Learning about Biomes
We recently wrapped up our unit of inquiry into Biomes. We did a lot of group and individual research throughout this unit using Padlet and Thinglink. Here are the results of our learning.Prior Knowledge and Questions
To begin our unit, we used Padlet. I created four different Padlet Boards, one for the ocean, the artic tundra, the desert, and the rain forest. We used eight iPads and placed the devices with the Padlets around the room for students to begin their journey. |
| Students visited the different biome tables and added what they already know or what questions they had about the biome. |
Students added their thoughts and ideas to each biome. I projected them on the white board throughout the activity. When we were done, we read through them, answered questions, consolidated like-minded thoughts, and made notes for our upcoming learning.
Here are the links to the four biomes. Our oceam biome Padlet is displayed below:
Created with Padlet
The Final Project
After our six weeks of study, we took our research and each student compiled their learning into their our own interactive display using Thinglink. The excitement over creating their own digital display engaged everyone and encouraged them to do their best.
 |
| We examined real desert plants to understand the adaptations needed to service in the habitat. |
 |
| We took a trip to the Denver Aquarium to study habitats and adaptations. |
Over the course of the three days, students completed their ThingLinks. They worked together to problem solve and show each other how to add text, take pictures, search for images online and post them. They consulted their science notebooks for research, used their previous small research projects for information, and gave advice to others based on their learning.
Here are the projects we completed:
Ocean Biome ThingLinks
Desert Biome ThingLinks
Forest Biome ThingLinks
Rainforest Biome ThingLinks
Prairie and Grasslands Biome ThingLinks
This turned out to be a great culminating project that encouraged us to collaborate, use previous research, and learn a new tool to integrate into our day-to-day learning.
