PRIME SCIENCE Teacher’s Guide
Overarching Understanding*
The world’s seven major land biomes have
characteristic climates and communities,
and require people’s conservation efforts
to preserve them.
Land Biomes
Science Objectives
• Identify the biotic and abiotic factors that affect
Earth’s major land biomes
• Identify the adaptations that allow different
plants and animals to survive in each biome
Hands-On Science Inquiry
• Why Is It Hotter at the Equator? page 12
• Why Do Leaves Have Different Shapes? page 20
• Create a Climograph, page 40
Metacognitive Strategies
• Determine text importance
• Visualize: Use fix-up strategies
Comprehension Strategy
• Compare and contrast
Content Vocabulary
• Glossary, page 46
Vocabulary Strategy**
•U
se context clues (direct definitions and
descriptions) to define unfamiliar vocabulary
Word Study
• Analogies
• Suffixes
• Classify words
Level W/60
Language Forms and Functions
• Imperatives
Writing Connection
• How to write a lab report, pages 44–45
Graphic Features Focus
• Climate maps and climographs
Related Resources
•
•
•
•
•
Land Biomes Interactive Whiteboard Edition
Comprehension Strategy Assessments
Comprehension Question Card
Comprehension Power Tool Flip Chart
ExC-ELL Vocabulary Strategies Card**
*Essential Questions for each chapter drive the unit of study. These questions encourage students
to think critically about the big ideas, or essential understandings, and to formulate further
questions for inquiry. Students who have read the text with comprehension should be able to
demonstrate their understanding through discussion and through the “Putting It All Together”
activities at the end of each chapter.
Level R/40
**If you are using this text with ExC-ELL students, please refer to the ExC-ELL Vocabulary
Strategies Card.
B
e n c h m a r k
E
d u c a t i o n
C
o m p a n y
Introduce the Book
Make Connections/Build Background
Build Science Concepts and Vocabulary
•P
ose a question. Read the Prime Questions on the inside
front cover of Land Biomes. Initiate a discussion about the
plants and animals of the students’ community in its past
(natural) state.
• Think/pair/share. Ask students to work in small groups
to discuss and record the characteristics of the natural
environment in which they live. Ask: What living things
are there? What land features are there (mountains,
deserts, forests, etc.)? What is the climate like?
• Create a word web anchor chart. Bring the class
together to share. Write the words “Our Biome” in the
center circle and descriptor categories (plants, animals,
land features, climate, and so on) in surrounding circles.
As students share, write the characteristics around each
category.
• Post the anchor chart to support students’ understanding
of biomes throughout their reading of the book.
Preview the Book
• Invite students to flip through the book and view photos,
or project the whiteboard version of the text and preview
the pages together.
• Have students turn to the Table of Contents and read the
chapter heads and Essential Questions for each chapter.
• Invite students to read the book description and the
“About the Author” blurb on the back cover of the book.
Ask: How do these features help you figure out what
you’ll learn about in this book?
• Think/pair/write/share. Focusing on the Table of
Contents, ask students to work in pairs or small groups to
generate a list of questions they have about biomes.
Read Aloud the Book Introduction
•A
sk: Have you ever heard of a redwood tree? Have you
ever seen one?
• Have students turn to pages 4–5, or display the pages on
your whiteboard. Ask students to look at the pictures of
redwood trees and talk about how what it might feel like
to stand in a redwood forest, looking up.
• Read aloud the text on pages 4–5, or listen and follow
along with the talking e-book in the whiteboard edition.
• Ask students how much water they think it might take
to support a forest of huge plants such as redwood trees.
Encourage them to think of what the climate is like in
other places with many plants or trees. Tell students
that they will learn about different types of land biomes
on Earth and how the climate affects what plants and
animals grow in them.
•C
reate an anchor chart similar to the one below. Discuss the
types of data collected in each box and give examples as needed.
• Generate ideas and conduct research. Allow students to
work in groups to discuss possible questions to be researched.
Example questions:
• How much do changes in temperature affect the growth of a
plant?
• How has the construction of new buildings in their community
affected the number of trees in the area?
Students may choose to work individually or in teams to conduct
their labs.
• Using the anchor chart, review the characteristics of a lab report.
• Ask students to use Lab Report Planning Guide (BLM 1) to plan
and develop their reports.
• Confer with individual students to support their research. Have
they chosen an appropriate topic/question for their experiment?
Is it “testable”? Have they identified appropriate procedures for
gathering data? Are they including all required sections? Is their
data specific and complete?
Introduction:
Write the question you are
trying to answer and background
information that explains why you
want to know.
Hypothesis:
Write your original idea for how to
answer the question.
Materials:
Include a list of all items used in
the experiment.
Safety Precautions:
Include this section only if needed.
Procedures:
Write a summary of what you did,
step by step.
Results:
Include notes, tables, graphs, charts,
or other recordings you made
during the lab experiment, which
can be attached.
Analysis/Conclusions:
Accept or reject your hypothesis
and use the results to explain your
decision.
References:
Include a list all sources used to
research the topic—books, articles,
Web sites.
Write a Lab Report
Introduce and Plan
•H
ave students turn to pages 44–45. Read the writing
feature and model together.
• Say: Lab reports are very important tools for scientists.
