Unpacked Content
Scientific and Engineering Practices
Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
Crosscutting Concepts
Structure and Function
Knowledge
Students know:
- Biotic and abiotic factors of major biomes.
- Classification of biomes based on biological and geological characteristics, including, but not limited to geographical location, climate, flora, and fauna.
- Examples of native, invasive, and endangered species of Alabama.
- The climate, geology, geography, evolutionary history, and habitats of Alabama.
- Factors that influence Alabama's biodiversity.
Skills
Students are able to:
- Identify biological and geological characteristics of major biomes.
- Compare, integrate, and evaluate sources of geological and biological information presented in different media or formats to determine the types of organisms that live in major biomes.
- Analyze and interpret data from geographic research and field investigations (such as physiographic, topographic, and relief maps, forest types, rivers, and watersheds).
- Use appropriate analyses of data collected from geographic research and field investigations to predict regional diversity in Alabama's terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitats.
- Evaluate data to describe the distribution of organisms by region for the state of Alabama.
Understanding
Students understand that:
- Biomes are regions of the world with similar biological and geological characteristics.
- A biome comprises a large geographical area and contains unique plant and animal groups that are adapted for survival in that physical environment.
- Alabama is one of the richest regions in the nation in terms of biodiversity. It ranks fifth in the nation in number of species of plants and animals. Alabama's rich diversity is attributed to a combination of climate, geology, and a variety of aquatic and terrestrial habitats.
Vocabulary
- biome
- climate
- latitude
- longitude
- altitude
- flora
- fauna
- tundra
- desert
- tropical rain forest
- temperate forests
- deciduous forest
- taiga
- savannah
- grasslands
- chaparral
- aquatic biomes — marine, freshwater, estuary, wetlands, marshes, swamps, coral reef
- topography
- endangered species
- invasive species
- threatened species
- native species
- relief map
- topographic map
- physiographic map
- endangered species
- invasive species
- watershed
- native species
- keystone species
- threatened species
