Lesson 3 Splash climate biome estuary Look and Wonder In some places, the weather is warm most of the year. From the equator to the poles, how do the conditions change? What effects do these changes have on organisms that live in the different areas? Living things need to adapt to different temperatures and different amounts of moisture. Lesson 3 Splash

What climate does Thailand have? Tropical wet. Tropical wet.

What are biomes? In what kind of biome do you live? Tropical rain forest. Where are tundra biomes located on Earth? Near the North Pole. Discuss the Main Idea What makes these six biomes different from one another? Possible answers: climate; animals that live there; plants that live there; amounts of water How does sunlight affect the climate in a biome? Possible answer: Biomes near the equator receive direct sunlight, which makes the climate warm. How do changes in latitude and elevation affect climate? Areas with higher elevations and higher latitudes have cooler climates than areas with lower elevations and latitudes. Develop Vocabulary Climate: Word Origin Point out that climate comes from the Greek word klima, meaning “region” or “zone.” Ask students how the word origin is related to the meaning of the word climate. Climate is the average weather conditions of a region or a zone. Biome: Word Origin Point out to students that biome comes from the Greek work bi-, which means “life” and the Latin word oma, which means “mass.” Taken literally, a biome is a mass of life. Read a Map Where are tropical rain forests usually located? mostly near the equator Use the Visuals Refer students to the biomes map on page 209. Ask: Where are tundra biomes located on earth? near the North Pole Where are deciduous-forest biomes located? mostly in the mid-latitudes Which biomes lies south of the tundra? taiga Quick Check (Critical Thinking) In what kind of biome do you live? Explain. Answers will vary, depending on location. Students should make connections between the biomes that the class has studied and characteristics in their community.

What are tundras, taigas, and deserts? Discuss the Main Idea What are the names of three biomes with harsh climates? tundra, taiga, desert What factors make these climates harsh? extremely hot or cold temperatures; very little precipitation Develop Vocabulary Write on the board the terms tundra, permafrost, taiga, saguaro cactus, jerboa, and any other terms you think students will not understand. As students read pages 210-211, ask them to provide definitions from the text for each of these words. If a word is not defined in the text, encourage students to use a dictionary to find the term's definition. Record all definitions on the board. Use the Visuals Refer students to the biome photos on pages 210-211. Ask: How do the tundra and taiga biomes differ? tundra-layer of permafrost in the soil, no large plants or trees grow there; taiga-mountains, forests with cone-bearing trees How would you describe the desert biome shown in the picture? Possible answers: sandy; hot; dead; tree; few, low plants; signs of high winds Quick Check (Critical Thinking) Explain why deserts may seem to have fewer animals during the day than other biomes do. The animals are less active when temperatures are higher, and they often stay out of the sun to conserve water. Because the animals are seen more at night, during the day a desert might look as if it has fewer animals living there.

Tundras - are found in the northern regions Tundras - are found in the northern regions. Winters are long and summers are short. There aren’t big plants because of permafrost. Taigas – are cool forests of cone bearing evergreen trees. Winters are cold, but summers are warm and humid. There are many insects in summer. Deserts – are very dry. It’s hot during the day, but cool at night. Animals normally rest during the day and are active at night.

What are grasslands and forests? deciduous forest tropical rain forest What are grasslands and forests? grassland Discuss the Main Idea What are characteristics of the grasslands biome? main plants are grasses; not much rainfall; warm summers and cool winters; windy What are the differences between a tropical rain forest and a deciduous forest? Tropical rain forest: warm, humid climate; much rainfall; located near the equator Deciduous forest: trees lose leaves during fall and winter; warm summers and cold winters Use the Visuals Have students carefully study the biome pictures on pages 212-213. Ask: In which biome do large grazing animals live? grassland In which biome do trees lose their leaves in the autumn? deciduous forest In which biome do parrots live? tropical rain forest Quick Check (Critical Thinking) What do grassland biomes have in common with deserts? Rainfall is scarce in both biomes.

Deciduous Forests – are found in North America and Europe Deciduous Forests – are found in North America and Europe. The trees lose their leaves before winter. Grassland – is a biome where the majority of plants are species of grasses. There is not much precipitation. Nowadays grasslands are used to grow crops by farmers. Tropical Rainforests – are located near equator. There is plenty of rain, more than 2000 mm a year. There are plenty of plant and animal species.

Freshwater Ecosystems Pond and lakes

Streams and Rivers

Wetlands

Ocean Ecosystems What percentage of Earth is covered in water? More than 70%! More than 70%!