UNIT
1 Biomes
About the Unit
In this unit, students will get an overview
of the world biomes and how these
are composed of different ecosystems.
Students will learn where these biomes
are located, their characteristics, and
how plants and animals have adapted
to them. Students will understand the
characteristics of three forest biomes
and the living things in them. They will
also learn that the rain forest has more
biodiversity than any other land biome
and that life there exists at four levels.
Students will learn about grassland and
desert biomes as well as about nomads
called the Tuareg, who have adapted to a
desert home. Students will understand the
special characteristics of and differences
between marine and freshwater biomes.
Discuss the Theme
Say the title of the unit aloud and
invite students to say what a biome is.
Encourage them to share what they know
even if the information is incorrect or
incomplete. Ask students to identify the
animals they see in the picture (bears,
bird) as well as where they are and what
they are doing. (The bears are in a river.
They are looking for food. / They are
trying to catch fish. The bird is watching
the bears. It wants some food, too.) Ask
students to share what they know about
these animals and the characteristics
of the places where they live. Listen to
their ideas, and complete or correct the
information.
Additional Information
Biomes are defined as ecosystems found
together in a single geographical zone
that share the same climate conditions.
There are many types of biomes, and each
can be found in several parts of the world.
Unit 1 4
The biodiversity characteristic of each
biome, especially the diversity of fauna
and subdominant plant forms, is a function
of abiotic (not related to living organisms)
factors and the biomass productivity of
the dominant vegetation. The biomass
is the amount of matter in any given
habitat, usually measured by the weight of
organisms per unit area or by the volume
of organisms per unit volume. Species
diversity tends to correlate positively with
primary productivity, moisture availability,
and temperature.
Unit Activities
Vocabulary Journal
After teaching each section, invite
students to look at the vocabulary in the
Words to Know boxes and discuss their
meaning. Introduce students to using a
monolingual English dictionary to look
up the meaning of the words. Have them
choose a set number of words to look up
and write the definition in their vocabulary
journals. Review the words and definitions
at the end of the unit.
Make a Model of a Rain Forest
After teaching lesson B, “Three forest
biomes,” have students make a model of
the “four layers of life” in a tropical rain
forest. Encourage them to use as many
different pictures, drawings, and materials
as they can to “bring the forest to life.”
Take a vote on the best model.
Be an Ecologist
At the end of the unit, invite students
to imagine that are ecologists. Form
groups and ask them to talk about the
ways humans affect their ecosystems and
to think about possible solutions to the
problems.
 UNIT

1
Objectives

Biomes You will:

• learn what makes up an ecosystem.
• learn about Earth’s biomes and where they are located.
• learn which animals and plants live in each biome.
• be able to describe how different plants and animals have adapted
A Biomes to their biomes.
• learn how a group of people, the Tuareg, have developed a lifestyle
B Three forest biomes
adapted to their desert home.
C Grassland and desert biomes • learn how humans have affected plants and animals in different
ecosystems.
D Marine and freshwater biomes

Skills
You will be able to observe, compare, measure, classify, make a
model, communicate, infer, put things in order, predict, investigate,
experiment, and draw conclusions.

Suggestions
• Take a field trip to a zoo.
• Write a story on one animal and how it is adapted to its biome.
• Watch a video about the tropical rain forest biome.
• Design a forest biome.
• Compare different types of grass.
• Watch videos about ways people affect their ecosystems.
• Dissect a cactus.
• Watch a video about corals.

ETSci5_230711.indd 4 11/07/23 16:24 ETSci5_230711.indd 5 11/07/23 16:24

Extension Activities My Biome

At the end of the unit, have students write
Zoo Field Trip a story about what their life would be like
At the end of the unit, organize a field trip
as an animal and how they have adapted
to a zoo. Have students take with them
to their biome. Ask them to think of the
a notebook and pen or pencil. As they
answers to questions such as: Where were
walk through the zoo, they should write
you born? What kind of things do you do?
down the animal names and as much
What do you eat? What is the weather like
information as they can. Back in the
where you live? Do you live on land or in
classroom and with the help of a world
the water? What kinds of danger do you
map, put students in groups according
face? Students should write their stories in
to the animal they chose, and have them
the first person and illustrate them. As an
locate the biomes where their animals
extension, have students read their stories
come from. If students are not sure where
to the class, or put the stories on a bulletin
the animals originally come from, ask the
board for their classmates to read.
other groups to help.

