Know it! - Biomes - Year 4

In an educational resource aimed at Year 4 students, the concept of biomes is explored in depth. Biomes are large ecological areas on the Earth's surface, with distinct climates and ecosystems, such as forests, deserts, and tundras. The resource outlines a series of retrieval tasks designed to help children remember and understand the different aspects of biomes. One task asks students to name three different types of biomes, offering a reward of three points for each correct answer within a ten-minute timeframe. This encourages them to recall information they have learned previously about the variety of biomes that exist around the world.

Further activities delve into the structure of rainforests, with points awarded for correctly identifying layers such as the canopy, emergent layer, forest floor, and understory. Students are also prompted to consider the environmental impact of deforestation by providing plausible reasons for why it is harmful, with five points given for each valid point within ten minutes. In another task, students must correctly place various deserts on a map, reinforcing their geographical knowledge. The resource includes an interactive 'Cops and robbers' game, where pupils work in groups to share and 'steal' knowledge from each other about the main features of tundra and rainforest biomes, thus collaboratively building a more comprehensive understanding of these environments.