Why do you think that’s true? Where might we find other
examples of lab reports to review? (Allow responses.)
• Generate a list of places, such as science textbooks and
Internet sites, describing research in medicine, biology,
geology, ecology, and other sciences.
2
land biomes
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole
or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-61672-219-7
Chapter 1: Climate and Biomes
Before Reading
Make It Comprehensible for ELs
Use the following strategies to help ELs understand
concepts and acquire academic language.
• As you introduce concepts and vocabulary, use images
from the book or from the image bank on the interactive
whiteboard edition to illustrate concepts and terms.
• Pair ELs with fluent English speakers during small-group
or partner discussions and activities.
• Model the use of academic sentence frames to support
ELs’ vocabulary and language development. (See
Suggested Academic Sentence Frames for each chapter.)
Discuss the Essential Question: How does climate influence
the development of biomes?
•A
sk students to turn to page 6. Read the Essential
Question together.
• Ensure that students understand the difference between
climate and weather. Explain that some important
characteristics of an area’s weather are its temperatures
and its precipitation (amount of rainfall or snowfall).
Define climate as the average weather of an area over a
long period of time.
• Explain that a location’s climate is affected by its latitude
(its distance from the equator) as well as its altitude
(its distance above sea level). Say that nearby land and
water features, such as mountains and lakes, also affect a
location’s climate.
• Invite students to think about how climate affects their
everyday lives. Ask: How would your life change if you
lived someplace where the climate is very different?
How do you think climate affects the lives of other living
things? (Allow responses.)
• Tell students that they will learn why climate is important
to the different types of biomes found on Earth.
• Ask the class to discuss these questions: How does climate
affect the types of plants and animals in our area? Can
you name examples of how the body types and behaviors
of animals are well adapted for the climate?
• Record students’ responses and save them to refer to after
reading.
Discuss the Essential Vocabulary: Use Direct Definitions to
Determine Word Meanings
•P
oint out the Essential Vocabulary on page 6. Note
that you have introduced many of these words while
discussing the Essential Question (above).
• Ask: What do you already know about each of these
words? Take a moment to jot down what you know
in your science journal. Have students draw a graphic
organizer like the one below in their journals to evaluate
their knowledge of the Essential Vocabulary words.
• Invite students to share and discuss their graphic
organizers with a partner or the whole group.
Words I Know
Words I Think
I Know
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
•M
odel using direct definitions. Say: Often, an
author provides definitions of words right in the text.
These are called direct definitions. For example, I find
the word climate in the second paragraph of page 7.
The boldfaced type signals that it’s an important word.
I’m going to look for a direct definition in the text. The
author gives it in the same sentence. She says that climate
is . . .
• On Level: the average weather pattern of an area over
a long period of time
• Bridges: the average weather of a place
• Say: Paying attention to direct definitions helps me
understand words that the author thinks are really
important.
• Think/pair/share. Have students work in pairs. Assign an
essential word to each group. Tell them to find the direct
definition in the chapter and add it to their vocabulary
notebooks.
• Provide time for students to share. Reinforce the
importance of using direct definitions to become more
independent readers.
Share English/Spanish Cognates for Essential Vocabulary
If you have ELs whose first language is Spanish, share the
cognates below to support academic vocabulary. Be aware,
however, that students may not understand the meaning of
all of these science words in their first language, either.
adaptation/la adaptacíon (page 8), altitude/la altitud
(page 14), climate/el clima (page 7), polar/polar
(page 10), precipitation/las precipitaciones (page 8),
temperate/templado (page 10), tropical/tropical
(page 10)
Preview Text and Graphic Features: Climograph
•A
sk students to turn to page 9. Point out the climograph
at the bottom of the page.
• Ask: What do you think this feature is? (Allow responses.)
• If necessary, say: This is called a climograph. It’s a graph
used by scientists to show the average temperature and
precipitation for an area over a set period of time.
• Ask: Why do you think this graphic feature is included
here? How can it help you as a reader? (Allow responses.)
• Say: A graph highlights changes much better than a list
of dates and numbers does. A climograph helps us see
how temperatures rise and fall over time.
Activate Metacognitive Strategies: Visualize
•T
ell students that good readers use many strategies to
help them understand what they are reading.
• Say: One very helpful strategy is visualizing. Good readers
make pictures in their minds as they read. They pay close
attention to the descriptions in the text. They try to see
what they are reading so they will understand better and
remember more. Let me show you how visualizing helps
me when I read.
Words I
Don’t Know
land biomes
3
Chapter 1 (continued)
•M
odel. Read aloud the first paragraph of page 8. Say:
When I read about the places and animals this mentions,
I see them in my mind. I can see the huge, fur-covered
polar bear panting in the hot desert sun. That picture in
my mind helps me understand how animals are better
suited to some climates than others. As you read this
chapter, try to visualize what you are reading. Use the
descriptions and the illustrations to help you make images
in your mind. Visualizing helps you understand and
remember important concepts.
Set a Purpose for Reading
•S
ay: As we read this book, you’re going to take notes
using a strategy called Q notes.
• Distribute the Q Notes Guide (BLM 2).
• Explain: Q notes help you organize important
information when you read. Use the left side of the page
to write questions about what you’re reading. You can
turn the headings, subheadings, and topic sentences
into questions. That’s a good way to focus on the most
important information. After you write each question, use
the right side of the form to write the answers.