Water Biome Reports

After teaching lesson D, Marine and
Internet Resources
freshwater biomes, have students do a Biomes of the World
report on an animal from a marine or www.thewildclassroom.com/biomes
freshwater biome. Working in groups of Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
five students, group members should https://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/
share the information they find, choose long-fact-sheets/
the best points to present, compile it Biomes
neatly into a structured report, and share www.kidskonnect.com/subject-index/15-
it with their classmates. science/62-biomes.html

5 Unit 1
A Biomes
Objectives
• Learn what makes up an ecosystem
• Learn about Earth’s biomes and where
they are located
Science Skills
• Interpret maps
• Infer reasons for adaptation of animals
to their biomes
Vocabulary
• biome, tundra, coniferous forest,
deciduous forest, grassland,
estuary, polar bear
Materials
• a map of land biomes around the world
• poster paper
• tape
• markers
Warm-up
Display the map of land biomes
around the world. Ask students what the
title of the unit is and invite them to say
how they think the map relates to the unit.
Encourage them to describe the places
and the type of living things they think are
found in the six land biomes (specifically
shown in the land biomes image).
1 Present
Write the word biome in the middle of
the board and around it, write the word
ecosystem several times. Encourage
students to think about why you wrote
ecosystem branching out from biome. If
no one knows, connect the outer words
to biome, and elicit that a biome can be
made up of different ecosystems.
Read aloud the names of the six
land biomes found on Earth: grassland,
desert, deciduous forest, rain forest,
Unit 1 6
coniferous forest, and tundra. Point to their
corresponding part of the map.
Help students follow the map legend
as necessary.
2 Practice
Stick eight large pieces of poster paper
around the room. Add to each one in
large letters the name of one land biome,
and to the last two, add marine biome
and freshwater biome. Give students
markers and invite them to go around the
room and write adjectives describing the
different biomes as well as the names of
living and nonliving things that they think
can be found in each one.
3 Apply
Invite students to open their books to
pages 6 and 7. Call their attention to
the map on page 6 and elicit that it is
a variation of the map you previously
reviewed. Read page 6 together as a
class, stopping to explain vocabulary or
concepts. Ask: Where are the marine and
freshwater biomes? Can someone show
me on the image? (Marine biomes are
the oceans and seas around the land
biomes. Lakes and rivers are freshwater
biomes.) Invite students to check and
correct, if necessary, the information they
wrote on the posters in section 2, Practice.
Continue reading page 7, but this time
form small groups. Students may want
to read silently or have each member
read a sentence. Ensure that students
understand the difference between the
cat family having similar characteristics,
such as whiskers, fur, and claws, and
the many species of cats that belong to
the cat family, e.g., tiger, lion, cheetah,
domesticated cat.
 Discuss as a class the polar bear’s
good adaptation to the tundra. Which
feature do students think is most
important? (Students should conclude
that all the features helped the polar
bear to adapt.)
Finally, provide time in class for
students to research the prairie dog
or seahorse, or assign as homework.
Students can look online for information
or check books, magazines, and
encyclopedias. Tell them to choose the
most important information and write a
paragraph about the adaptation of their
animal. They can include an illustration
or drawing.

4 Verify
Walk around the room and ask
individuals to identify on the map
on page 6 a biome that you state at
random. As students are working on
page 7, help them as necessary with
vocabulary or structures, and answer any
questions they may have. Finally, have
students share their information.

Teaching Tip
Understanding a map legend (an explanatory
list of the colors, symbols, or other graphics
on a map or chart) is a skill that students will
use in many areas of study. Plan to spend
time talking about the map of land biomes
around the world (or the same map in the
student text), with an emphasis on how color
and/or varying degrees of shading present
information.

