
This children’s book features full-color
photographs accompanying poems that transport
readers into the Florida Everglades. Some of the
poems take the perspective of Everglades wildlife.
Berger, Melvin, and Gilda Berger. What Makes an Ocean
Wave? Questions and Answers about Oceans and
Ocean Life. New York: Scholastic, 2001.
This children’s reference book answers all kinds of
questions kids may have about the ocean and its
inhabitants. It is illustrated with colorful
paintings to reinforce the text.
Douglas, Marjory Stoneman. Alligator Crossing.
Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, 2003.
This young adult novel details the adventures of
a thirteen-year-old boy named Henry Bunks as
he explores the Florida Everglades. This book
could serve as the literature component of an
interdisciplinary unit on water biomes.
Fazio, Wende. Everglades National Park. New York:
Children’s Press, 1999.
This book describes the history, landscape, and
wildlife of the Florida Everglades.
Nye, Bill. Bill Nye the Science Guy’s Big Blue Ocean.
New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2003.
This kid-friendly book teaches kids about the
ocean and the living things that make this biome
their home. It includes activities to help kids
learn about ocean life.
Skurzynski, Gloria, Alan Furguson, and Skip Snow.
Deadly Waters—National Parks Mystery Series.
Washington D.C.: National Geographic, 1999.
This young adult novel tells the story of three
children whose fishing trip turns into a mysterious
adventure. Facts about Everglades ecology are
interwoven into this action-packed story.
Wadsworth, Ginger. River Discoveries. Watertown, MA:
Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc., 2002.
This illustrated book explores the wildlife native
to a river biome—both those living in the river
and those living on its banks. Each chapter is
followed by discussion questions.
7
Web
Teaching Biomes of North America Set II
Name
Date
8
Writing Tips
• Use adjectives to describe the nouns (people, places, or things) you mention. Use your
senses. Instead of writing, “I walked through the grass,” describe what the grass felt like. For
example, “I walked through the cool grass.” This makes your writing more fun to read.
Adjectives tell how something looks, smells, tastes, feels, or sounds. Adjectives appear
before the noun in a sentence.
• Go back to your first draft and circle the nouns. Add adjectives that describe the nouns.
Remember to use your senses.
• Use adverbs to describe verbs (action words). Instead of writing, “I walked through the
cool grass,” describe how you walked. For example, “I walked briskly through the cool
grass.” This helps the reader see a picture of what is happening. Adverbs are found after
verbs in a sentence. Many adverbs end in –ly.
• Now underline the verbs in your first draft. Add adverbs that describe how the actions
happened.
Writing Checklist
Yes
No
1. Did I write my diary entry from the point of view of an animal?
2. Did I use adjectives to describe the nouns in my writing?
3. Did I use adverbs to show how actions happened?
If you answered yes to all of the questions above, you are ready to write your final draft on A
Day in the Life p. 9.
Teaching Biomes of North America Set II
9
A Day in the Life
Name
A Day in the life of a(n)
Dear Diary,
Teaching Biomes of North America Set II
Name
Teaching Biomes of North America Set II
Directions: Draw and label the plants and animals that live in an estuary biome.
Estuary Biome
10
11
Lake Biome
Name
Directions: Draw and label the plants and animals that live in a lake biome.
Teaching Biomes of North America Set II
Name
Teaching Biomes of North America Set II
Directions: Draw and label the plants and animals that live in an ocean biome.
Ocean Biome
12
13
River Biome
Name
Directions: Draw and label the plants and animals that live in a river biome.
Teaching Biomes of North America Set II
Name
Teaching Biomes of North America Set II
Directions: Draw and label the plants and animals that live in a wetland biome.
Wetland Biome
14
15
Food Web
Name
Biome
Directions: Fill in the plants and animals that make up the food web in your water biome.
Add additional links you read about.
(animal)
(plant)
(plant)
(animal)
Sun
(plant)
(plant)
(animal)
Teaching Biomes of North America Set II
(animal)
16
T-Chart
Name
Date
Topic:
Topic:
Teaching Biomes of North America Set II