By Victoria Carroll

Scenario                               

The president of the corporation where you work has come to you for help. Apparently, many parts of the world are getting too crowded and people need more options on where to live. There are many places on our planet that are just waiting for people to move in. So, the president wants you and your team to prepare pamphlets of various biomes available for people to reside in. His last words were, “Make it highly appealing and very interesting” and he stormed out of the office.  Be prepared to make a 5 minute presentation to the president for approval.

Task

Develop a pamphlet of one or two pages that can be used for each biome. Information categories should be based upon what you need to know for each biome. Within this brochure you will be including general information about the selected destination, information about plants and animals, and a choice of types of homes. In addition, you must include pictures and images to appeal to the eyes of your readers. Remember, first impressions are always the most lasting impressions, so you'll want to create an out of this world brochure example.

Process                                 

1.      You must decide on which biome to research for your pamphlet.

2.      You need a 12” X 18” piece of construction paper or you may use a Print Shop program’s pamphlet template.  If you use the construction paper you will need to print, cut, and paste. The pamphlet must be typed either way you choose to use.

3.      Place a title on the front of your pamphlet.

4.      Your group next needs to distribute the following roles to each member of the group. Below is a list of roles that need to be fulfilled, followed by a description of the job that accompanies the role. In the "Resources" portion, you will find a list of websites to consult in order to complete each job effectively and efficiently. 

 Diplomat of Destination:  

The Diplomat will be the person who is providing a complete profile of the destination. The Diplomat should provide the following:

·         a detailed map of the destination

·         geographic, demographic, and environmental descriptions

·         population and weather reports

·         Include at least one chart

Historian/Tour Guide:             

The historian/tour guide is responsible for providing a brief history of the destination, in addition to finding areas of historical or trivial interest within the desired destination. The historian should research and include the following:

·         specific historical locations (at least 2)

·         a map and brief description of the significance of each historical location

·         Include a photo or clip art

Activity  Director:

Everyone likes to have fun where they live, so the activity director has an important job. He or she needs to find the hot spots or events at the desired biome. Remember, not everyone is alike. The recreation director needs to research and identify the following:

·         activities varying from indoor to outdoor and land to water.

·         names and locations of areas of interest

·         include photos or clip art

Zoologist/ Animal specialist.                         

Everyone loves animals.  The zoologist needs to research and identify the following:

·         animals that are indigenous to that particular biome

·         what important part do these animals play in this biome

·         photos or clip art of various animals

Botanist/ Plant specialist.                              

Plants are a big draw for prospective home buyers. The botanist needs to research and identify the following:

plants that are indigenous to that particular biome

  what important part do these plants play in this biome

photos or clip art of various plants

  Must be in color and eye-appealing.

Pamphlet must be complete and easy to read.

Come back together as a group and discuss and compare what information you have found as your designated position.

Brainstorm ideas on how to synthesize the information collected into a fabulous, eye-catching brochure. Make a layout of your brochure. You may have to use a cut and paste method for this task.

Type your brochure on the computer and insert graphics or paste onto construction paper for final product.

Write a one-page journal summary of what you did as your titled position and as a group. Each person is required to turn in the journal summary.

As a group, prepare for your presentation to the corporation president. Each person will be responsible for sharing what they found with their titled position. Transitions between speakers must be smooth and well rehearsed.

Resources

Go to the Desert to find your way through an oasis of facts and information.

Check out a book at the library. An excellent book is: Deserts by Neil Morris.

Find the book, One Day in the Desert by Jean Craighead George in the classroom library.

Visit the Taiga, a biome of many names.

Checkout the book: A Walk in the Boreal Forest by Rebecca L. Johnson.

  Where can you find a Kapok tree? Try looking in the Rainforest.

Several books in the library are available such as: At Home in the Rain Forest by Diane Willow and Rain Forests by Sheri Amsel.

Use the book, One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest by Jean Craighead George in the classroom library.

Take a walk in the Prairie. This land of tall grass and open sky is full of life.

Take a look in the book, A Walk in the Prairie by Rebecca L. Johnson or The Prairie by Alison Ormsby.

Go to the classroom library to find, One Day in the Prairie by Jean Craighead George.

Visit the land of permafrost and Reindeer moss. What are lichens?

Read Tundra by Susan H. Gray.

You may read, One Day in the Alpine Tundra by Jean Craighead George found in the classroom library.

Become the wizard of the Deciduous Forest by exploring this site.

Explore the forest in One Day in the Woods by Jean Craighead George, found in the classroom livrary.

  Evaluation

Your grade will be based on the following rubric, which tells how well you completed your biome project.

  Conclusion  

Congratulations! You have created some fantastic pamphlets about various biomes. People are already purchasing these pamphlets as they inquire purchasing homes in cities around the Earth. You have helped solve over-crowding in cities. From this experience you have learned a wealth of information about Earth’s different biomes and now have a deeper understanding of each biome and its characteristics.

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