The Formation and Value of Temperate Grasslands

Grade Level: 6-9

Summary: In this lesson, students will learn about the Temperate Grasslands biome of North America. Commonly called Prairie, it is an endangered ecosystem because the rich soils have been converted to farming in most areas. The activities presented here are designed to give students an overview of the climate and organisms of the North American Prairie.

View the Lesson Plans for this Unit
View the Content Standards

Download Related Documents:
Biome Maps

Student Instructions: Prairie Dog Den

Student Instructions: Climatograms

Activity 1:
Who Am I?
Students learn about biomes and play a plant and animal identification game. Grades 6-8.

Featured video clips in this activity:

Theodore Roosevelt National Park - Prairie On a wild prairie plain where the buffalo roam and horses and prairie dogs play, coneflowers bloom and black magpies croon and rattlers stay out of the way.

Activity 2:

Prairie Dogs Help Maintain Prairies
Students illustrate how prairie dogs contribute to nutrient and resource cycling on the prairie. Grades 6-8.

Featured video clips in this activity:

Badlands National Park - Prairie Buffalo roam and prairie dogs play on the sunny South Dakota prairie in Badlands National Park.

Activity 3:

Distribution of Biomes
Students compare distribution of major biomes in the United States to understand climate controls on an ecosystem. Grades 8-9.

Featured video clips in this activity:

Iowa's Prairies: From Farmland Back to Prairie An Iowa naturalist has taken land that once was farmed for corn and replanted it with native grasses to return it to its original ecological state.

Activity 4:

Abiotic Factors in the Biome
Students use climatograms to better understand the impact of abiotic factors on an ecosystem.