What a Tourist Trap!
Your Task:
Develop a travel booklet exposing how wonderful your group’s biome is in order to lure tourists to come and visit.
Your Group Members:
Your Biome: ______
What a Tourist Trap! Grading Rubric
5 Biome Name and 2-3 Photos on Booklet Cover
10 A typed description of the biome summarizing the biotic and abiotic factors.
2General weather trends found in the biome
4Climatogram data table (monthly precipitation and temperature for a year)
10Climatogram for the biome
8Description of green plants and fungi
15List of common animals
10Create a food web, using the plants and animals found in the biome
4List two organisms in that biome that illustrate mutualism.
4List two organisms in the biome that illustrate commensalism.
4List two organisms in the biome that illustrate parasitism.
4List a common example of interspecific competition.
10Discuss species richness and species diversity relating to the biome
10Community properties – description and relationship to biome
5A world map with the biome colored or highlighted
15List and describe at least National Parks and Monuments found in the biome.
12 Identify the main causes and solutions of environmental damage in the biome.
Bonus Points:
6Various pictures typical of your biome. May be photocopied and colored, may be originals which come from magazines. newspapers, and so forth or may be hand drawn or computer drawn. 2 points each IF they add to your travel booklet. Maximum of 6 bonus points.
4Up to 2 items you think fit but were not mandatory. 2 points each. Maximum of 4 bonus points.
Part 1: Welcome to… And Weather
It’s all about how you sell your biome… You have to put a positive spin in order to attract your tourists. Research your biome, in particular, the biotic and abiotic factors and create a biome description that will entice tourists to come and visit you. Remember, weather is a huge factor in attracting visitors – you have to give them the information they need to travel comfortably.
Make sure to include…
10 pts A typed description of the biome summarizing the biotic and abiotic factors.
Length to be between 1 and 2 pages.
Must include at least 4 biotic and 4 abiotic factors (1pt each)
2 ptsA typed basic description of general weather trends tourist should expect to experience during their visit. This section should be expanded with the climatogram information below.
4 ptsTable with the information necessary to complete the climatogram – the average precipitation per month for one year and the average temperature per month for one year.
Appropriately labeled (2 pt)
Organized and easy to read (1pt)
Neat (1pt)
10 pts Create a climatogram, which is a graph plotting temperature and precipitation on the same graph, with a description of the trends seen on the graph.
Appropriately labeled (2 pts)
Organized (2 pts)
Neat (2 pts)
Description of the trends (4 pts)
Part 2: It’s All About the Plants…
Remember, almost all life on earth is dependent on green plants. Tourists want to know about nature around them, and that includes the plants that they might see. Create a section of your travel booklet that explains about vegetation natural to your biome and what type of soil is present that affects the vegetation growth.
Make sure to include…
8 ptsA typed description of at least three types of green vegetation and a fungi commonly found in the biome. (Remember, a description is not just a name!)
Part 3: But the Animals Are Cuter!
While plants are great, tourists REALLY like wildlife. Even the not-so-cute wildlife attracts tourists to areas. Create a section of your travel booklet that sells your wildlife to your tourists.
Make sure to include…
15 ptsList of the common animals found in your biome. You must list 9 animals total, including 1 larger predator and 2 animals found near or in the ground. In addition, please include 1 type of bacteria. The scientific name, the common name and a small picture of each should be included.
Scientific Names (5 pts)
Common Names (5 pts)
Picture/Sketch (5 pts)
10 ptsCreate a food web using your list of common plants from Part 2 and animals from Part 3. Show the correct relationships between the organisms. Use scientific names on your food web.
Scientific Names Used (4 pts)
Correct Number of Organisms Shown (4 pts)
9 animals, 1 bacterium, 3 green plants and 1 fungi
Proper Arrows on the Food Web (2 pts)
Part 5: Relationships within the Biome
Vacation is about building relationships with those you enjoy spending time with – and that should include the other organisms you are going to interact with, right? It’s time to share with your tourists about the real relationships that exist.
Make sure to include…
4 ptsFind two organisms in your biome that illustrate mutualism. Describe their relationship and produce a colored sketch of these organisms.
Relationship description (2 pts)
Organisms appropriately labeled (1pt)
Colored (1pt)
4 ptsFind two organisms in your biome that illustrate commensalism. Describe their relationship and produce a colored sketch of these organisms.
Relationship description (2 pts)
Organisms appropriately labeled (1pt)
Colored (1pt)
4 ptsFind two organisms in your biome that illustrate parasitism. Describe their relationship and produce a colored sketch of these organisms.
Relationship description (2 pts)
Organisms appropriately labeled (1pt)
Colored (1pt)
4 ptsFind two organisms in your biome that illustrate interspecific competition. Describe their relationship and produce a colored sketch of these organisms.
Relationship description (2 pts)
Organisms appropriately labeled (1pt)
Colored (1pt)
10 ptsExplain the relationship between species richness and species evenness as it pertains to your biome.
Explanation of species richness (2 pts)
Explanation of species evenness (2 pts)
Biome specific species richness (2 pts)
Biome specific species evenness (2 pts)
Relationship between species richness and species evenness (2 pts)
Part 6: Community
There are several different properties of a community, including: the number and type of species present, the relative abundance of each species, the interactions among different species, community resilience to disturbances, energy and nutrient flow through the community and productivity.
Make sure to include…
8 ptsSelect 2 of the different properties above. Describe what the property is and how it relates to your biome.
Description of first property (2 pts)
Relationship to biome (2 pts)
Description of second property (2 pts)
Relationship to biome (2 pts)
Part 7: The Real Tourist Trap
But let’s be honest, while your tourists might be interested in what you wrote above, it’s more likely Ms. Leshay cares about all that… Give them the real dirt about what they want to know.
Make sure to include…
5 pts Find a blank world map to print out. On your map, color in the areas where your biome is found.
Colored (3 pts)
Neat (2 pts)
15 ptsCreate a list of at least 5 National Parks and Monuments found in the biome. Make sure to include the location and a brief description of the park or monument.
Name of parks and monuments (5 pts)
Location of parks and monuments (5 pts)
Description of parks and monuments (5 pts)
12 pts Identify solutions that are developed or being developed to correct this environmental problem.
Identification of 3 problems (6 pts)
Identification of 3 Solution (6 pts)