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Home , Tropical rainforest

Name: ______Mr. Ciani 5th Grade Name: ______

The is a very cold and harsh environment located at the top and bottom of the . It is often very windy in the tundra. The average rainfall for the tundra is fewer than 10 inches per year. Snow covers the ground for most of the year during the winter season. The winter season is longer than it is in other places and it lasts from September to May. For several weeks during winter, the sun isn’t seen at all. It is dark for twenty-four hours a day! The tundra is often considered a lonely place. Permafrost is a unique feature of the tundra. Permafrost is the layer of ground that is always frozen solid. Summer in the tundra lasts from June and goes through August. Just like there are times during the winter of twenty-four hours of darkness, there are times during the summer of twenty-four hours of daylight! The temperatures can get above fifty degrees Fahrenheit during the summer. During the summer, the land just above the permafrost, the active layer, melts. The active layer is where are able to grow. This thin active layer means that only plants with shallow root systems can grow. Because the growing season is so short and the active layer is so thin, there are very few grow in the tundra. The tundra also has lots of sur face water during the summer months. When the active layer thaws, the water naturally flows downhill. This creates marshes, and puddles. Because water travels to the lowest locations, the hills and upper elevations are very dry. Surprisingly, some animals have adapted to live in the extremely harsh environments. They live and thrive in places that you wouldn’t expect! Animals in the tundra need to keep in as much heat as possible. Several tundra animals have fur that changes color from season to season. When the snow begins to melt, their white fur coats change to brown. Their brown coats look like the summery plants in their habitat. When the weather starts to change back to winter, their brown coats will turn to white again. This helps them to blend into their surroundings. The arctic fox is a tundra animal. Many tundra animals, like the arctic fox, have very thick fur to keep in as much heat as possible. The artic fox also has tiny ears that do not allow heat to escape easily. The arctic fox is also very close to the ground. This helps to protect it from the wind. Polar bears also live along the edges of the tundra. They spend most of their time near the water so that they can catch their food. Polar bears have a thick layer of blubber (fat) for insulation and storing energy. Their thick white fur coat serves as another layer of insulation and as a way to camouflage themselves in their environment. Polar bears are also great swimmers. Biologist have tracked polar bears and know that the can swim 62 miles without stopping! The tundra is definitely an interesting place!

©Lora Miller, 2020 Name:______Date:______Use the following graphic organizer to help you pulling out important facts from the article “Tundra.”

TUNDRA

©Lora Miller, 2020 Name:______Date:______Answer the questions below with a complete sentence. Be sure to go back in the text to find your answer. 1. Why are some animals able to survive in the tundra biome? ______2. The text says that the tundra is ‘harsh.’ What evidence does the text give to support that it is harsh? ______3. What characteristics does the artic fox have that helps it to survive in the tundra? ______4. What is the di fference between permafrost and the active layer? ______5. The text says that there are times of twenty-four hours of darkness and times of twenty-four hours of light. Based on what you know about the location of the tundra, why do you think the tundra experiences this? ______

©Lora Miller, 2020 The temperate deciduous biome is unique in the fact that it has four distinct seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter. Plants and animals living in the deciduous forest biome must adapt to warm to hot summers and cold to freezing winters. There are often large amounts of rainfall in the temperate deciduous forest. This biome also has very fertile so growth is often abundant. The temperate deciduous forest covers much of the eastern half of the US beginning near the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean westward to the eastern edge of Texas. Temperate describes a climate that has a range of temperatures within moderate limits. Though some days during the summer are extremely hot and some days in the winter are extremely cold, on average, the weather stays within a moderate range in all seasons. Trees in this biome have thick bark to protect them in the cold winters. Most of the trees have very wide leaves to capture the sunlight. Trees in this area include maple, oak, hickory, beech and black cherry. Plants and trees become dormant in order to get ready for winter. Here, the trees lose their leaves before winter which lets them store water/moisture and survive the cold winter. Before the leaves fall, they turn yellow, red and shades of orange. This is good for the forest environment because the decayed leaves fertilize the soil and make it rich for growing other plants and trees. In the fall, trees will cut off the supply of moisture to the leaves which causes the leaves to fall off. When the leaves have dropped, the trees and plants seal the open area to hold in moisture. Migration and hibernation are two that help many of the animals that live in the deciduous forest. Animals that hibernate will eat heavily right before the winter and their fur coats will grow thicker to keep them warm through the winter hibernation period. Most of the birds migrate south to warmer temperatures during the winter months. They return during the warm spring and summers in the deciduous forest. Food storage is another adaptation that some of the animals have. Chipmunks and squirrels gather nuts in the summer to store for winter. The cold temperatures help to preserve the nuts and seeds. Animals like the have sharp hooves to be able to dig for food and so they can run quickly to escape their predators. Animals use the forest plants and trees for both food, water and shelter. Animals in this area include groundhogs, black bears, beavers, opossums, gray squirrels, raccoons and deer.

