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Integrated Curriculum and Instruction Design: Inquiry-Based Learning
Authors: John Kolesar
Title: Biomes of North America
Goals/Standards: (#’s)
. SCIENCE
GOAL 12: Understand the fundamental
concepts, principles and interconnections
of life, physical and earth/space sciences.
Learning Standard A – Know and
apply concepts that explain how living
things must adapt, change, and/or move
with reference to their habitat.
Benchmark: Interpret how living
things interact with their environment
and how they must adapt or change
with their environment.
Learning Standard: B – Analyze and
explain characteristics and interaction of
the Earth’s physical systems.
Benchmark: Differentiate the
characteristics of biomes of the earth.
Benchmark: Evaluate how changes in
climate and/or conditions affect the
ecosystem overall.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Goal 17 – Understand world geography
and the effects of geography on society,
with an emphasis on the United States
Learning Standard: C – Understand
relationships between geographic factors
and society.
Benchmark: Analyze how humans
interact with their environment based on
the geographic features of the region.
Grade Level: 6
CONTEXT
CONTENT
Engaging the Learner
Teaching and Learning Events
A. (HOOK)
I will hand the students
brown lunch bags filled with
different products (food, resources,
items, etc.) found in specific North
American Biomes or regions. The
students will complete a list of
locations where they might find an
abundance of the particular product
or type of plant or animal and answer
why it is unique to that region.
(See Teacher product List)
Essential Question – How are the Biomes of North America affected by
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B. (AUTHENTIC CONNECTION)
Students will receive a letter
and presentation from Macoupin Soil
and Water Conservation asking them
to create brochures or magazines on
Biome awareness in North America.
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Final Team Performance
Students will work in groups to create a
magazine. The magazine will discuss different
geographical regions of North America to
display and inform community members
about different Biomes and the importance of
protecting the natural state of these Regions.
the living organisms that inhabit the Biome, and how are the organisms
affected by the Biome?
Hook- Identifying different Biomes (LP)
Conservation Letter (Teacher Copy) & Task Analysis
(Authentic Connection) – Bring in Representative to reveal
challenge to students. Read letter after introduction. Task
Analysis begins. (Have students ask questions based on the
letter) Conservation Letter (Student Copy) (LP)
Students begin Brainstorm activity and generate the
Coaching and Telling questions after Task Analysis,
students will identify what they need to learn. (LP)
Vocabulary Introduction – (Vocab. Intro Chart)
Classroom Scavenger Hunt – Students use a variety of
resources to answer questions. (Ecology Websites) (LP)
Jigsaw Activity- - Begin Inquiry (Students get in respected
groups and share information about some of North America’s
diverse Biomes. (LP)
Vocabulary Infusion – Connect Two
Cyber-hunt – Students gather facts about Biomes. (LP)
Individual Assessment (Semantic Chart)
Biome Drawing and Magazine Blueprint FTP Organizer
Individual Students Assessments
Assessment #1 – Semantic Chart
Assessment # 2 – Writing Paragraph
Assessment # 3 – Lat, Long, and Biome Location
Integrated Curriculum and Instruction Design: Inquiry-Based Learning
Authors: John Kolesar
Title: Biomes of North America
Goals/Standards: (#’s)
Late Elementary
GOAL 17 – Understand world geography
and the effects of geography on society.
Benchmark: Use a map or globe to
navigate and determine locations and
places on earth
Grade Level: 6
CONTEXT
CONTENT
Engaging the Learner
Teaching and Learning Events
(Overview) (Students are put in groups and draw for their
specific North American Biome to Research) (LP)
• Anticipation Guide – Reading to Understand
Reading Infusion – Easter Island
http://mysteriousplaces.com/Easter_Island/html/tour4.html
- Students will compare the fall of Easter Island with the
destruction of our Biomes.
Note-taking Strategy – Compare and Contrast Easter
Island and Biome Destruction (LP)
• Build –a-Prairie Class Contest Begins
Student Classes compete to manage a Cyber-Prairie.
Students will track their daily choices. (Use Notebooks)
(http://www.bellmuseum.org/distancelearning/prairie/) (LP)
• Writing Infusion - Journal Entry - Biodiversity (Wolf
Re-Introduction) (LP)
• Assessment- Writing – Students respond to Teacher led
argument about the wolf. (Rubric)
FTP-MBO – Students will gather specific facts about the
climate, conditions, and characteristics of their Biome. FTP
Organizer (LP)
• Geography Activity
READING
Late Elementary
GOAL 1- Read with understanding and
fluency.
Standard B: Apply reading strategies to
improve understanding and fluency.
Standard C: Comprehend a broad range
of reading materials.
Benchmark: Utilize different reading
strategies to comprehend a variety of
different texts
Final Team Performance
Individual Students Assessments
Integrated Curriculum and Instruction Design: Inquiry-Based Learning
Authors: John Kolesar
Title: Biomes of North America
Goals/Standards: (#’s)
Grade Level: 6
CONTEXT
CONTENT
Engaging the Learner
Teaching and Learning Events
Desk Maps
Teacher will announce latitude and longitude coordinates of
different Biomes of North America accompanied with a fact
from that Biome. (Biome Missile Command Game)
Assessment - (Lat, Long, and Biome Locations) (LP)
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FTP-MBO = Students will have time to find locations and
geography of their particular Biomes and record the
Information in their Product Organizer . (Relative and
Absolute) FTP Organizer
Assessment : Biome Locations (LP)
Forests and Wetlands – ( Note-taking Strategy)
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm,(LP)
Reading Infusion – QAR – Keystone Species (Effects of the
Beaver)(Understanding the importance of species on the Web
of Life) FOR HELP – SEE BUSY BEE ACTIVITY (LP)
Food Web Demonstration
(http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/frogs/chain_re
action/index.cfm)
QAR (Cont’d) –(Effects of the Beaver) (LP)
FTP-MBO- Students will profile (pictures and facts) 5
important species from their Biome and describe the
importance to the ecosystem as a whole. (LP)
Rainforest Art –(Visualization) Text to (Self, World, and
Text)
http://www.mbusd.org/staff/gplata/RobinsonElementary/rainf
orest/Image4.gif
Note-taking Strategy (Rainforest) – Graphic Organizer (LP)
Tundra Frayer Model – Note-Taking Strategy
-Play March of the Penguins Clip (Discuss Adaptations)
- http://wip.warnerbros.com/marchofthepenguins/
Integrated Curriculum and Instruction Design: Inquiry-Based Learning
Authors: John Kolesar
Title: Biomes of North America
Goals/Standards: (#’s)
Grade Level: 6
CONTEXT
CONTENT
Engaging the Learner
Teaching and Learning Events
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-Analyze Adaptations of the Penguin
Assessment- Adaptation (Profile Animal), Rubric (LP)
Desert Reading Infusion – Saguaro Story
Human /Environment Interaction Note-Taking Strategy and
discussion of the effects of human interaction using Picture
Reference (LP)
FTP-MBO- Students will research threats to their
particular Biome. FTP Organizer (LP)
Complete FTP-MBO- Students will complete magazine.
Assessment: Magazine Rubric + FTP Organizer (LP)