7 Unit 1
 Objectives
• Learn about three types of tundra
biome and where they are located
• Be able to describe how plants
and animals have adapted
to a tundra biome
Science Skills
• Communicate the characteristics
of animals living in the tundra
• Classify animals living in the
three types of tundra
Vocabulary
• moss, lichen, permafrost, biodiversity,
caribou, altitude, mountain goat
Materials
• a map of land biomes around the world
• pictures of animals living in Arctic,
Alpine, and Antarctic tundra (caribou,
musk oxen, arctic hares, and foxes;
mountain goats, chinchillas, kea parrots;
penguins, seals)
• an image of land and sea biomes
Warm-up
Display the map of land biomes around
the world. Invite students to locate the
term tundra on the map and the tundra
areas according to the map legend.
Then refer students to the photo of tundra
on the map and ask them what kind of
weather and type of animals and plants
might be found there.
1 Present
Write on the board some of the important
characteristics of animals living in a
tundra biome that students learned in
the previous lesson: warm fur, layers of fat,
good sense of smell, sharp claws/hooves.
Divide the class into four groups and
Unit 1 8
assign a characteristic to each group.
Have groups discuss among themselves
the reasons tundra animals have the
characteristic. Ask a volunteer from
each group to share with the rest of their
classmates. Correct or add information as
necessary.
Then tell students that there are three
types of tundra, depending on where
each is located. Write on the board: Arctic
tundra = North Pole; Alpine tundra = high
mountains; Antarctic tundra = South Pole.
2 Practice
Display the pictures of tundra animals
and invite students to stick the pictures of
the different animals with the tundra they
think they correspond to.
Next, display the image of land and
sea biomes, and have students identify
the tundra scene. Point to the seal in the
marine biome, and clarify that Antarctic
tundra has some land and sea species
of plants and animals such as seals living
there. Finally, check that students have
placed the pictures under the correct
heading on the board.
3 Apply
Invite students to open their books to
pages 8 and 9. Refer them to the pictures
of the animals shown in their respective
tundra (caribou, Arctic; mountain goat,
Alpine; penguin, Antarctic). Then have a
volunteer read aloud the first paragraph
on page 8, and reinforce where the types
of tundra are found by pointing to them
on the map of land biomes around the
world. Continue reading pages 8 and 9
aloud as a class sentence by sentence.
Go over the meaning of the side
headings in the chart at the bottom
of page 9. Then provide time in class
for students to find out the specific
information or assign the exercise as
homework.

4 Verify
Have students share their completed
charts and allow them to revise their
work as necessary. Then ask a few
comprehension questions about the
lesson, such as: What is permafrost?
Where do we find it? Does each type
of tundra have vegetation? Is lichen an
animal or a plant?

Language Support
Write on the board: Antarctic tundra is too
cold and dry to support vegetation. Tell
students that too + adjective or adverb
means “more than is possible, needed,
or desired.” So too cold in the example
sentence from the text indicates that the
weather is exaggeratedly cold and dry for
plants, making it impossible for them to grow.
Suggest that students be on the lookout for
occurrences of too + adjective or adverb as
the unit progresses and write them in their
vocabulary journals.

Teaching Tip
Students will be familiar with the names of
some animals in the text, but it is a good idea
to have on hand as many pictures of animals
as possible. These could be posters, picture
cards, reference books, or even labeled
student drawings.

9 Unit 1
 B Three forest biomes
Objectives
• Learn about coniferous forests
and where they are located
• Be able to describe how plants and
animals have adapted to a coniferous
forest biome
Science Skills
• Communicate how different
plants and animals have
adapted to coniferous forests
• Design a forest biome
• Research animals living
in coniferous forests
Vocabulary
• taiga, evergreen, needles, sap, moose,
hoof
Materials
• a map of land biomes around the world
• pinecones, conifer branches, pieces
of bark (or pictures of them)
• thick drawing paper or thin cardboard
• colored pencils or markers
• scissors
• glue
• clay in different colors
• an image of land and sea biomes
Warm-up
Display the map of land biomes around
the world. Ask students to locate the
coniferous forest biomes on the map and
to determine if they cover more or less
land surface than the tundra biomes do.
(They cover more.) Then refer students
to the photo of a coniferous forest on
the map. Ask: Have you ever been to
a coniferous forest? Why is it called
“coniferous”? What kinds of animals and
plants live there? Have students share
their ideas.
Unit 1 10
1 Present
Place on a table or large desk real
pinecones (if possible, with sap), conifer
branches with needles, and pieces of
bark. Have students come up and handle
the materials. (If these materials are not
available, an alternative is for students
to look at page 10 in their books.) Ask
them to infer why the needles of the
branches and the cones are formed the
way they are. Invite students to share their
hypotheses. Leave the materials out on
the table so that students can refer to
them throughout the lesson.
2 Practice
Interactive Science
Distribute the drawing materials, scissors,
glue, and clay to each student. Refer
them to the conifer materials they
examined in section 1, Present, and have
them design their own coniferous forest
biome, including a few animals they think
may live there.
3 Apply
Invite students to open their books to
pages 10 and 11. Discuss the pictures
and then read the text as a class,
stopping at the end of each paragraph
to answer any questions students may
have. Then have students look for the
Words to Know terms on both pages
and underline them. Discuss as a group
how the terms correlate with the pictures.
Then have students compare their forest
models from section 2, Practice, with what
they have learned. Does anything in the
models need to change?
Finally, ask students to form groups of
three or four students and work on the
initial stage of the exercise at the bottom
on the page.
4 Verify
Ensure that students can locate the
coniferous forest on both photos. Have
them do one last check to see if there
is anything they should change in
their conifer forest biome model.
Finally, check to see that students have
done research and written a draft of their
reports. Collect drafts and check spelling,
grammar, accuracy of information, and
report structure. Have students rewrite
as necessary in their journals and then
present their reports to the class.