©Lora Miller, 2020 Name:______Date:______Use the following graphic organizer to help you pulling out important facts from the article “Temperate Deciduous Forest.”

DECIDUOUS FOREST

©Lora Miller, 2020 Name:______Date:______Answer the questions below with a complete sentence. Be sure to go back in the text to find your answer.

1. What adaptations do animals in the deciduous forest have to help them survi ve? ______2. The text says that the deciduous forest is ‘unique.’ What evidence does the text give to support that it is unique? ______3. What does the word ‘temperate’ mean? ______4. How does losing leaves help the deciduous forest environment? ______5. Explain what happens during the fall that helps trees to survive during the winter months in the deciduous forest. ______

©Lora Miller, 2020 Tropical are among the most mysterious of all in the world. They are called because they are among the wettest area on Earth, receiving anywhere from 80 to 100 inches of a year. In most rainforest, the temperature ranges from 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit all year long. Because of the large amount of rain and warm temperatures, it is always humid in the tropical rainforest. Rainforests are found near the . The equator is an imaginary line around the center of the Earth that receives the most direct sunlight. The abundance of sun and rain makes this an optimal location for plants to grow and for animals to thrive. Since such a large amount of plant li fe grows here, the tropical rainforest is one of the Earth’s biggest providers of oxygen. Rainforest have four distinct layers of plant and animal li fe. The first is the emergent layer which has giant trees growing from 100 to 240 feet tall. The emergent layer received its name from the fact that they are the trees that emerge into the sunlight. These trees have umbrella shaped crowns that grow high above the rest of the forest. The next layer is the . These trees grow up to 130 feet tall and make a canopy, or covering, over the forest. This allows very little sunlight to come down. Roughly 90% of all rainforest animals live way up high in the canopy. The third layer is the . The understory is very shady. Only about 15% of the sunlight makes it through to the understory. Trees and leafy plants that don’t require a lot of sun live here. Trees are only about 60 feet tall. The final layer is called the . It is surprisingly dark here because less than 2% of the light from the sun reaches the forest floor. Because the sun’s rays aren’t able to shine on the ground, there is very little plant li fe on the forest floor. Most of the forest floor is covered in dead flowers, fallen leaves, seeds, and and branches that decompose quickly. Animal li fe in the tropical rainforest is very diverse. Birds, and monkeys populate the top two layers while, small climbing animals, insects and predators, such as jaguars, populate the lower two layers. Rainforests contain some of Earth’s greatest treasures. Some are made from plants found there. Scientist are working to find plants to make medicines for treating cancer! Food sources are rich in the rainforest too. Over 3,000 fruits alone come from the rainforest. You can find corn, potatoes, rice there as well as ginger, cinnamon, , and a variety of nuts. The rainforest are invaluable to our planet Earth!

©Lora Miller, 2020 Name:______Date:______Use the following graphic organizer to help you pulling out important facts from the article “Tropical Rainforest.”

TROPICAL RAINFOREST

©Lora Miller, 2020 Name:______Date:______Answer the questions below with a complete sentence. Be sure to go back in the text to find your answer.

