Last week, we did an activity called "Biome GO!" It was kind of like "Pokemon GO!"
First, Mrs. Hire explained the activity, and then each student was paired up with a third grader from the other class. Next, the kids had to go in our classroom, Mrs. Hire's classroom, and the hallway to "catch" animals from five different biomes: tundra, deciduous forest, aquatic/marine, tropical rainforest, and desert. However, once they "caught" an animal, they had to go and read about its biome or habitat and its adaptations. Then, they had to record that information onto their note page.
Once all thirty animals were "caught," they had to use their imaginations and come up with a "special power" (like in Pokemon) for each animal. In order to do this, they needed to think about how each animal's adaptations already help it to survive in its biome. So, they needed to "think outside of the box" and come up with a "special power" that each animal could use in addition to its own adaptations. They also needed to keep in mind what kind of biome each animal was in. For example, "fire power" may not be as useful for a desert animal as it would be for an animal living in the tundra.
Next week, we will be using this activity as a springboard for a writing activity. They will need to pick one of the animals and write an opinion essay in order to persuade their readers as to why/how the "special powers" would help their animal to survive better in its biome.