Language Support
Write on the board: hoof–hooves, moose–
moose. Remind students that some nouns
have irregular plurals. Then have students
copy the following sentences in their journals
(but without the underlines). To reinforce that
these are plural sentences, ask students to
underline the subject and double underline
the verb.

Moose, the largest of all the deer species, live

in coniferous forests.

Moose have a long face and a large muzzle.

Hooves also act like snowshoes in soft snow.

Teaching Tip
Students will be asked to write reports
throughout the school year, in this class
and in others. Consult a reference on report
writing and discuss what students should
include in the paragraphs of a report along
with a bibliography.

11 Unit 1
 Objectives
• Learn about deciduous forests and
rain forests
• Be able to describe how plants and
animals have adapted to deciduous
and rain forest biomes
Science Skills
• Compare the seasons in deciduous
forests and rain forests
• Make a model of the rain forest layers
Vocabulary
• raccoon, woodpecker, canopy
Materials
• a map of land biomes around the world
• pictures of animals and plants living
in deciduous forests
• magazines
• drawing paper
• green and brown construction paper
• colored pencils or markers
• scissors
• glue
• an image of land and sea biomes
Warm-up
Display the map of land biomes around
the world. Write on the board deciduous
forest and rain forest. Ask students to
locate each type of forest on the map,
and elicit or point out that the deciduous
forests are located farther away from
the equator than the rain forests. (In
fact, most of the rain forests are right on
the equator.) Does this influence the
climate and kinds of animals and plants
in each one? Invite students to share
their thoughts.
Unit 1 12
1 Present
Write on the board the following chart:
deciduous forest rain forest
temperate, tropical, one season
four seasons (warm)
birds migrate, bears plant life grows
hibernate continuously
Talk about the four seasons in a
temperate zone (spring, summer, fall,
winter). Are you in a temperate zone? If so,
have students pinpoint on the map your
approximate location; if not, have them
locate the nearest temperate zone on
the map. Repeat the procedure for rain
forests. In each case, have students think
about what they can add to each part of
the chart based on their prior knowledge.
e chart on the board.
2 Practice
Ask students to work in pairs and preview
page 12 in their books. Help them scan
for key words to add to the deciduous
column on the board. As animals, plants,
etc. are mentioned, stick available
pictures, or draw them next to the words.
Do the same with page 13, along with
previewing the diagram of the layers of a
rain forest.
3 Apply
Read the text on page 12 aloud as a
class. Call students’ attention to the
pictures and the Did you Know? box.
Then have students do the exercise at the
bottom of the page. Ask if there is other
information they would add to the chart
on the board.
Next, direct students’ attention to
page 13. Ask them what they think the
focus of the text is (the layers of a rain
forest). Then have them read the text in
pairs and discuss it.
Finally, distribute materials for students
to each make a model of the rain forest
layers. You may wish to display the image
of land and sea biomes as an additional
reference.
Discovery!
Arrange for students to watch a documentary
on tropical rain forests. There are several
excellent videos / DVDs that will bring to life
the wonders of the biome with the most
diversity of any other land biome.

4 Verify
Have students switch completed
models with a partner. Walk around
the classroom and listen as they peer-
correct their work. Display their work on a
bulletin board.
Finally, play a few rounds of the game
Twenty Questions. Ask a volunteer to go
to the front of the room. Give her/him a
piece of paper with the name of a living
thing in a deciduous or rain forest biome.
The rest of the class can only ask yes/no
questions, and the limit is twenty. If they
cannot guess the word, the student at the
front says the word and receives another
word. But if someone guesses the word,
that student goes to the front and takes a
turn answering questions.

Writing Support
Tell students to imagine that they have taken
a trip to either a deciduous or rain forest
biome and they want to share this experience
with an English-speaking friend. Ask them
to write a letter about where it was, what they
saw, and how they felt while there. Have them
fold their written letters and put them into a
box. Ask each student to come up and take
one out of the box, read it, and for homework,
answer it.

