This project was designed for juniors and seniors in biology to become familiar with biomes and where they are on the planet.  Students were assigned a particular biome and asked to research various aspects of that region including such features as: the climate associated with the biome; the average monthly precipitation and temperature; common plants and animals; a food web or chain including trophic levels; one example each of organisms illustrating mutualism, commensalism, parasitism and a competitive relationship in the biome; one endangered or threatened species (plant or animal) with an explanation of the cause(s) of that species’ decline…and more.

Using Google’s Blogger website, students were then able to upload information, photos, videos and coordinates (latitude and longitude) relating to their particular biome.  They used this blogger area for information “storage” and edited it as needed.

Students then uploaded this information onto Google Earth into various tags linked around the planet.  This was done by editing their Blogger information into html format, then copying and pasting that information into their Google Earth tags…pretty slick! 

Finally, they emailed their projects to me and I posted them on my Moodle site.  Students were then able to access and evaluate each other’s work.

The goal of the project was to make each student an “expert” in a particular biome.  Then, rather than listening to lectures or presentations on the various biomes, students learned about them in a more interactive format.  By placing the information onto Google Earth itself, it was hoped that students would gain a better understanding of where these biomes are and why the climate causes them to be there.  Students were on task and engaged with this project, both while creating it as well as while evaluating others’ work.  One student excitedly told me about a video he had embedded into his project that showed an underwater wave moving through his benthic biome…there’s no way I could have recreated that for him through a lecture!

While viewing each others projects, students were asked to look for patterns in the tags placed on Google Earth for that particular biome. For example, the tundra biome’s tags were all around the top (northern region) of the planet.  This trend was quick and easy to visualize for anyone viewing the project.  Evaluators were also asked to notice characteristics which seemed to be prevalent in all animals or plants associated with a particular biome.  Instead of being told an answer, this forced students to problem-solve to find the information. 

There was a learning curve for this project.  At first our Google Earth was not working properly and we had a great deal of difficulty finding ways to load information, especially pictures, into the Google Earth tags.  However, I found the Illustrated Guide to Creating Virtual Field Trips by the Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center (ATEEC) and this provided an easy, step-by-step method of creating our projects.

This project was successful on several fronts.  Students learned about one biome in particular and were comfortable enough in that knowledge to answer other students’ questions.  This project allowed students a new and innovative way to learn about the various biomes around the planet.  Additionally, the project afforded the opportunity for students to become proficient in using various types of technology including blogger, Google Earth, email, and Moodle.  The MVHS biome project was a tremendous success!