Read the Chapter
Model Comprehension Strategies: Compare and Contrast
•E
xplain: As you read, you are trying to understand
some key concepts. Many times, that requires you to
compare and contrast information. When you compare,
you focus on likenesses. When you contrast, you focus on
differences. Let me show you how to use compare and
contrast when I read.
• Model compare and contrast. Read aloud the last
paragraph on page 8. Say: The author is explaining wet
and dry biomes. She tells us that they are alike because
both have plants that have adapted to the amount of
precipitation their biome gets. She also tells how the two
biomes are different. One is very dry because it gets very
little precipitation. The other is very wet because it gets
a lot of rain or snow. She also tells how the plants are
different. The plants in wet places release water. In the
dry places, the plants store water.
• Say: As you read, pay attention to how the author uses
compare and contrast to explain important information.
This book uses compare and contrast a lot to help you
understand about the various types of land biomes.
Vocabulary/Word Study: Suffixes
Choose from the activities below to extend students’ science
and content-literacy skills.
•T
ell students that suffixes are endings added to words to
make new words.
• Write the suffix -tude on chart paper or on the
whiteboard. Explain that it is used to form two key terms
used in Chapter 1, altitude and latitude. Write both
words and circle the -tude suffix. Tell student that the
suffix means “state of,” “condition of,” or “degree of.”
• Say: Both altitude and latitude are words formed by
adding -tude to a Latin word.
• Write altus on chart paper or on the whiteboard. Say:
This word means “high” in Latin, so the word altitude
means “degree of height.”
• Write latus on the whiteboard or chart. Say: This is
the Latin word for “wide.” Latitude means “degree of
width.” In this book it means specifically about how far a
certain place would be north or south of the equator.
• Ask students to work in pairs to think of and record
other words they know that use the -tude suffix. (Some
examples are magnitude, longitude, gratitude,
solitude.) Challenge students to share the meanings
based on the suffixes and roots.
Discuss Key Concepts
Language Forms and Functions: Imperatives
Ask students to share the questions and answers recorded
on their Q notes. Discuss how the Q notes helped them
identify key points and how it will help them as they study.
•
•
Choose the option below that meets the needs of your
students. Prompt students to use the metacognitive strategy
of visualizing to help them identify the main ideas in the
chapter.
• Read with a teacher. Meet with small groups of
students to focus on content-comprehension strategies
as you read the text together. Students can read silently,
or you can do a shared read-aloud of the text. Have
the students use the Q notes strategy to focus on key
concepts.
• Read with a partner. Have students read the chapter
with a partner and complete the Q Notes Guide (BLM 2)
together for the chapter.
• Read independently. Assign students the chapter to
read on their own before the next class period. Students
should complete the Q Notes Guide (BLM 2) together for
the chapter.
After Reading
Suggested Academic Sentence Frames
• A question answered in the chapter is _____.
• The answer to the question is _____.
4
land biomes
ead the following sentence from Chapter 1, page 7.
R
• On Level: Think of a place that is very hot and dry.
• Bridges: Think of a place that is hot and dry.
Explain. Tell students that the sentence is called an
imperative sentence because it instructs readers to do
something. Ask: In the sentence I just read, which word
is used to tell the reader what to do? (Allow responses.)
Write the word “Think” on chart paper or on the
whiteboard. Say: Imperative sentences give commands
or instructions, and they almost always have no subject
because they address the reader directly. Tell students
that the book they are reading about land biomes uses
many imperative sentences.
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Chapter 2: Earth’s Land Biomes
•P
ractice. Have students work in pairs to find other
imperatives in Chapter 1. Allow time for students to share
as you record their examples on chart paper and circle the
word(s) that give the command or instruction.
Hands-On Science Inquiry
Ask students to work in pairs to conduct the experiment on
page 12 (Why Is It Hotter at the Equator?).
Differentiated Collaborative Learning
Invite partners or small groups to complete one of
the “Putting It All Together” activities on page 15
to demonstrate their understanding of the essential
information. Note that the activity choices accommodate
learners with a range of learning styles.
Before Reading
Make It Comprehensible for ELs
Use the following strategies to help ELs understand
concepts and acquire academic language.
• As you introduce concepts and vocabulary, use images
from the book or from the image bank on the interactive
whiteboard edition to illustrate concepts and terms.
• Pair ELs with fluent English speakers during small-group
or partner discussions and activities.
• Model the use of academic sentence frames to support
ELs’ vocabulary and language development. (See
Suggested Academic Sentence Frames for each chapter.)
Write a Lab Report: Draft
•T
ell students that they will be using their Lab Report
Planning Guide (BLM 1) to begin drafting their lab
reports.
• Discuss organization. Remind students that lab reports
follow a set format. Discuss the importance of beginning
with the anchor chart they developed for a lab report.
Say: The goal for your lab report is to clearly and
precisely communicate your results so that readers will
understand what you did, why you did it, how you did
it, and what you found out. From your report, readers
should also be able to duplicate your experiment.
• Conference with students as they complete their drafts.
Use items 1–8 on the Lab Report Checklist (BLM 3) to draw
students’ attention to characteristics they need to include.