1. What conditions does the tropical rainforest have that makes it a per fect place for plants and trees to grow? ______2. The text says that the tropical rainforest is ‘invaluable.’ What evidence does the text give to support that it is invaluable? ______3. Where did the tropical rainforest get its name? ______4. Why do the lower two layers receive less sunlight than the upper two layers? ______5. The text says that the rainforest is responsible for supplying a large amount of the Earth’s oxygen. Why do you think this is? Where does oxygen come from? ______©Lora Miller, 2020 The biome is the largest terrestrial biome on planet Earth. It covers much of the North American continent (most of inland Canada and Alaska) as well as a large amount of Northern Europe and Northern Asia. The taiga is also known as the boreal forest. Did you know that Boreal was the Greek goddess of the North Wi nd? The weather is very cold in the taiga biome. The main seasons that the taiga experiences are summer and winter. The winter last for 9 months per year. It gets icy and cold during this time. Winter storms are severe and the cold winds are brutal. Summers never get very warm and are extremely short. The average temperature during the summers in the taiga is 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Due to the high latitude of the taiga, they have periods of 20 hours of daylight (summer) and periods of 20 hours of darkness (winter). is minimal in the taiga. When they do receive precipitation, it usually comes in the form of dry, powdery snow. Organisms that live in the taiga are very special and have adapted to withstand the harsh conditions. Some common animals you could find in the area are moose, wolves and deer as well as many of . Ironically, there are many varieties of insects that live in the taiga. Many of them play an important role as . Large predators, such as bear, eat heartily during the summer months so they can hibernate through the most extreme winter months. Many birds fly south for the winter, only to return for the short summer months. Reptiles and amphibians have a hard time surviving in this environment. Each animal population has to adapt to the severe conditions. Short, stubby grass and bushes grow in taiga regions. The soil is typically very poor and contains minimal nutrients. This is due to the long, cold seasons which hinders decomposers from breaking down dead plant matter into nutrient rich soil. Fire is not uncommon in the taiga during the summer. Fires may seem destructive, but they actually help this biome by removing dead or old trees, making room for new trees. The taiga is also known for their coniferous forest (cone bearing trees). trees are also known as . Pines, firs and spruce trees are common. trees are typically cone shaped, which makes it easier for the snow and ice to slide off during the winter season. The thin, waxy ‘leaves’ of evergreen trees are called needles. They have adapted so that they can hold in water all year round. They are also very special because the evergreen needles don’t freeze easily. All green plants are an important source of oxygen for our planet. They use the that and animals breathe out and release oxygen back into the air. The growing season in the taiga lasts between 100 and 140 days.

©Lora Miller, 2020 Name:______Date:______Use the following graphic organizer to help you pulling out important facts from the article “Taiga.”

TAIGA

©Lora Miller, 2020 Name:______Date:______Answer the questions below with a complete sentence. Be sure to go back in the text to find your answer.

1. The text says that the taiga biome is also called a boreal forest or a coni ferous forest. Why are both of these names appropriate for this biome? ______2. The text says that the taiga biome has ‘brutal’ winters. Use context clues to explain what the word brutal means in this text. ______3. What does having a ‘high latitude’ have to do with the long times of daylight/darkness in the taiga. ______4. What does the word ‘heartily’ mean in this passage? Why is eating heartily important for large predators? ______5. The text list several reasons why the evergreen tree is per fectly suited for the taiga biome. What evidence does the text give to support this? ______©Lora Miller, 2020 Roughly one-fifth of the Earth's land area are grasslands. They can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Grasslands are typically found in the interior of continents. No other biome is as agriculturally useful to humans as grasslands. tend to be deep and fertile if farmers choose to grow crops there. Grasslands are characterized by their tall grasses. There are very few trees that are able to grow in the grasslands because the precipitation is not great enough to support larger plants. Grasslands have lots of fast-running animals. There are few trees and hiding places for animals to live so they must be able to run quickly to get away. There are two main divisions of grasslands: tropical grasslands (savannas) and temperate grassland. Savannas cover almost half of Africa and large areas of . Savannas are always found in warm or hot climates where the rainfall is between 20-50 inches per year. Savannas experience wet seasons and times of . During , savannas experience wildfires. The plants have deep roots that are spread out which gives them strength and moisture during times of drought. The grasses grow close to the ground. Most plants have narrow leaves that hold in water during dry seasons. They have strong roots which means they won’t be destroyed when animals walk on them or eat them. For some animals living in savannahs, the is the ultimate nightmare. In order to survive, many animals must travel for long distances to find food and water. Grasslands are open areas without many places to hide. A lot of animals feel safer in large groups rather than being alone. Zebras always travel in herds for this reason. They take turns being on the lookout for hungry predators. Both cheetahs and ostriches, known for their swiftness, thrive in the grasslands. Other animals living in grasslands include zebras, giraffes, white rhinoceros, warthogs, grasshoppers, and vultures Temperate grasslands can be found in parts of Hungary, and the central part of North America. Temperate grasslands have hot summers and cold winters. There are only two distinct seasons here. The amount of rainfall is less in the temperate grasslands than in the savannas. They have between 20-35 inches of rain per year. North American temperate grasslands are also known as prairies. Temperate grasslands experience rainy seasons and dry seasons as well, however, the effects aren’t as dramatic as the savannas. Plants and root systems are very similar to those in the savannas. Farmers take advantage of the fertile soil in the North American prairies. Animals in the temperate grasslands have adapted to the dry, windy conditions. For animals living in temperate grasslands, winter is the most unbearable season because plants are either dead or buried under snow. There are deer, mice, jack rabbits, snakes and coyotes. This was the home of bison before most of them were killed by humans. Though the population of American Bison have not become extinct, they are definitely endangered. Both savannas and temperate grasslands are truly a wonderful and exciting place!

