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Land Environments

Biology

By Mark GrahamPublished 4 years ago Updated 2 years ago 5 min read
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As an introduction to myself I am currently a freelance writer for an educational magazine for homeschoolers, as well as working as a book and journal reviewer for several online sites. My education ranges from degrees from Bachelor's degrees to a Doctoral degree. Specically, my degrees are in Educational studies and Human services for the Bachelor's degrees. There is a Master's in Curriculum and instruction, a Post-Master's in College teaching, leading up to the terminal degree of a Doctorate in Reading and literacy. I also have a diploma in Practical nursing. I worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse for 14 years as a Geriatric psychiatric nurse for 14 years where I also worked as an Activities assistant for the same amount of years. For fun I also still like to read and write and work in the garden and make several types of crafts. My articles here on Vocal.com will be lectures and lessons on the content areas found in the classroom from Science, English, Social studies and Math. I also plan to offer other subjects as well dealing with some college and graduate level courses, too. My articles will be for home school parents and classroom teachers. My first article will be for seventh grade General science course. Remember these lessons/lectures are written as if a teacher is preparing lecture notes.

Land Environments

Land environments and how they are perceived by animals and humans who occupy them?

The Land Masses, Climates and Life

Location of a land mass helps determine its' climate. (Write on blackboard) Define altitude-height above the sea level. Latitude-Distance from the equator. (A question the teacher could ask the class is - "Where in Africa is exactly on the equator?" Answer: Mount Kenya) (Brandwein, 1975)

Altitude and latitude does help to determine climate. Climate is also influenced by large bodies of water nearby. Large bodies of waters are an important influence on climates and shore communities. Climate also helps to determine the kind of life that is found in any area.

Life from North to South

Have the 'class' take a 'virtual' tour from North to South. Ask them to close their eyes. Start with Greenland- north of the Arctic, move them to Canada; northwest of Hudson Bay, then south into the United States and turn west of the Great Lakes and keep going south to Illnois and then keep going south to New Orleans, then have them turn to the southeast and head to South America, and end the journey at the equator on the Amazon River in Brazil. The teacher can ask them what do they think happens to the climate as they enter each area?

Greenland-An Arctic Biome

Write the term 'Biome' on blackboard and define- as a place for a certain group of plants and animals that are typical of that area to grow and flourish in that kind of climate.

Scientists tell us of various kinds of biomes there are- make a list on blackboard:

1. Desert Biomes

2. Tropical rain biomes

3. Arctic biomes-Greenland

A bit of history here, it was a Norseman who discovered the island of Greenland and it was named this for the coasts were green at the edges of the sea. 3/4 of Greenland's surface is covered by permanent ice up to 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) thick. In summertime northern Greenland the sun shines without setting for four long months. Few plants that do grow in the thin and rocky soil along the coast. There are mosses and lichens (write term and definition on blackboard) these are sometimes called 'reindeer moss' that cover much of the ground where there is no ice.

In the south, along the coast where scrubby willow trees, alder trees, birch trees grow, which is just about the extent of the natural vegetation in this arctic biome.

At this point, the teacher, can mention temperature ranges of inland and coastal areas. In this arctic biome, the teacher will or could make a list of all the animals from the area. The list will include various

1. seabirds- ptarmigans,

2. reindeer- caribou

3. polar bears

4. rabbits

5. foxes

(What foods do these animals eat will be the next list. (Both lists will be written on the blackboard.) (As a food chain)

1. lichens and mosses

2. rabbits eat the lichens and mosses

3. foxes eat the rabbits

________________________________

1. Reindeer eat the lichens and mosses along with other small animals if found.

2. Polar bears eat the reindeer along with seals, walruses, and fishes

3 Eskimos eat the reindeer and other animals too.

(Foxes will eat the leaves and buds of trees that grow in this territory.) The food chain of the arctic biome is short and simple. Another term for rabbits in this area is 'arctic hares'.

(Now the teacher can teach what (how) the seasons effect the animals. Introduce the term 'migration' and what changes (adaptations) the animals will make. (You can ask them 'What do you think these changes will be?' Why?')

A Canadian Arctic Biome

The question now could be to have the teacher ask students 'In Canada do you know what changes occur that are different from Greenland?' Make a list of them on the blackboard.

1. ptarmigan

2. arctic fox

3. arctic wolf

4. water and shore birds- lemmings

5. ground squirrels

6. various rodents

Other animals are snowy owls, foxes, weasels, wolves; large animals- muskrats, caribou.

Now define the term 'tundra'- for two or three months a year the land of permafrost will turn green even if there are no trees except for a few patches of dwarf willows, alders, and birches even though the ground remains frozen year round even for a few meters/inches that provide water for mosses and lichens and small, hardy grasses and shrubs.

Write the term 'hibernate' on blackboard. As the winter season comes along the ground animals and rodents burrow into the ground or some other safe place- a deep sleep in which their heart beats very, very slowly that breathing almost stops. Caribou in the winter travel south in search of plant life as do the hares also eat the mosses and lichens they can dig out from under the mantle of snow. Introduce the term 'mantle'- the upper crust of land.

Foxes and wolves eat the hares, but becoming thin and by the time summer returns with an increase in active animals that can be caught for food.

(Reference: LIFE A Biological Science (1975) Brandwein Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.)

habitat
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About the Creator

Mark Graham

I am a person who really likes to read and write and to share what I learned. Also, I'm a person who likes to learn who has gone to college and graduate school and received my degrees in learning how children's lit can help in many ways.

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