Focus on how students have organized their ideas and
the voice of the writer. Do they have all of the features
given in items 1–8? Are their question and hypothesis
sections clear and easy to understand? Are the procedures
and results complete and accurate? Are their conclusions
logical and based on the results?
• Pair students for peer conferencing.
Home Connections: Constructed-Response Journal Writing
In their science journals, have students answer the textdependent comprehension questions for Chapter 1 on
Comprehension Questions (BLM 4). These questions, at
four text-dependent comprehension levels, help prepare
students for the questions they will encounter on
standardized content-area reading assessments. To model
strategies for answering text-dependent comprehension
questions, use the information and prompts provided on
the Comprehension Power Tool Flip Chart. Answers for each
question on BLM 4, along with additional questions, can be
found on the Comprehension Question Card.
Discuss the Essential Question: What are the
characteristics of each land biome?
•A
sk students to turn to page 16. Read the Essential
Question together.
• Open discussion. Ask the class to think about places
around the world that are similar to or different from
where they live. Ask: What is it like to live in a place that
is always hot and steamy? How does a hot place feel,
look, sound, and smell? Repeat the question by asking
students about a place that is always cold and icy.
• Begin a concept map to record the sensory experiences
they share. Save the concept map to refer to after
reading.
Discuss the Essential Vocabulary: Use Descriptions to
Determine Word Meanings
• Point out the Essential Vocabulary on page 16.
• Say: The vocabulary words in this chapter are mostly the
names of the different land biomes on Earth. To help us
understand, the author uses descriptions to explain what
each biome is like. Words that describe often help us
understand meanings. Let me show you.
• Model. Point to the boldfaced word tundra on page 17.
Read the sentence that contains it aloud. Say: I see words
in this sentence that help me understand what tundra
is. Words such as dry and cold and phrases about low
growths of plants really describe what tundra looks like.
Those descriptions help me understand what tundra is
like.
• Think/pair/share. Pair students and assign each pair two
of the Essential Vocabulary words. Challenge the pairs to
locate the words in the chapter and list the descriptive
words used to explain their meanings. Allow students to
share. Record their findings on a word web.
Share English/Spanish Cognates for Essential Vocabulary
If you have ELs whose first language is Spanish, share the
cognates below to support academic vocabulary. Be aware,
however, that students may not understand the meaning
of all of these science words in their first language, either.
desert/el desierto (page 24), taiga (also known as a
boreal forest and boreal is a Spanish word) (page 18),
temperate/templado (page 19), tropical/tropical
(page 22), tundra/la tundra (page 17)
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
land biomes
5
Chapter 2 (continued)
Preview Text and Graphic Features: Tables
• Ask students to turn to page 26. Point out the table.
• Ask: What do we call this graphic feature, and why do
you think the author included it? (Allow responses.)
Activate Metacognitive Strategies: Visualize and Determine
Text Importance
•R
eview. Remind students that when they read
Chapter 1, they practiced the strategy of visualizing as
they read. Say: Good readers visualize as they read. How
did visualizing help you understand the characteristics of
each biome? (Allow responses.)
• Explain. Tell students that another important strategy is
determining important information. Say: Good readers
know that some information is more important than other
information. Your job as you read this book is to find the
information that is the most helpful for understanding
about each type of biome. Let me show you how to do
that.
• Model. Read aloud page 18. Say: As I read this page, I
noticed some clues that tell me what information is most
important. First, the heading “Taiga” lets me know that
I will be reading about taiga biomes. I need to focus
on information that is specifically about taiga. I also
noticed that the word taiga is printed in boldfaced type.
The boldfaced type signals that it’s a glossary word. It’s
important to the concepts in the text.
• Practice. Challenge students to practice the strategy
as they read. Say: As you read this chapter, pay close
attention to information that explains the characteristics
of each type of biome. Focusing on the most important
information helps you understand.
Set a Purpose for Reading
•H
ave students continue to use BLM 2 to take Q notes as
they read Chapter 2.
Read the Chapter
Choose the option below that meets the needs of your
students. Prompt students to use the metacognitive
strategies of visualizing and determining text importance
to help them identify the main ideas in the chapter.
• Read with a teacher. Meet with small groups of
students to focus on content-comprehension strategies as
you read the text together. Students can read silently, or
you can do a shared read-aloud of the text. Have students
use the Q notes strategy to focus on key concepts.
• Read with a partner. Have students read the chapter
with a partner and complete the Q Notes Guide (BLM 2)
together for the chapter.
• Read independently. Assign students the chapter to read
on their own before the next class period. Students should
complete the Q Notes Guide (BLM 2) together for the chapter.
After Reading
Choose from the activities below to extend students’ science
and content-literacy skills.
Discuss Key Concepts
Suggested Academic Sentence Frames
• Before reading, I thought _____.
• After reading, I think _____.
Practice Comprehension Strategies: Compare and Contrast
•A
sk: What does it mean to compare and contrast?
What types of information are you looking for? (Allow
responses.)
• Guide practice. Say: Let’s reread the paragraphs about
hot deserts and cold deserts on pages 24–25. How does
the author compare and contrast these two biomes?
(Allow responses.)
• If necessary, model: The author says that these two
biomes are alike because they are both deserts and both
get very little precipitation. The differences are in climate
(hot versus cold and windy) and in the number of animals
found. Cold deserts have fewer animals.