13 Unit 1
 C Grassland and desert biomes
Objectives
• Learn about the characteristics
of grassland biomes
• Be able to describe how animals
have adapted to grassland biomes
Science Skills
• Observe and compare animals
living in grassland biomes
• Compare types of grasses
Vocabulary
• savanna, stolon, rhizome
Materials
• a map of land biomes around the world
• pictures of elephants, lions, zebras,
giraffes, cheetahs, and rhinoceroses
• samples of grass (students
bring from home)
• newspapers
• image of land and sea biomes
Warm-up
Display the map of land biomes around
the world, and invite students to locate all
of the grassland areas. Then point to the
grassland in Africa, and ask: What kind
of plants and animals live here? Write on
the board all the students’ ideas. When
students give the name of an animal or
plant from the pictures you have, stick it
next to the name.
1 Present
Stick all available pictures on the wall
and invite students to observe them
and to say how they think these have
adapted to a grassland biome. Facilitate
the exchange of ideas by asking
questions: What is the weather like? What
do the animals eat? Does it rain a lot? Are
there a lot of trees?, etc.
Unit 1 14
2 Practice
Interactive Science
Prior to the start of the lesson, tell students
to bring in a grass sample from their own
yard or other outdoor area. They should
ask an adult to help them cut out a
small section of the grass, down to and
including the roots, to bring to class for
analysis.
Put students in groups of four or five
and have each group member place
his/her grass sample on a sheet of
newspaper. Tell students to carefully
take off all the soil from the roots and
to discuss and write down what they
observe. What kinds of parts does each
section of grass have? What are the
roots like?
3 Apply
Have students open their books to pages
14 and 15. Ask them to read the text on
page 14 silently to themselves. Suggest
that they underline any words that they
are unfamiliar with. Call attention to the
facts in the Did You Know? box. Highlight
that the labeled parts in the diagram at
the bottom of the page are specific to
grasses. Assign students to work in pairs
to answer the question about how grass
survives. (Answer: Grass is a hardy plant
that can endure harsh conditions to
survive around the world. It is adaptable
because grass grows from the base
of the plant, not from the top. Its deep,
spreading root system allows the plant
to get enough water below the ground.
Therefore, it can survive the trampling of
animals’ feet and the lack of rain.)
Then have students look at page 15,
describe the animals they see, what the
animals are doing, and what the weather
is like. Next, invite them to read silently to
themselves. Go over the definitions of the
words in the Words to Know box and any
others that students ask about as a class.
Remind students to write them in their
vocabulary journals.
Finally, ask students to answer
the question at the bottom of the
page. (Answer: Giraffes, kangaroos,
rhinoceroses, and zebras eat the grass
and leaves of trees that grow on the
grasslands. To protect themselves from
predators, these animals use speed
or camouflage. They also live in herds,
which provides them with protection from
predators.)

4 Verify
Discuss the two questions, and record
key words on the board for everyone’s
reference. Then display the image of land
and sea biomes, and ask comprehension
questions such as: What is another
name for “grasslands”? (savanna) What
animals do you see in this savanna? (a
lion, elephants) What part of grass grows
above ground? (leaves, stolons) What
part grows below? (rhizomes, roots)

Teaching Tip
When you invite students to share information
in class, you will notice that some students
are always willing to talk, whereas others
avoid speaking. Help shy or weak students
who may be afraid of making mistakes.
Encourage all students by saying that making
mistakes is like giving a present. When the
mistake is corrected, everyone benefits from
the discussion.

