Students practice analyzing data from graphs in this exercise. Ideally, students will have already learned about the various biomes found on earth. This is usually this introductory topic of an ecology unit.
In the first graph, the display shows nine major biomes organized by average temperature and precipitation. They can then compare which biomes have similar temperatures (grassland, shrubland, forest) and which have similar precipitation. The graph shows which areas tend to have the highest temperatures and which have the lowest. It also shows where precipitation is the highest, like in the tropical rainforest.
Next, they examine an unlabeled bar graph and determine which bar goes with which biome. This is mainly accomplished by comparing precipitation levels for each, though some students may have difficulty with this section. You may want to model how to answer that for your students.
In the second section, students examine three climographs from NASA observatory. A climograph shows rainfall and temperature over an entire year. Unlike the previous graph, the climographs show monthly data, not averages. The graphs show data for Alaska, Tennessee, and Arizona. By examining the data, students determine the biomes for each location.
The document is viewable in Google docs and students can type answers directly into the document or you can print the pages for classroom use.
Other Resources on Biomes
- Color North American Biomes
- Biome Viewer at HHMI
- Biome Project
- Biomes Concept Map
- Practice Quiz on Ecology and Biomes