Engage: Tapestry of World Ecosystems

Phenomena: Soil and Ecosystems

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Tundra and flowers

Show a slide show and /or a StoryMap of the world's biomes and ask students to visualize what is underneath the plants pictured. Leave the discussion open-ended, ask the students to look for relationships and general patterns that they observe.

Time required: 15 minutes
Option 1. Access this page Soils around the World Read the introductory text and then click the images at the bottom of the page for the linked PowerPoint files of World Biomes.  Educators can ask students to present a biome of choice to the rest of the class.

Option 2. Show the GIS Storymap Explore a Tapestry of World Ecosystems and as described in option 1 above, Educators may choose one or more biomes or assign them to student groups to explore. 

Option 3. Take a picture of a slope with North and South aspect and ask why the vegetation patterns are different on the two sides of the slope. At this scale, the question is more related to the variations in the microclimate and will get students thinking about the relationship between climate, soil, and vegetation.