• Say: Understanding how things are alike and different is
a key strategy for understanding many science concepts.
Vocabulary/Word Study: Classify Words
•E
xplain: Classifying is grouping things together according
to what they have in common. Recognizing how words
can be classified is a very helpful strategy. It expands our
knowledge of words we know and helps us understand
the meanings of new terms.
• Say: We’ve talked about seven different land biomes. We
have words we use as specific names for these biomes.
We also have words we use to describe the climate and
other characteristics of these biomes. These words can be
grouped by the specific biome they describe. These words
can also be grouped by the specific characteristic, or
factor, they describe such as weather, temperature, land
features, etc.
• Present the following list of biome names (tundra, taiga/
boreal forest, temperate rain forest, temperate deciduous
forest, grassland, tropical rain forest, desert) and work
with the class to generate a list of descriptive words they
might use to describe these biomes. (Suggested words
might include: arid, barren, cloudy, cold, desolate, dry,
fertile, foggy, frigid, grassy, green, hot, humid, lush, mild,
mountainous, polar, rainy, rocky, sandy, snowy, sunny,
temperate, tropical, warm, temperate, wet, etc.)
• After the class has generated a rich list of words, display
the chart below and ask students to classify words. Allow
the class to discuss and work together to complete the
chart. Provide clarification and support as needed.
Words That Describe
Land Features
Words That Describe
Weather and Climate
Features
barren, desolate, fertile,
grassy, green, lush,
mountainous, rocky, sandy
arid, cloudy, cold, dry,
foggy, frigid, hot, humid,
mild, polar, rainy, snowy,
sunny, temperate, tropical,
warm, temperate, wet
Return to the concept map developed prior to reading
the chapter. Invite students to add information using new
understandings gained from their reading. Discuss how the
new information changed or expanded their images of each
type of environment they discussed before reading.
6
land biomes
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Chapter 3: Conservation of
Land Biomes
Language Forms and Functions: Imperatives
•E
xplain: Remember that an imperative is a sentence that
tells the reader to do something. It may be a command or
an instruction.
• Ask students to look at the first paragraph on page 17 and
reread it along with you. Ask: Which sentence from that
paragraph tells you do to something? (Allow responses.)
Write Bring on the whiteboard and tell students to find
the sentence with this word on page 17. Tell students
that this word signals the imperative because it gives a
command or instruction.
• Practice with a partner. Ask students to work in pairs to
find other imperatives and identify the signal words.
• Allow students to share their examples as you record them
on chart paper.
Suggested Academic Sentence Frame
• _____ before you _____.
Hands-On Science Inquiry
Ask students to work in pairs to conduct the experiment on
page 20 (Why Do Leaves Have Different Shapes?).
Differentiated Collaborative Learning
Invite partners or small groups to complete one of
the “Putting It All Together” activities on page 27
to demonstrate their understanding of the essential
information.
Share the Cartoonist’s Notebook
•H
ave students’ read the Cartoonist’s Notebook spread on
pages 28–29 independently, with partners, or as a whole
group. (You may wish to project the spread on your
whiteboard.)
• Open discussion. Ask students to think about and discuss
the following questions.
Can you think of other ways in which people have
adapted to different land biomes?
Which land biome do you live in? How do you know?
Write a Lab Report: Edit and Revise
•B
ased on your observations of students’ writing, conduct
appropriate mini-lessons to help them improve their
reports, For example:
• the importance of following the format on the class
anchor chart (format for writing a lab report)
• using accurate information to describe procedures and
results
• analyzing data appropriately to make logical conclusions
• using language that supports readers’ understanding
• Remind students to use the Lab Report Checklist (BLM 3) as
they revise and edit independently.
• Conference with students, focusing on format, word
choice, accuracy, and conventions.
• You may want students to continue their revisions and
editing at home.
Before Reading
Make It Comprehensible for ELs
Use the following strategies to help ELs understand
concepts and acquire academic language.
• As you introduce concepts and vocabulary, use images
from the book or from the image bank on the interactive
whiteboard edition to illustrate concepts and terms.
• Pair ELs with fluent English speakers during small-group
or partner discussions and activities.
• Model the use of academic sentences frames to support
ELs’ vocabulary and language development. (See
Suggested Academic Sentence Frames for each chapter.)
Discuss the Essential Question: How can people preserve
biomes for the future?
•A
sk students to turn to page 30. Read the Essential
Question together.
• Pose a question. Ask students to answer the Essential
Question in their science journals. Tell them to develop
their answers using what they have learned about biomes
and what they already know about efforts to save Earth.
• Allow students to share and work together to decide
which answers are logical.
Discuss the Essential Vocabulary: Use Direct Definitions
and Descriptions to Determine Word Meanings
•P
oint out the Essential Vocabulary on page 30. In their
science journals, have students evaluate their word
knowledge using the same graphic organizer they used
for the previous chapters.
• Invite students to share and discuss their journals with the
class.
• Model using direct definitions. Say: Remember
that authors often include definitions of key words or
terms directly in the chapter. Often a direct definition
appears in the sentence just before or just after the term.
Sometimes, it is even given in the same sentence as the
term itself. Look at page 30. The word conservation is
near the bottom of the page. A direct definition of the
word is given in the same sentence. The text says that
conservation is the careful protection of Earth’s natural
environment.