15 Unit 1
 Objectives
• Learn about the characteristics of plants
and animals living in desert biomes
• Be able to describe how plants
and animals have adapted
to a desert biome
• Learn how a group of people, the
Tuareg, have developed a lifestyle
adapted to their desert home
Science Skills
• Investigate desert animals
• Communicate the Tuareg desert
way of life
Vocabulary
• rodent, burrow, nocturnal
Materials
• a map of land biomes around the world
• image of land and sea biomes
• cactus plants (1 per group)
• reference materials
Warm-up
Display the map and image and ask
students to locate the desert biomes
on each one. Ask: Have you ever been
to a desert? Would you like to live
in the desert? What kind of clothes
do you need there? What animals
would you see? Where do the animals
go to protect themselves from high
temperatures?
1 Present
Play a few rounds of the game Hangman.
Write on the board the following, and
have students guess the missing letters of
jackal, cactus, and antelope.
Unit 1 16
j __ __ __ __ __
c __ c __ __ __
a __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Tell students that these are two animals
and one plant that they are going to
read about. Have students call out letters
in an orderly fashion until the blanks are
filled in.
2 Practice
Interactive Science
Display a cactus plant and point out
some of the characteristics that help it
to survive in the desert: e.g., its roots take
water from deep in the earth, its thick
skin prevents moisture loss, its thick stem
stores water.
Then form groups of three or four
students and give each group a cactus
plant. Go around to each group and
dissect the cactus so that students can
examine the cross-section and take
note of how it has adapted to maintain
moisture in the stems. Have groups share
their observations.
3 Apply
Have students turn to page 16 and locate
the animals from the Hangman game in
section 1, Present. Tell them that there are
many types of antelopes, and the addax
is one that has such horns and lives in a
desert. Read the text on page 16 aloud
as a class, asking volunteers to read
sentence by sentence.
Invite students to underline unfamiliar
words so that at the end of the text they
can discuss or look up the meaning.
Then arrange for time in class or in the
media center for groups to research
which desert the animals live in. Share the
results at a convenient time.
 Next, have students look at the photos Discovery!
on page 17. Write on the board Tuaregs Invite students to reflect on the fact that
and nomads and ask for definitions. Most everybody thinks that a desert is the hottest
of the students will be able to explain the place in the world. Have them share with their
meaning of nomads, but if no one knows families that the temperature in many deserts
what or who Tuaregs are, explain that is very cold at night, and there are deserts
they are people who live in the Sahara that are always cold, such as the Gobi Desert
Desert. in Asia and the desert of Antarctica!
Have students get into groups to read
page 17 silently. Ask the same groups to
discuss the ways the Tuareg people have
adapted to living in the desert. (Ideas
include: They use camel caravans to
transport food and other goods across
the desert at night. They lead a nomadic
life, trading or moving around to raise
animals. They depend on each other.
They live in groups and share food, such
as meat, rice, and tea. They wear a blue
veil to protect themselves from the sun
and the sand of the desert.)

4 Verify
If you have not done so already, have
students share the results of their research
on desert animals. Check for accuracy
and compile a final list to put on a
bulletin board.

Teaching Tip
Not all students learn at the same speed.
You should be very attentive to the clues they
give so that you can repeat information if
necessary. Try to create a friendly atmosphere
in which your students feel comfortable and,
by extension, more willing to participate in
class, whether their skills are strong or weak.

17 Unit 1
D Marine and freshwater biomes
Objectives
• Learn about the characteristics of plants
and animals living in marine biomes
• Be able to describe how plants and
animals have adapted to marine
biomes
Science Skills
• Compare different marine environments
• Experiment with saltwater and
freshwater
• Investigate animals living in oceans,
seas, and estuaries
Vocabulary
• marine, swordfish, bill, breaching,
fangtooth, salinity
Materials
• a map of land biomes around the world
• image of land and sea biomes
• 3 golf balls
• 3 two-liter beakers (or clear plastic cups)
• 120 grams of table salt
• tap water
• red and blue food coloring
Warm-up
Display the map of land biomes around
the world. Point to the water areas and
say: We have learned about six land
biomes. But what about all the water in
and around the land biomes? Are there
water biomes in which animals and
plants live? Students will likely have
noticed the water-related pictures
on image of land and sea biomes in
previous lessons. Lead them to ask you
to display that map or do so at this time.
Unit 1 18
1 Present
Looking at the image of land and sea
biomes, ask students to describe what
they see in the marine biome section.
Beforehand, write large labels for
the animal names and stick them on
the map: stingray, striped fish, dolphin,
fangtooth, jellyfish, seal.
Ask students if they have been to any
of the water biomes. Invite them to talk
about the animals, plants, and type of
water (saltwater or freshwater) they saw
or know about from prior knowledge.
Ask: How did you know if the water was
saltwater or freshwater?
2 Practice
Interactive Science
Explain that an estuary has two distinct
layers where the freshwater of rivers and
the saltwater of oceans come together.
Demonstrate following these steps:
1. Fill one of the beakers halfway with tap
water and color it with the blue food
coloring. Drop the golf balls into the
water. The golf balls, which are denser
than freshwater, will sink to the bottom.
2. Fill the second beaker with the same
amount of water as the first beaker,
and color it with blue food coloring—
but this time pour salt into the water.
Drop the golf balls in the water. Since
salt makes water denser, the golf balls
will float to the top.
3. Lead students to realize that salt
added to the blue water gave the
water more mass, so the density of the
water increased.
4. Finally, fill the third beaker halfway
with tap water and color it with red
food coloring. Slowly pour the red
water onto the blue water with the salt.
Ask students to describe what they
 observe. (Answer: Because the density
of the red water is less than the density
of the blue water, it will form a separate
red layer over the blue water.)