©Lora Miller, 2020 Name:______Date:______Use the following graphic organizer to help you pulling out important facts from the article “Grasslands”

GRASSLANDS

©Lora Miller, 2020 Name:______Date:______Answer the questions below with a complete sentence. Be sure to go back in the text to find your answer.

1. How are the adaptations between the animals that live in the savannas and the temperate grasslands di fferent? ______2. What inferences can you make as to where the ‘grasslands’ got its name? ______3. Why do you think the grasslands have to deal with wildfires? ______4. What adaptations does types of grass use to thrive in the grasslands? ______5. There are some ways that savannas and temperate grasslands are similar and some ways that they are different. Explain the similarities and differences between the two on the lines below. ______

©Lora Miller, 2020 When someone says the word ‘desert,’ most people think of a place that is dry and full of cacti. Though that is often true, the desert biome is much more! Did you know that there are both hot and cold deserts? The word desert means to abandon or leave. Animals and plants alike have had to adapt to be able to survive in the desert. The desert gets minimal amount of rain which is why it is so dry. Most deserts get less than 10 inches of rain per year. Evaporation rates can be faster than rainfall rates which is why the desert is so dry. In some deserts rain doesn’t fall for years! One fi fth of the Earth is a desert biome. Survival in the desert is di fficult due to the extreme temperatures and dryness. Deserts are found along coastlines and within continents. Hot deserts are found in North America, South America, North Africa and Central Australia. Cold deserts are found in the Antarctic, Greenland and Central Asia. Cold deserts, although still dry, get more rainfall (which is in the form of snow or fog) than hot deserts. In hot deserts, daytime temperatures can be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and below 25 degrees Fahrenheit in the evenings and nights. Temperatures in cold deserts are usually between 4 and 39 degrees Fahrenheit. In the hot deserts, the seasons are warm throughout the year and very hot in the summer. Cold deserts have long cold winters and short warmer summers. The cold deserts are cold most of the time. Animals that live in the desert tend to get their water from the food they eat. Many desert animals have a thin outer coat and larger ears. This allows them to stay as cool as possible. They have also learned to burrow through the day. Most desert animals have adapted to the harsh environment by being nocturnal. Nocturnal desert animals rest and stay cool during the day and come out the find food at night. Examples of animals in the desert are rattlesnakes, jack rabbits, lizards, kit foxes, scorpions and grasshoppers. The soil is very coarse and rocky. Plants typically have few leaves and thick roots to help them retain moisture in the dry climate. The desert has cacti, smaller bushes and grasses. Cacti have thick, fleshy skin that allows them to retain and store water. The cacti spines serve two purposes: they help protect the cacti from herbivores and they help prevent water loss by reducing the air flow close to the cactus They have shallow root systems which makes it easy for them to absorb water when it .

©Lora Miller, 2020 Name:______Date:______Use the following graphic organizer to help you pulling out important facts from the article “Deserts.”

DESERTS

©Lora Miller, 2020 Name:______Date:______Answer the questions below with a complete sentence. Be sure to go back in the text to find your answer.

1. Why do desert animals burrow during the day and hunt at night? ______2. What can you infer about the word ‘evaporation’? What does the text say about evaporation and what it has to do with the water cycle in this biome? ______3. What are the di fferences between hot and cold desert biomes? ______4. How has cacti adapted to their environment? ______5. The text says that the word ‘desert’ means to abandon or leave. Do you think the name ‘desert’ is an appropriate name for this biome? Why or why not? ______

©Lora Miller, 2020