Pre-Trip Information 3

Table of Contents

Lesson Plan 4

Introduction, Discussion & Activity Guide 5

Vocabulary 6

Pre-Trip Activity 7

Park Activity 9

Post-Trip Activity 11

Pre-Trip Information

Introduce your students to a 170-acre outdoor classroom filled with educational adventures. Wild Adventures gives your students the opportunity to come face-to-face with extraordinary creatures and have incredible learning experiences in a fun and engaging environment. Wild Adventures is home to over 55 different species and more than 40 rides that can bring your classroom to life! Your students will become an active participant in learning about animal habitats, behaviors, life cycles, conservation, physics, and more. Plus, we help you make the most of your park experience with guides that include activities to do before, during, and after your trip.

Pre-Trip Preparation In preparation for your trip to Wild Adventures, students should explore the scientific classification procedures needed to successfully classify animals, the animals’ roles and relationships within their ecosystems, and information about Earth’s major terrestrial biomes and aquatic ecosystems.

Georgia Standards of Excellence S7L4. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to examine the interdependence of organisms with one another and their environments. a. Construct an explanation for the patterns of interactions observed in different ecosystems in terms of the relationships among and between organisms and abiotic components of the ecosystem. b. Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and the flow of energy among biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem. d. Ask questions to gather and synthesize information from multiple sources to differentiate between Earth’s major terrestrial biomes (i.e., tropical rainforest, savanna, temperate forest, desert, grassland, taiga, and tundra) and aquatic ecosystems (i.e., freshwater, estuaries, and marine).

Lesson Plan Grade: 7th Grade

Lesson Title: Classified!

Topic: Ecosystems

Objective: Students will be able to successfully obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to examine the interdependence of organisms with one another and their environments.

Georgia Standards of Excellence:

S7L4. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to examine the interdependence of organisms with one another and their environments. a. Construct an explanation for the patterns of interactions observed in different ecosystems in terms of the relationships among and between organisms and abiotic components of the ecosystem. b. Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and the flow of energy among biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem. d. Ask questions to gather and synthesize information from multiple sources to differentiate between Earth’s major terrestrial biomes (i.e., tropical rainforest, savanna, temperate forest, desert, grassland, taiga, and tundra) and aquatic ecosystems (i.e., freshwater, estuaries, and marine).

Materials: Pencil, worksheets, markers, poster board, PowerPoint, internet access

Pre-Trip Activity: Students will work in groups to research information about their assigned biomes. (S7L4)

Trip Work Session: Students will work with their group to identify at least 2 animals in their biome at Wild Adventures and take notes on their classification, diet, and roles and relationships in their ecosystem. (S7L4)

Post-Trip Review: Students will work with their groups to create a PowerPoint presentation on their assigned biome and the plants and animals that can be found there. (S7L4) 4

Introduction, Discussions & Activities

Introduction You know your birthday, your address, and probably even your shoe size, but do you know what biome you live in? A biome is an area of the planet that can be classified according to the different animals and plants that can be found in it.

Most people would have to travel the world to see animals in every biome, but not you!

Wild Adventures is home to animals from every biome in the world! We are home to animals from the aquatic ecosystem, tropical rainforest, savanna, temperate forest, desert, grassland, taiga, and even the tundra.

Vocabulary Abiotic factor, amphibian, biome, biotic, cold-blooded, kingdom, mammal, phylum, reptile, species, warm-blooded

Pre-Trip Discussion Students should discuss the scientific classification procedures needed to successfully classify animals, the animals’ roles and relationships within their ecosystems, and information about the earth’s major terrestrial biomes and aquatic ecosystems.

Pre-Trip Activity Students will work in groups to research information about their assigned biome.

Post-Trip Discussion Students should discuss characteristics of their group’s biome and the animals that were observed at Wild Adventures that could be found in each biome.

Post-Trip Activity Students will work with their groups to create a PowerPoint presentation on their assigned biome and the plants and animals that can be found there.

Vocabulary

Abiotic Factor a nonliving condition or thing, as climate or habitat, that influences or affects an ecosystem and the organisms in it

Amphibian cold-blooded vertebrate animals such as frogs, toads, newts, and Salamanders

Biome an area of the planet that can be classified according to the different animals and plants that can be found in it

Biotic pertaining to life

Cold-blooded having an internal body temperature that changes in accordance (ectothermic) with the temperature of the surroundings

Kingdom the second highest classification into which living organisms are grouped

Mammal an animal that breathes air, has a backbone, and grows hair at some point during its life. (All female mammals have glands that can produce milk.)

Phylum the primary subdivision of a taxonomic kingdom, grouping together all classes of organisms that have the same body plan

Reptile a cold-blooded animal that breathes air and usually has skin covered with scales or bony plates

Species the most specific classification of living things consisting of closely related organisms capable of interbreeding

Warm-blooded having a constant warm internal body temperature (endothermic) 6

Pre-Trip Activity

Teacher Instructions: Students will work in groups to research information about their assigned biome. Divide students into seven groups and assign each group a different biome. Have the students research facts about their biome such as location on the earth, abiotic factors, the climate (temperature, precipitation, wind, and humidity), and the types of plants and animals that are found there.

PREVIEW

Name: ______Date: ______

Terrestrial Biomes

Your group has been assigned a biome. Work with your team members to research facts about your biome to fill in the chart below.

Our biome is Our biome can be found

______

Climate Abiotic Factors

1. Temperature: 1. Temperature:

2. Precipitation: 2. Precipitation:

3.Wind: 3.Soil:

4.Humity: 4. Sunlight:

Plants Animals

What biome

could I be found in?

Park Activity

Teacher Instructions: Students will work with their group to identify 4 animals in their biome at Wild Adventures and take notes on their classification, diet, and roles and relationships in their ecosystem.

PREVIEW

Name: ______Date: ______

Who’s in My Biome?

Hello, junior zoologist! Today you have an important assignment. We need your help identifying our animals’ natural biomes. Work with your group to locate 4 animals that could be found in your assigned biome and collect data on each animal. Our Biome: ______Animal Facts

 Diet:  Birth (Live/Egg):  Producer/Consumer:  Hunting habits:

Post-Trip Activity

Teacher Instructions: Students will work with their same groups to create a PowerPoint presentation on their assigned biome and the plants and animals that can be found there to present to the class.

PREVIEW

Name: ______Date: ______Biomes

Use the information your group has researched on your assigned biome and the new information you gathered at Wild Adventures to create a PowerPoint presentation to teach your classmates about your biome. Be sure to include a food web based on what you learned on your trip about your animals’ diets.