Here is all the information that went home about the Biomes & Ecosystem Projects. Please contact me if you have any questions!!
Name____________________
Biome____________________
Dear Parents,
This Spring we will be studying a science unit called Interactions Among Living Things. As part of this unit students will complete a Biome/Ecosystem Research Project done mostly at home. To help ensure everyone’s success I am asking all students and parents to read through this packet together and sign and return the bottom portion of this page by Friday.
This is a large project that is going to require daily work. In light of this, your child does not have to do reading homework on nights they work on their project for 30 minutes or so. Spelling and math will still be required.
Spending some time at the library in the next couple of weeks will be a huge help to your child on this project. You can do Internet research, check out books, and read encyclopedia and magazine articles there. Please feel free to help your child in the research and note taking process, as the information they find can be overwhelming.
Students will have 8 weeks to complete this project. Be sure to look at the Suggested Timeline to make sure they are staying on track.
If you have any questions or need to request supplies, please feel free to e-mail me at shannon_murdock@gbsd.gresham.k12.or.us or send a note in your child’s planner.
Thank you,
Mrs. Murdock
*******************sign and return bottom portion********************
We have read through the Biome/Ecosystem Project packet together. We understand the expectations and agree to complete the project by the assigned dates.
______________________ _______________________
parent signature student signature
Ecosystem/Biome Research Project
As part of our Interactions Among Living Things science unit, students will be expected to research and write a report, create a model or poster, and give a speech on an assigned ecosystem/biome. We will be studying ecosystems/biomes in general in class, but there will be no class time given to work on this project. It is to be done entirely outside of school. Parent involvement is encouraged and will be needed, especially with the research, note taking, planning, organization and speech practice. However, the actual paragraph writing (parents may help with editing and revising) and model/poster creation should come from the student. Students may request poster board, construction paper and note cards from school as needed. Items for the model/poster may be homemade, store bought, or a combination of both. Be creative!!
Research
Students may use a variety of sources to find information on their ecosystem/biome: books, magazine articles, encyclopedia articles, and/or internet websites. Students will need to use the Ecosystem/Biome Research Topics & Questions page to guide their research and writing. All resources used MUST be listed on the Documentation page and included at the end of the report. To help students get started with internet research, there is a list of excellent ecosystem/biome websites on the last page of this packet. Do not copy directly from a book or website; you must do more than just change a few words. The facts and ideas need to be organized in your own way. Use the guidelines on the Ecosystem/Biome Research Topics & Questions page to make this easier.
Report
Reports should cover the 6 different topics from the Ecosystem/Biome Research Topics & Questions page, and include introduction and conclusion paragraphs. Each topic should have a separate paragraph. Paragraphs should be organized and put together in report form for the final draft. Final drafts should be written or typed neatly on clean paper. Reports will be scored in the following areas: completeness and accuracy of information, organization/neatness, spelling, capitalization/punctuation, grammar, and documentation. See the Scoring for Written Reports page for details. Students should use the included Checklist for Written Report to ensure they have completed all the requirements. Reports may be handwritten or word processed/typed.
Model/Poster
Students need to create a model or poster (their choice) that will be presented as part of their speech. See the Scoring for Model/Poster page for details on what is to be included in the model/poster. Students should use the Model/Poster Checklist to ensure they have completed all the requirements.
Speech
Students will need to present their research in a speech to the class. The information should come directly from their reports. THIS DOES NOT NEED TO BE COMPLETELY MEMORIZED!! Students will need to create note cards to refer to during their speech, but they should not be reading directly from them. They should also refer to their model/poster during their speech, pointing to the different parts as they talk about them. The speech does not need to include every fact from the report, but should include at least the minimum information for each topic (see the Checklist for Speech). The speech should last 3-7 minutes.
Due Dates
See the included Suggested Timeline for planning.
Students have 8 weeks to work on this project. It should be plenty of time, provided they work on it a little each night. On nights that students spend at least 30 minutes on their project, they DO NOT have to do the regular reading homework. All other homework is still required.
Written report is due Friday, May 21 for all students. Please do not bring your model/poster to school until your scheduled speech date.
Model/poster due and speech to be given on the following dates:
Tuesday, May 25; Wednesday, May 26; Thursday, May 27; Friday, May 28
**Late reports, posters or speeches will go down one grade for each day late.
Suggested Timeline
You have 8 weeks to complete this project. It will be plenty of time if you work on it a little bit each day. Remember that the nights you work on your project for at least 30 minutes, you DO NOT have to do the regular reading homework.
Week of March 29—Start gathering resources and begin research immediately
Week of April 5—Finish research
Week of April 12—Start rough draft of report
Week of April 19—Work on rough draft/Start model
Week of April 26—Finish rough draft/Work on model
Week of May 3—Edit & revise rough draft/Finish model
Week of May 10—Start final draft/Make speech cards/Practice speech
Week of May 17— Finish final draft/Practice speech
Friday, May 21—Reports due
Week of May 25—Practice speech/Speech and model due on assigned date
Ecosystem/Biome Research Topics & Questions
These are the topics you will need to research and write paragraphs about. Guiding questions are included, but remember that the more information you include in your report, the better the score you can earn.
