Earth's+Biomes

Our planet is made up of a diverse collection of ecosystems. From vast, salty oceans to freshwater streams, from deciduous forests to the damp soil under a log, from mountain tops to deserts, the variety of ecosystems has led to the great diversity of life on the Earth.

You will be exploring the large ecosystems, called biomes, with your partner and create a Wikipage of your findings.

= Biomes: = = What to research: =
 * = Desert ||= North Pole ||= Taiga (boreal forest) ||
 * = Estuaries ||= Open ocean ||= Temperate deciduous forest ||
 * = Intertidal zone ||= Rivers & streams ||= Temperate grasslands ||
 * = Lakes & ponds ||= Savanna ||= Tropical rainforest ||
 * = Mountain ||= South Pole ||= Wetlands ||

1. Abiotic Factors

 * Where is your biome located? (latitude; part of the world)
 * General climate: temperature, precipitation, humidity
 * Other abiotic factors: landscape, soil pH, types of seasons, etc.

2. Biotic Factors

 * Plants: What are three common plants found in your biome? Describe any adaptations that they have to live in the biome.
 * Animals: What are three common animals found in your biome? Describe any adaptations that they have to live in the biome.
 * Describe one typical symbiotic relationship that occurs in your biome.
 * Describe one typical predator-prey relationship that occurs in your biome.
 * Endangered animal: identify one endangered animal that's found in your biome. How did it become endangered? What, if anything, is being done to help improve it's population size?
 * Write a food chain with at least four organisms found in your biome. Include arrows and trophic levels.

3. Importance to Humans

 * How have humans used your biome in the past?
 * Describe how do humans currently use your biome.

4. Environmental Concerns
= In addition: =
 * What are the major threats to your biome?
 * What is being done to help repair any damage done by humans or to preserve the habitats that make up your biome?
 * [[image:epiebiomes2.jpg width="332" height="253"]] ||  || [[image:epiebiomes 3.jpg width="351" height="249"]] ||
 * [[image:epiehonorsbiology/epiebiomes 4.jpg width="242" height="287" align="center"]] || * Be sure to include appropriate pictures of the plants and animals discussed
 * Include the headings from the "What to Research" section to separate your answers
 * Be creative in your use of color, headings, tables, and picture placements to make your Wikipage organized and eye-appealing. Be careful to not make your page distracting and difficult to follow.
 * You work cited should include good quality sources -- not Wikipedia or Wikipedia-like websites.
 * Write four good quality objective questions (multiple choice, true/false, matching, fill-in-the-blank with a word bank) and e-mail them to Mrs. Epie by the deadline. NO CREDIT will be given for open response questions. ||

= Grading Rubric =
 * = ** Task ** ||= ** Exceeds Expectations **


 * 4 ** ||= ** Meets Expectations **


 * 3 ** ||= ** Working Towards **
 * Expectations **
 * 2 ** || ** Below Expectations **


 * 1 ** ||
 * = ** Information **

(20 pts) ||= All of the information has been provided and explained in detail; the wording is unique with no spelling or grammatical errors ||= All of the information has been provided; the wording is unique with no spelling or grammatical errors ||= The wording is unique; most of the required information has been provided OR there are spelling and grammatical errors ||= Much of the required information is missing OR some of the wording is not unique ||
 * = ** Pictures **

(4 pts) ||= More than 7 pictures are included that are relevant to the topic and are of good quality (not blurry and a good size) ||= Seven pictures are included that are relevant to the topic and are of good quality (not blurry and a good size) ||= Seven pictures are included but they either detract from the Wikipage OR are of poor quality ||= Two of the following occur: less than seven pictures, the pictures are not relevant to the topic OR are of poor quality ||
 * = ** Wikipage Design **

(8 pts) ||= The Wikipage is eye appealing and well organized (using Headings, Tables, Colors, etc.) ||= The Wikipage is organized (using Headings and Tables) ||= The Wikipage is organized but lacks Headings and Tables ||= The Wikipage is disorganized and difficult to follow ||
 * = ** Work Cited **

(4 pts) ||= At least four quality sources are cited ||= Three good quality sources are cited ||= Two good quality sources are cited ||= One good quality source is cited ||
 * = ** Scavenger Hunt Questions **

(4 pts) ||= Four good quality objective questions & answers; do not need editing; at least two different types ||= Four good quality objective questions & answers; do not need editing; all the same type ||= Either four objective questions & answers are submitted but at least one needs editing OR there are only three objective questions & answers ||= Either there are less than 3 objective questions, no answers are given, more than one needs editing OR the answers cannot be found on the Wikipage ||