3 Apply
Students open their books to pages 18
and 19. Read the text on page 18 aloud
as a class, highlighting the information
about the labeled animals. At the end
of each paragraph, ask students which
photos the text relates to. Assign students
to work in pairs to research the colossal
squid.
Continue reading on page 19. Assign
different pairs to find out about crabs
and oysters. Go over the definitions of the
words in the Words to Know box and any
others that students ask about as a class.
Remind students to write them in their
vocabulary journals.

4 Verify
Have students share their research on
animals that have adapted to deep-sea
and estuary environments. Write on the
board a list of facts as students mention
them. Check that all agree and have
them copy the final list in their journals.

Language Support
Write on the board: saltwater, swordfish. Tell
students that these are compound words
(words that are made up of two or more
words). Elicit or say saltwater is water that has
salt, and a swordfish is a fish that has a jaw
like a sword. Write sunlight, fangtooth, and
freshwater on the board, and have students
infer their meaning.

19 Unit 1
 Objectives
• Learn about animals and plants that
live in coral reefs and freshwater biomes
• Be able to describe how animals
and plants have adapted to coral
reef and freshwater biomes
• Learn how humans have affected plants
and animals in different ecosystems
Science Skills
• Compare types of coral
• Observe how living things have
adapted to freshwater biomes
• Communicate how humans have
affected different ecosystems
Vocabulary
• coral reef, polyp
Materials
• image of land and sea biomes
• video or DVD about coral
• drawing paper
• water color paint and brushes
• clay in different colors
• world map
Warm-up
Display the image of land and sea
biomes. Have students come up and
focus on the coral reefs section. Ask them
what they notice about the different types
of coral and have them share what they
know about coral reefs.
1 Present
Make plans ahead of time to obtain a
DVD or video on coral reefs. Or show
students an online video on coral
reefs at https:// www.youtube.com/
watch?v=ZiULxLLP32s.
Type in the search words video coral
reefs. If this is not possible in class,
Unit 1 20
arrange for time in the computer lab or
assign the viewing as homework.
In all cases, ask students to summarize
the video. Discuss together the
differences and similarities of the different
types of coral and how coral are not
plants but tiny animals that form reefs by
living in a colony.
2 Practice
Interactive Science
Assign small groups, and distribute the
paper, painting, and clay materials
to each student. Invite them to draw
or make with clay an animal or plant
living in a coral reef or freshwater biome.
Ask students to write some information
about their models and to present them
to the class.
3 Apply
Invite students to turn to pages 20 and
21 in their books. Ask volunteers to read
the text on page 20 paragraph by
paragraph. Call students’ attention to
the labeled photos of coral and ask why
they have these names. (Brain coral looks
like a human brain. Elkhorn coral has a
horn like an elk—an animal similar to a
moose. The sea finger coral is in the sea
and has fingers like people.) Then read
the text in the Did You Know? box aloud.
Did students know that coral reefs were
so important?
Next, have students read page 21
together as a class. Write on the board
key points about freshwater, such as still
water, running water, fast-moving water,
and discuss how these affect freshwater
plants and animals. Finally, read together
how the biomes studied in the unit are in
danger of extinction. Form new groups
for students to discuss and write down
ways in which human beings can affect
ecosystems and possible solutions to
undo damage.

4 Verify
Ask comprehension questions such as:
Do all coral build reefs? Where is the
Great Barrier Reef on a world map? What
do coral reefs help control in the oceans?
Are still water and running water the
same thing? What kinds of plants are
there in a freshwater biome?, etc.

Wrap-up
Encourage students to think about what
they have learned over the course of
the unit. For example, ask: Which activity
did you enjoy the most? Which activity
did you enjoy the least? What is the
most important thing you learned from
this unit?

Teaching Tip
At the end of the unit, ask yourself. Are all
my students familiar with the vocabulary
words? Do they need extra practice? Different
material? New strategies? Was my pace
too slow or too fast? Did I play games? Did
I do an interactive science activity? Did my
students have fun? Did I accomplish what I
set out to do?
Answer all questions and jot down in your
teaching journal what you need to change.