• Model using description. Say: Another vocabulary
strategy we talked about is using description. Turn to
page 34 and find the term global warming. (Read the
first paragraph to students.) Say: All of the description
in this paragraph really helps me understand about
global warming. I know what it is and why it is such a big
problem for Earth.
• Say: As you read Chapter 3, pay close attention to the
direct definitions and descriptions in the text. They can
help you understand key terms and concepts.
Home Connections: Constructed-Response Journal Writing
In their science journals, have students answer the textdependent comprehension questions for Chapter 2 on
BLM 4.
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land biomes
7
Chapter 3 (continued)
Share English/Spanish Cognates for Essential Vocabulary
If you have ELs whose first language is Spanish, share the
cognate below to support academic vocabulary. Be aware,
however, that students may not understand the meaning of
all of this science word in their first language, either.
• conservation/la conservación (page 30)
Preview Text and Graphic Features: Climographs and
Tables
•A
sk students to scan Chapter 3 and point out examples of
climographs (pages 34 and 41) and tables (pages 32 and
41) in this chapter.
• Ask: How will you use the climographs and tables to help
you understand? (Allow responses.)
Review and Discuss Metacognitive Strategies: Determine
Text Importance and Visualize
•S
ay: As we’ve read this book, we’ve been using
two important reading strategies. One of them is
determining what is most important in the text. Why
is that important? (Allow responses.) What are some
ways in which you can decide what information is most
important? Engage students in a discussion of how
they can look for headings, subheadings, and words in
boldfaced type to help them figure out what information
they need to focus on as they read.
• Say: The other strategy we’ve practiced is visualizing.
What does that mean? How has making images in your
mind about what you’re reading helped you understand
better? (Allow responses.)
Set a Purpose for Reading
•A
sk students to continue making Q notes as they read
Chapter 3.
Read the Chapter
Choose the option below that meets the needs of your
students. Prompt students to use the metacognitive
strategies of determining text importance and visualizing
to help them identify the main ideas in the chapter.
• Read with a teacher. Meet with small groups of
students to focus on content-comprehension strategies as
you read the text together. Students can read silently, or
you can do a shared read-aloud of the text. Use BLM 2 to
focus on key concepts.
• Read with a partner. Have students read the text with a
partner and complete the Q Notes Guide (BLM 2) together
for the chapter.
• Read independently. Assign students the chapter to
read on their own before the next class period. Students
should complete the Q Notes Guide (BLM 2) together for
the chapter.
8
land biomes
After Reading
Choose from the activities below to extend students’
science and content-literacy skills.
Discuss Key Concepts
Ask students to reflect on what they read in the chapter
and add any new ways to help preserve Earth’s land biomes
to the lists they created in their journals prior to reading.
Then ask students to share their ideas and create a class list.
Review and Discuss Comprehension Strategies: Compare
and Contrast
•A
sk: How does comparing and contrasting concepts and
information help you understand? (Allow responses.)
Help students understand that comparing to determine
how things are alike and contrasting to discover how
things are different is a critical thinking strategy for
understanding science.
• Say: It is very important to focus on likenesses and
differences when you read about science. Many science
books and articles are organized around how things
are the same and how they are different. Recognizing
information that is presented that way is very important
to understanding the concepts.
Vocabulary/Word Study: Analogies
•E
xplain: An analogy is a comparison between two things
that may not seem comparable. Analogies help readers
compare new information or ideas to what they already
know. Analogies are fun and they can improve readers’
understanding.
• Write the following analogies on chart paper.
Heat is to a desert as cold is to a ____________.
____________ is to saving Earth as pollution is to
destroying Earth.
• Ask students if they can supply the logical words to fill
the blanks based on what they have learned from the
book.
• Think/pair/share. Challenge teams of students to create
additional analogies based on the scientific vocabulary in
Chapters 1–3.
• Provide time for teams to share with the class.
Language Forms and Functions: Imperatives
• Read the following sentence from Chapter 3, page 40.
• On Level and Bridges: Choose a location on the
globe.
• Explain: This sentence is called an imperative because it
gives the reader a command or direction. In this sentence,
the word Choose signals that a direction is being given.
Another thing to remember about imperative sentences is
that they usually do not have a stated subject. The subject
is understood.
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Conclusion
•D
emonstrate: If I wanted to give a command about
getting ready for your next class, I might say, “Stop. Put
away your things.” (Write the imperatives on chart paper
or on the whiteboard.) Say: These are two imperative
sentences because they both give a command. (Circle
“Stop” and “Put away.”) These words give the commands
and signal an imperative statement.
• Practice: Have students think about imperatives they might
use. Invite students to share as you record their examples
on chart paper or on the whiteboard. Discuss the words
that signal the imperatives and circle them on the chart.
Suggested Academic Sentence Frame
• _____ your dinner before it gets too cold.
Hands-On Science Inquiry
Ask students to work in small groups to conduct the
experiment on page 40 (Create a Climograph).
Differentiated Collaborative Learning
Summarize and Synthesize
Use the suggestions below to synthesize the information
from the text and to evaluate and extend students’ content
knowledge, comprehension, and vocabulary knowledge.
