Life+Science+Biology,+Middle+School

Introduction:
//We are curious about the science of life and of living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, survival, conservation, and distribution. We look for answers -- and even more interesting questions -- about the plant and animal life of a specific area. Sixth grade Life Science students learn about biomes to complete research on one biotic community.//

Questions for Inquiry:
What is an ecosystem? What plants and animals live in the tundra? taiga? temperate coniferous forest? temperate deciduous forest? chaparral? desert? grassland? savanna? tropical rain forest? tropical seasonal forest? aquatic biomes? What abiotic factors effect life in the biome? What special features do the biome's plants and animals have that make them well-adapted for life?

Keywords:
Biomes, Habitat, and names of the specific biomes.

Subject Headings:
Biology, Biotic communities, Animals, Plants, Carnivorous plants, Ecology, Endangered species, Mammals, Natural history, Poisonous animals, Plant conservation, Wildlife conservation.

Dewey Decimal Classification(s):
570's - 590's

**Reference:**
//Biomes Atlases// [series]. NY: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, var. dates.* //Dictionary of the environment and its biomes//. NY: Franklin Watts, 2001. //Encylopedia of life sciences//. NY: Marshall Cavendish, 2004. //Encyclopedia of mammals.// NY: Facts on File, 2006. //Encyclopedia of mammals//. NY: Marshall Cavendish, 1996. //Endangered wildlife and plants of the world//. NY: Marshall Cavendish, 2001.* //Exploring life science//. NY: Marshall Cavendish, 2000. //Facts on File dictionary of ecology and the environment//. NY: Facts on File, 2004. //The Grolier world encyclopedia of endangered species//. Danbury, CT: Grolier, 1993. Hare, Tony. //Animal fact-file: head-to-tail profiles of over 90 mammals//. NY : Facts On File, 1999. //The illustrated encyclopedia of wildlife//. Lakeville, CT: Grey Castle, 1991. Pollack, Steve. //The atlas of endangered animals//. NY: Facts on File, 1993. //Visual dictionary of animals//. NY : Dorling Kindersley, 1991. //Visual dictionary of plants//. NY : Dorling Kindersley, 1992. //Watts Library: Biomes And Habitats.// NY: Franklin Watts, 2004.* //Wildlife and plants of the world//. NY: Marshall Cavendish, 1998.

Circulating Non-fiction (often on reserves during class projects):
Aaseng, Nathan. //Meat-eating plants//. Springfield, NJ: Enslow, 1996. Aaseng, Nathan. //Poisonous creatures//. NY: Twenty-First Century Books, 1997. Aaseng, Nathan. //Vertebrates//. NY: Franklin Watts, 1993. //Biomes of the Earth// [series]. NY: Chelsea, 2002. Carson, Rachel. //The edge of the sea//. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1955. Davis, Barbara J. //Biomes and Ecosystems.// NY: Gareth Stevens Pub., 2007.* Gifford, Clive. //The Kingfisher young people's book of living worlds//. NY: Kingfisher, 2002. Kirchner, Renee. //Biomes.// Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2006. Kudlinski, Kathleen V. //Rachel Carson: pioneer of ecology//. NY: Puffin Books, 1989. Loves, June. //Plants and animals//. Philadelphia, PA: Chelsea House, 2003. Saryr, April Pulley. //Exploring earth's biomes//. NY: Twenty-First Century Books, 1994. Sousa, D.M. //Endangered Plants//. NY: Franklin Watts, 2003. Vancleave, Janice Pratt. //Janice Vancleave's ecology for every kid.// NY: Wiley, 1996. Vancleave, Janice Pratt. //Biology for every kid.// NY: Wiley, 1990. Warhol, Tom. //Earth's biomes//.NY: Marshall Cavendish, 2007.

Fiction:
George, Jean Craighead. //Julie of the Wolves//. NY: Harper & Row, 1972. //Happy Feet//. Tokyo: Tokyopop, 2006.

Databases:

 * BrainPop** [|**http://www.brainpop.com/**] Search Science terms Ecosystems, Land Biomes, specifice biome, ecosystems
 * EBSCO from NOVEL Databases** [|**http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=uid&group=main**] Search terms Biomes, specific biome, ecosystems
 * GALE from NOVEL Databases** http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/nysl_me_14_is71 Search //Junior Edition K-12 All Sources// Search term Biomes, specifice biome, ecosystems
 * World Book Encyclopdia Online Suite** [|**http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Login?ed=wb**] Search term Biomes, specific biome, ecosystems

Web Sites:
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum http://www.desertmuseum.org/center/edu/faq_desert.php Center for Educational Technologies, Wheeling Jesuit University http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/biomes.html Discovery School Ecology Hyperlink Habitats http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/activities/hyperlinkhabitat Enchanted Learning http://www.allaboutnature.com/biomesMissouri Botanical Garden http://mbgnet.mobot.org/ National Geographic Society []

Videos/DVDs:
//Antarctica: an adventure of a different nature//. Toronto: Holiday, 1991. //Biomes (//series). Bethesda, MD: Discovery Channel Education, 2001. //Biomes of the world in action// (series). Wynnewood, PA: Schlessinger Media, 2001. //The Coldest, windiest, iciest place on earth// (series). Bethesda, MD: Public Media Video, 1997. //Biomes for students//**. http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/edvideo/index.html**
 * Non-Fiction:**
 * EdVideo:**

Fiction:
 * //Finding Nemo//. Dir. Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich. Walt Disney Pictures, distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 2003.**
 * //Happy Feet//. Dir. George Miller. Warner Home Video, 2007.**
 * //The Ice Age//. Dir. Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2002.***
 * //The Lion King//. Dir. Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. Walt Disney Pictures, distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 1994.***

Community Resources:
Minskoff Theatre. "The Lion King." Dir. Julie Taymor, music Elton John and Tim Rice. [Broadway musical theatre.] Museum of Natural History [|http://www.amnh.org] New York Hall of Science, Flushing [|http://www.nyhallsci.org]

Curriculum Standards Related to This Topic:
//New York// //State// //Learning Standards:// Science Standards Life Science Concepts, Middle School Structure and function in living systems, such as the complementary nature of structure and function in cells, organs, tissues, organ systems, whole organisms, and ecosystems.
 * [[image:http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/documents/standards/applied/appendix/image/S2.jpg width="18" height="15"]]a
 * [[image:http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/documents/standards/applied/appendix/image/S2.jpg width="18" height="15"]]b
 * [[image:http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/documents/standards/applied/appendix/image/S2.jpg width="18" height="15"]]c
 * [[image:http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/documents/standards/applied/appendix/image/S2.jpg width="18" height="15"]]d
 * [[image:http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/documents/standards/applied/appendix/image/S2.jpg width="18" height="15"]]e
 * Mathematics, English Language Arts, and Technology Standard 5: Technology
 * English Language Arts Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding
 * English Language Arts Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation
 * [[image:http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/documents/standards/applied/appendix/image/S2.jpg width="18" height="15"]]e
 * Mathematics, English Language Arts, and Technology Standard 5: Technology
 * English Language Arts Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding
 * English Language Arts Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

//ALA////Information Literacy Standards://
 * Standard 1: The student who is information literate accesses information effectively.
 * Standard 2: The student who is information efficient evaluates information critically and competently.
 * Standard 3: The student who is information literate uses information effectively and creatively.

//National Educational Technology Standards://
 * Standard 1: Basic Operations and Concepts
 * Standard 2: Technology productivity tools
 * Standard 3: Technology research tools