21 Unit 1
 Review 1
Objective Review 1
A Circle the correct answer.
• Review topics taught in Unit 1 1. A biome is made up of different .
layers planets ecosystems

Vocabulary 2. Living things in an ecosystem with their

nonliving environment.
• biome, tundra, coniferous forest, interact do not interact breathe

deciduous forest, grassland, estuary, 3. An ecosystem includes in it.

polar bear, moss, lichen, permafrost, everything nothing a biome

biodiversity, caribou, altitude, 4. An ecosystem shares the same geographical zone and
.
mountain goat, taiga, evergreen, core climate planets

needles, sap, moose, hoof, raccoon, B Write the name of each animal and the biome that it
belongs to.
woodpecker, canopy, savanna, stolon,
1. salmon 4. raccoon
rhizome, rodent, burrow, nocturnal,
freshwater decidious forest
marine, swordfish, bill, breaching,
fangtooth, salinity, coral reef, polyp 2. kangaroo 5. moose

grasslands coniferous forest

Materials
• land biomes around the world photos 3. gila monster 6. brain coral

desert marine
• land and sea biomes photos
Unit 1 36

Warm-up Finally, ask students to tell you one

Display the land biomes around the
world photos and review the six major
land biomes. Have students come up to
the photos, point to the biome you say,
repeat, and make a true statement about
it. For example, Tundra: There are three
kinds of tundra. or The Antarctic tundra is
too cold to support vegetation. If students
cannot think of anything to say, tell them
some key words that they can build upon.
Next, display the land and sea
biomes photos, and ask students if they
think some biomes are easier to live in
than others. Discuss how adaptation
to ecosystems is what allows animals
and vegetation to live in very difficult
conditions. Elicit examples, e.g.,
Grasslands are very dry. The plants there
have roots that grow deep below the
surface. The animals there don’t have
very many places to hide, so they live in
large groups for protection.
interesting fact they learned in the unit.
1 Apply
Direct students’ attention to pages 36
and 37. Tell them that they will review
everything they learned in Unit 1 in
these pages.
If students are operating autonomously,
have them complete these exercises
individually. If not, go through each
exercise as a class. Read the instructions
aloud and do the exercise together,
or have students work in pairs or
individually. After each exercise, stop to
verify students’ answers.
2 Verify
Correct students’ work individually or
check the exercises together as a class.

Unit 1 22

C Write three interesting facts about the Tuareg or the
“Blue Men.”
Answers will vary
D Write True or False for each statement.
1. Oceans cover about 70 percent of Earth.
2. Organisms that live near an ocean’s
surface and use sunlight to produce food
are called bacteria.
3. One of the fastest animals in the ocean
is the swordfish.
4. Food is scarce in the very deep parts of a sea.
5. The fangtooth lives in estuaries.
6. Coral reefs are not important for our planet.
E Write four things that human beings have done to alter the
ecosystems of plants and animals.
Answers will vary
Review Games
Playing games is an excellent way to
consolidate, review material, and keep
learning fun. Here are a few games you
may want to add to your lesson plan
at the end of this unit. Remind students
that these games are not all about
competing and winning, but they will also
help them, and their classmates ensure
they are comfortable with the material
presented.
Describe and Draw
Ask students to sit in pairs. Each student
should have a piece of drawing paper
and color pencils. Tell them they will listen
to each other describing an animal
from the unit, for example, polar bear,
prairie dog, seahorse, mountain goat,
owl, fangtooth, coral, etc. They then try to
draw and color the animal described.
As they draw, they can ask their partners
for details. It is a good idea to review
prepositions of place with the students
before they begin to describe, such as
on the left, on the right, in the center, at
the top, etc.
True
Biome Bingo
False Have students create Bingo cards using
True
the vocabulary words from the unit. Then
True have students pass their Bingo card to
False
the person behind them. Create a call
False
sheet with all the vocabulary words and
write a checkmark next to them as you
call them. Students cross off or mark the
words with a small piece of paper if they
have the one you call out. The first student
to complete his/her card first calls out
37 Unit 1 Bingo! and wins.
The Alphabet Box
Write each letter of the alphabet on
separate cards and put them in a box.
One by one, invite individual students to
choose a letter. That student says a word
starting with the letter, preferably from
the unit. Alternatively, pull out a letter and
invite the entire class to think of a word
from the unit that starts with the letter.
The first student with a correct answer
wins a point.
23 Unit 1