Read Aloud and Discuss the Conclusion
Read aloud the conclusion on pages 42–43 and invite
students to summarize the key concepts and conclusions
they can draw from the text. Encourage students to use
the key vocabulary terms they have learned.
Assess Science and
Content-Literacy Skills
Text-Dependent Comprehension Assessment
Review students’ answers to the text-dependent questions
on BLM 4. If necessary, support their text-dependent
comprehension strategies by answering additional questions
from the Comprehension Question Card as a group.
Performance-Based Assessment
Invite partners or small groups to complete one of
the “Putting It All Together” activities on page 41
to demonstrate their understanding of the essential
information.
Invite students to complete the “Prime Investigations”
activity shown on the inside back cover of the book.
This activity provides an opportunity for students to
demonstrate their understanding of the key elements
of land biomes developed in the text.
Write a Lab Report: Create Final Draft and Illustrations
Vocabulary Challenge
•A
sk students to rewrite or type a final draft of their reports.
• Students may refine illustrations, diagrams, charts, or tables
to be used in the reports.
• Conference with students regarding publishing plans and
deadlines.
Home Connections: Constructed-Response Journal Writing
In their science journals, have students answer the textdependent comprehension questions for Chapter 3 on BLM 4.
• Invite students to play Name That Category (Marzano
and Pickering, 2005). This game is a modified version of
the game $100,000 Pyramid. Students are encouraged
to focus on concepts or associated terms as they try to
discover the common thread among them.
• Make a game board with boxes arranged in a graduated
shape. A triangle works well. Write a concept or
category in each box with sticky notes hiding each term.
• Only one player on the team, the clue-giver, should be
able to see the board. The guessers must keep their
backs turned. Reveal one category at a time to the
clue-giver, who orally lists words that can help the
guessers determine the category name. For example,
if the category is “Types of Measurements,” the cluegiver might say, “inch, meter, mile, liter, pint . . .” The
clue-giver would keep listing terms until the guessers
are able to name the category.
• As soon as the guessers respond correctly, reveal the next
category. As soon as the first team finishes the board, all
teams stop. Award all teams the appropriate number of
points earned and continue with the next round!
Write a Lab Report: Publish and Share
Explain. Planned, controlled data collection is an
essential research technique used often by scientists. It
provides a way to study a wide range of phenomena and
issues. The lab report is an essential tool for documenting
and reporting many kinds of research. It is critical to the
scientific method.
• Use one or more of the ideas below for sharing
students’ work.
• Make a class display of completed lab reports.
• Assemble a binder of lab reports and accompanying
documents (tables, graphs, charts, lab notes, etc.) to
be shared with other classes.
• Invite students to share and discuss their lab reports.
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
land biomes
9
Assessment
Closed-Book Science Content Assessment
Have students complete the formal content assessment on
BLMs 5 and 6. This assessment helps you evaluate students’
understanding of the standards-based concepts developed
in this text. There are three test items for each “chunk”
of the text as divided in this Teacher’s Guide. For each
chapter, there are three types of questions, representing
the different kinds of questions students will encounter on
standardized content assessments.
Question Types and Explanations
• Recall. Students answer questions based on content
concepts learned from the text. Students are not allowed
to look in the book for answers.
• Application. Students must transfer their understanding
of concepts learned in the book to new, real-life situations.
• Think about it. Students must read and interpret this
question carefully. They must consider information
provided in the question and information from the book
to formulate an answer.
• Complete a concept circle. Students to use the graphic
organizer to demonstrate their concept knowledge. Then
they draw conclusions about the information they have
presented. This assessment can be differentiated in the
following ways.
Gifted students. Ask students to provide all information in
the concept circle from memory.
On-level students. Provide six possible categories for
students to use in the four quadrants of the concept
circle.
Struggling students. Provide students with the four
concepts you would like them to write about in the
concept circle.
Answer Key: Comprehension
Questions
1.slowly (page 13)
2.Climate depends on many factors. (Clues/evidence:
Climate depends partly on a location’s latitude. Land
and water features also influence climate. Altitude has
an effect on climate, too.) (pages 10–14)
3.to explain the climograph to readers
4.fewer species than in a tropical rain forest
(pages 22–23)
5.You are in a temperate rain forest. (Clues/evidence:
“rainy or foggy all year”; “cool winter and mild
summer”) (page 26)
6. The pages are structured to compare and contrast
(hot deserts/cold deserts, snow versus rain).
7.ecology (page 36)
8.We can change how we affect Earth’s biomes. (Clues/
evidence: One way to prevent the destruction of
biomes is to set limits on human behavior. An important
part of conservation is setting aside wildlife parks and
preserves. Successful conservation efforts help people
as well as wildlife.) (pages 36–39)
9The two main sections are “How People Affect Natural
Communities” and “Conservation.”
10
land biomes
Answer Key: Content Assessment
1. climates
2. Sample answer: You would look on or near the
equator. These places are warmest year-round
because they get more direct sunlight year-round.