To help stay organized, you should cut the topics apart and glue each one to the top of a piece of notebook paper. You can then take notes and write your rough draft paragraphs on those pages. You will need to organize your report in a way that makes sense.
Location
Where is this ecosystem/biome found in the world? This page should include a map that is labeled with the areas where the ecosystem/biome is found and a short paragraph telling about it.
Climate
What is the temperature, weather, precipitation, etc. in this ecosystem/biome? How does the climate change with the seasons?
Geography
Describe the physical features (land) of this ecosystem/biome. What types of landforms/bodies of water are in this ecosystem/biome? Are there different parts/layers to the ecosystem/biome?
Vegetation
What plants grow in this ecosystem/biome? What adaptations do these plants have in order to survive in this ecosystem/biome?
Animals
What major groups of animals live in this ecosystem/biome? What physical adaptations do these animals have in order to survive in this ecosystem/biome? What behavioral adaptations do these animals have in order to survive in this ecosystem/biome?
Other Unique Characteristics
What else is important or interesting to know about this ecosystem/biome?
Checklist for Written Report
Use this checklist to make sure you have completed all of the requirements.
I have written complete and accurate paragraphs on each of the following topics:
q Introduction
q Location (including a labeled map)
q Climate
q Geography
q Vegetation
q Animals
q Other Unique Characteristics
q Conclusion
I have completed and/or checked all of the following:
q I have written in paragraph form.
q The order of my paragraphs makes sense.
q My sentences make sense.
q My sentence beginnings vary.
q I have made few spelling mistakes.
q All of my sentences begin with capital letters and end correctly.
q Most other punctuation is used correctly.
q My writing or typing is easy to read.
q I have skipped lines or double-spaced my final draft.
q I have included a neat, thoroughly completed Documentation page.
q I have a cover with a title and my name.
Scoring for Written Report
Completeness and accuracy, 10 points each paragraph + map ____/70
(questions thoroughly answered, correct information)
introduction ___/ 5
location + map ___/ 10
climate ___/ 10
geography ___/ 10
vegetation ___/ 10
animals ___/ 10
other characteristics ___/ 10
conclusion ___/ 5
Organization/neatness, 6 points total ____/6
(writing/typing easy to read, paragraph form, paragraph order makes sense,
skip lines/double space final draft, cover with title and your name)
Spelling, 6 points total ____/6
(few spelling mistakes)
Capitalization/punctuation, 6 points total ____/6
(all sentences begin and end correctly, most other punctuation used correctly)
Grammar, 6 points total ____/6
(sentences make sense, sentence beginnings vary)
Documentation, 6 points total ____/6
(neat, thoroughly completed documentation page included)
100 points possible Total: _____
95-100 exceeds expectations Score: _____
85-94 meets expectations
75-84 almost meets expectations
0-74 does not meet expectations
Checklist for Speech
Use this checklist to make sure you have completed all of the requirements.
I have included information from each of the following topics (minimum requirements in parentheses—you may add more for possible higher score):
q Introduction
q Location (main places found)
q Climate (temperature, weather, precipitation, how it changes w/ the seasons)
q Geography (main land forms and bodies of water)
q Vegetation (2 plants with adaptations)
q Animals (3 animals with adaptations, physical and behavioral)
q Other Unique Characteristics (2 other important/interesting facts)
q Conclusion
I have completed and/or checked all of the following:
q The order of my speech makes sense.
q I do not read directly from my cards.
q I use a loud enough voice for those in the back of the room to hear me.
q I make eye contact with the audience.
q I refer to each part of my model/poster as I come to it in my speech.
q I use language appropriate for a formal presentation.
q I avoid using “um” and “uh”.
q I use expression in my speaking.
q I speak slowly and clearly.
q I stand up straight and keep my hands out of my pockets.
q My speech lasts at least 3 minutes and doesn’t go over 7 minutes.
Model/Poster Checklist
Items used to represent these topics can be handmade, computer generated, or purchased. Important parts should be labeled neatly.
I have represented the following information (you may add more for possible higher score):
q climate
q geography
q vegetation
q animals
q other characteristics
I have completed and/or checked all of the following:
q Large title at top, including your name
q Items are drawn/cut out/created and placed neatly
q All important parts are labeled accurately and neatly
q The space is filled
q It is neat and pleasing to look at
Scoring for Model/Poster
Completeness, 7 points each topic ____/35
(each topic is represented and labeled appropriately)
climate ___/ 7
geography ___/ 7
vegetation ___/ 7
animals ___/ 7
other characteristics ___/ 7
Title, 5 points total ____/5
(large, at top of model/poster, include your name)
Labels, 5 points total ____/5
(all important parts are labeled neatly and spelled correctly)
Neatness/Organization, 5 points total ____/5
(the space is filled and organized in a way that
makes sense, model/poster is pleasing to look at)
50 points possible Total: _____
46-50 exceeds expectations Score: _____
40-45 meets expectations
36-39 almost meets expectations
0-35 does not meet expectations
Biome Websites
These are all listed here on our class blog. Just click on the science tab at the top of the page.