3. Answers may include three of the following factors:
land features (such as mountains and valleys), water
features, nearness to the ocean, altitude, and distance
from the equator
4. taiga
5. Sample answers should include at least two differences
from those listed below for each biome:
desert
tropical rain forest
• very hot or very cold
• dry—almost no rain
•few plants, insects, and
animals
• hot all year
• very wet—lots of rain
•many plants, animals,
and insects
OR
grassland
•cold in winter, hot in
summer
• long dry season
• a lot of grass all year
• no snow
tundra
• very cold all year
• very dry all year
•grass only in short
summer
• snow much of year
6. T he United States has the largest grassland in North
America.
7. humans
8. (Answers may vary.) encourage the government to
make new laws; recycle metal cans (page 36)
9. (Answers may vary.) Students’ responses should point
out that climate affects all types of life in a biome and
that scientists need to track its variations to predict
harmful effects on the planet.
10. (Answers may vary.)
• use of poisonous chemicals—harms plant and
animal life
• cutting down forests—destroys habitats and
threatens natural communities
• removing plants or animals from a natural
community—causes species to become extinct
• overhunting animals—causes species to become
extinct
• spreading disease around the world—threatens
species of plants or animals with extinction
• riding off-road vehicles in restricted areas—harms
fragile soils
• using carbon-based fuels—causes global warming
Sample conclusions:
• People’s activities are endangering Earth.
• People should act more responsibly to protect our
planet.
• People need to recognize that their activities are
having harmful effects on Earth.
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _______________________________________________________
Date _________________________________
Lab Report Planning Guide
Directions: Research and record the following data to plan your lab report.
Introduction: (Write the question you are trying to answer and background
information that explains why you want to know.)
Hypothesis: (Write your original idea for how to answer the question.)
Materials: (Include a list of all items used in the experiment.)
Safety Precautions: (Include this section only if needed.)
Procedures: (Write a summary of what you did, step by step.)
Results: (Include notes, tables, graphs, charts, or other recordings you made during
the lab experiment, which can be attached.)
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
BLM 1
land biomes
Name _______________________________________________________
Date _________________________________
Q Notes Guide
Questions
Answers
Summarize or Reflect
land biomes
BLM 2
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _______________________________________________________
Date _________________________________
Lab Report Checklist
Features of a Lab Report
YES
NO
1.I followed the format for a lab report.
❍
❍
2. M
y introduction explains the problem and
asks a question that is testable and clear.
❍
❍
3. M
y hypothesis states a logical solution for the
problem/answer to the question. ❍
❍
4. My procedures are sequenced and complete. ❍
❍
5. M
y results include all notes, charts, graphs, and
drawings I made during the lab experiment (some
may be attached at the end of the report).
❍
❍
6. M
y conclusion accepts or rejects my hypothesis
based on the results and uses appropriate findings
from the lab experiment to explain why the results
support or refute my hypothesis. ❍
❍
7. I used the appropriate voice and specific language
to help my reader understand my writing.
❍
❍
8. My references are complete and accurate.
❍
❍
Read and Revise
YES
NO
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
❍
I looked for and corrected . . .
• run-on sentences
• sentence fragments
• subject/verb agreement
• verb tense • punctuation
• capitalization
• spelling
land biomes
BLM 3
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _______________________________________________________
Date ______________________________
Land Biomes: Comprehension Questions
Directions: Reread the text to answer each question. Provide clues and evidence from the text to
support your answers. Indicate the page(s) where you found your clues and evidence.
Chapter 1
1. The ocean changes temperatures very
2. What can you conclude about climate from the information in Chapter 1?
3. Why did the author include the information on page 9?
Chapter 2
4. L ook at the outline of information from pages 22–23. What information belongs
in the blank?
Tropical Rain Forest
• hot every day
• t housands of species of
plants and animals
•
•
•
•
Both
rain forests
lots of rain
very tall trees
plants and animals
adapt to their
environments
Temperate Rain Forest
•m
ild winters; cool, foggy
summers
• _______________________
_______________________
5. You are visiting a biome in winter that is rainy and cool (not cold). Where are you?
6. How did the author structure pages 24–25?
Chapter 3
7. Environmental scientists look at the big picture of _________________.
8. What is an important theme in Chapter 3?
9. What are the two main sections of Chapter 3?
land biomes
­BLM 4
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _______________________________________________________
Date _________________________________
Land Biomes: Content Assessment
Directions: Use what you have learned about land biomes to answer the questions below.
Chapter 1
1. Areas with similar ______________ develop similar communities of living beings.
2. I f you wanted to live in a country that is warm most of the year, where would you
look on a globe to find such a place? Explain why.
3. Several factors influence the climate of a biome. Name at least three.
Chapter 2
4. Which type of biome covers more of Earth’s surface than any other type of biome? 5. U
se the chart below to compare and contrast each pair of biomes.
(Include at least two examples for each.) land biomes
desert
tropical rain forest
grassland
tundra
BLM 5
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _______________________________________________________
Date _________________________________
6. T he North American continent has several biomes, including a large area of
grasslands. Which country in North America has the largest area of grassland?
Chapter 2
7. What is the biggest factor affecting land biomes?
8. I f you wanted to limit the effects that aluminum mining has on land environments,
what are two things you might do?
9. A
climograph allows scientists to study climate changes over time. Why is that
information important?
10. I n each quadrant of the concept circle below, write a type of harmful human
activity discussed in Land Biomes and explain how it harms Earth.
What can you conclude about people’s activities that are affecting Earth?
land biomes
BLM 6
©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC