1What’s it Like Where You Live?€¦ · What's it Like Where You Live? Mapping Climate and Biomes...

Project 1 of Investigating Your World with My World GIS • www.natgeoed.org/MyWorldGIS

What’s it Like Where You Live? Mapping Climate and Biomes By Bob Coulter, Missouri Botanical Garden

Guiding QuestionHow does climate determine the plants and animals that are able to inhabit a particular location?

Project Duration Two or three 45-minute class periods

Grade Level Grades 5-8 (ages 10-13)

Learning ObjectivesStudents will be able to: • read and analyze climate and

biome maps• describe geographic and

quantitative patterns• compare and contrast regional data

Subjects• Life Science • Geography • Mathematics

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What's it Like Where You Live? Mapping Climate and Biomes • Teacher Instructions •

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS

By Bob Coulter, Missouri Botanical Garden

What’s it Like Where You Live? Mapping Climate and Biomes

OverviewStudents identify the climate of their local region by using Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis tools. They locate attribute tables and use the data from the biomes layer to define the characteristics of a biome. They compare this information with city layer data to generalize about biomes. They then analyze the relationship between precipitation and temperature in different biomes.

BackgroundStudents will be able to make better sense of the data analysis tasks completed here if they understand two key science concepts: the difference between climate and weather, and the meaning of biome—a geographically defined area with conditions that support similar life forms. Students should also have a working understanding of basic descriptive statistics including mean, median, and range.

If time allows, collecting local temperature and precipitation data and analyzing how current weather conditions compare with what is typical in your area will help develop several underlying concepts needed for this investigation.

Connections to National Standards NATIONAL GEOGRAPHY STANDARDS:• Standard 1: How to use maps and other geographic

representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective

• Standard 3: How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on earth’s surface

• Standard 4: The physical and human characteristics of places

NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS, GRADES 5-8:• Standard A-1: Abilities necessary to do scientific

inquiry • Standard A-2: Understandings about scientific inquiry • Standard C-4: Populations and ecosystems • Standard C-5: Diversity and adaptations of organisms • Standard F-2: Populations, resources, and environments

NATIONAL MATH STANDARDS, GRADES 6-8: • Numbers and operations, Standard 1: Understand

numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems

• Algebra, Standard 1: Understand patterns, relations, and functions

• Algebra, Standard 3: Use mathematical models to represent and understand quantitative relationships

• Geometry, Standard 4: Use visualization, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling to solve problems

• Data Analysis and Probability, Standard 1: Formulate questions that can be addressed with data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer them

How does climate determine the plants and animals that are able to inhabit a particular location?

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS

What's it Like Where You Live? Mapping Climate and Biomes • Teacher Instructions •

Vocabulary• biome, noun —area of the planet which can be classified

according to the plant and animal life in it.• climate, noun —all weather conditions for a given

location over a period of time.• histogram, noun —a bar graph that uses rectangles of

different heights to show how often the values of a variable occur.

• precipitation, noun —all forms in which water falls to Earth from the atmosphere.

• temperature, noun —degree of hotness or coldness measured by a thermometer with a numerical scale.

• weather, noun —state of the atmosphere, including temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, and cloudiness.

Extending the Learning• Students can create an imaginary species that

demonstrates adaptations that are appropriate for the chosen biome. Variations of this project range from having students make rudimentary drawings to more elaborate dioramas that include representations of the biome as a whole. By completing a project such as this, students link their emerging understanding of the two key concepts developed in this investigation: climate and biomes.

• Investigations may be extended by using monthly data in place of annual data. If this extension is pursued, students can look for seasonal variations within a region that are obscured in the annual data set.

• Adding elevation data will provide students with data that may help to explain geographic climate patterns they observe.

Additional Resources• National Geographic Education’s encyclopedia

entries for biomes, climate, and more: http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/reference-and-news/

• Missouri Botanical Garden, Biomes of the World: www.mbgnet.net

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Climate Atlas ordering information: http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/about/cdrom/climatls2/info/atlasad.html

• U.S. Cities: A layer with monthly and annual averages for temperature and precipitation. The data set includes 248 cities in the United States. Fields for monthly temperature and precipitation begin with a T or a P respectively, with the month number following. Thus, T03 is the average March temperature. P13 would be the annual precipitation.

• State/Province Boundaries: Boundary layer for states within the United States and provinces in Canada.

• U.S. Counties: Boundary layer for all counties within the United States.

• MBG Biomes: A global layer showing the geographic extent of biomes, as defined by the United States Forest Service and adapted by Missouri Botanical Gardens.

• Temperature: A layer showing average annual temperatures for the continental United States, as recorded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

• Precipitation: A layer showing average annual precipitation for the continental United States, as recorded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Data DictionaryAdditional information about each of the layers used in this project

What's it Like Where You Live? Mapping Climate and Biomes • Student Instructions •

What’s it Like Where You Live? Mapping Climate and Biomes By Bob Coulter, Missouri Botanical Garden

STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS

In this activity, you will use Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis tools to identify the climate of your local region. To do this, you will use the data contained in the attribute

table of the biomes layer to define the characteristics of a biome. Remember that a biome is a group of plants and animals that live in an area with a particular climate. Next, you will compare your findings with city-layer data to help you generalize about biomes. Last, you will analyze the relationship between precipitation and temperature in different biomes.

Use your student answer sheet to record answers for each question below.

Part I: Exploring Temperature and PrecipitationGETTING STARTED1. Launch My World GIS by double-clicking its icon on the Dock (Mac) or Start List (PC).

2. Choose File > Open Project. Navigate to where the Climate and Biomes.m3vz file has been saved and open the file. Your screen should look like this:

How does climate determine the plants and animals that are able to inhabit a particular location?



3. Two layers are displayed on the map: Temperature (annual) data and State/Province boundaries. The other layers in the Layer List will be used later but are not currently displayed on the map.

QUESTION 1: Answer the following questions about the map:a. Note the legend for the layer to the right of the map. What color indicates the warmest temperatures? b. Describe the general temperature pattern that you see. Where are the warmest areas in the country? Where are the

coldest? c. Are there regions of the country that surprise you as being unusually warm or cold?

The data in this layer are an average of temperatures for all seasons over a 30-year period. Specific days will be warmer or colder than the “average” temperature on this layer.

INVESTIGATING YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY4. Use the Zoom Tool to zoom in to your state on the

State/Province Boundaries layer.

5. Make the U.S. Counties layer visible by checking the check box next to the layer name. Activate the U.S. Counties layer by clicking the area around its name. An active layer is the one that My World is “paying attention to,” or recognizing. When a layer is active, the background of the layer name turns white, and there is a yellow line around the layer name. Note the difference between on and active. Many layers can be on at one time, but only one layer is active. Practice turning layers on and off and making them active.

6. Next, use the Analysis tools to find your home location. With the U.S. Counties layer on and active, click the Open Analysis window button above the Layer List. In the window that opens, click Select... By Value from the list of choices. • In the dialog box, select records from:

U.S. Counties whose: name contains: [your county’s name].

• Since there can be many counties that have the same name, add another value to the filter. Select the plus sign (+) and enter whose: state name: contains: [your state’s name].

• Do not check the “make the selection a new layer” box.

• Finally, enter a name for your result.



7. Return to your map and zoom to your local county by clicking the Zoom to Selection button :

In the layer name in the Layer List, click the toggle arrow to the right of the layer name where you see the words “Highlight Mode.” On the drop-down list that opens, select “Hide Unselected.” Notice that the polygon layers, such as the State/Province boundaries, can be opaque and cover up other layers. You may need to turn layers on and off to be able to see a layer that is covered by another layer.

8. Next, make the Temperature (annual) layer the active layer, and use the Get Information tool and legend to identify the average annual temperature for your county. Click the Get Information tool to select it and then click your county on the map. Observe the legend for the Temperature (annual) layer. It will highlight the selection and the Get Information window will open.

QUESTION 2: Record the temperature data for your area in degrees Fahrenheit (F).

9. Zoom out to the entire contiguous United States by selecting the Zoom to Previous Extents button .

QUESTION 3: How does the average annual temperature where you live compare with the rest of the country? Is your county generally warmer or colder than other areas?

10. Turn off, or deselect, the Temperature (annual) data layer, and select the check box to make the Precipitation (annual) data layer visible. Activate the U.S. Counties layer and click the Zoom to Selection button again as you did for temperature to zoom to your county. Observe and record the precipitation data for your home region. Select the Zoom to Previous Extents button to zoom out to the whole country.

QUESTION 4: Is your region generally drier or wetter than other areas in the contiguous United States?

Part II: Exploring the Climate in your BiomeIDENTIFYING YOUR BIOMEIn this part of the investigation, you will be evaluating how temperature and precipitation patterns help define a biome. A biome is a geographic area where the conditions are right for particular plants and animals to survive. Just as you wouldn’t expect a polar bear to live in the desert, a cactus wouldn’t survive in the tundra.

1. Make the Biome and U.S. Cities layers visible, and turn off the Temperature (annual) and Precipitation (annual) layers. Hint: Click the check box to the right of a layer’s name to turn it off or make it disappear.

2. You will now acquire information about the biome where you live. Use the Zoom to Active Layer button to focus again on your county.

3. Activate the Biomes layer by clicking its name in the Layer List.



4. Choose the Get Information tool and click your home biome. Note the legend to the right of the map includes data for the Domain, Division, and Province. Explore the map.

Each element represents a respectively more specific region. A domain is the most general biome category. It is made up of divisions. Each division is made up of provinces. For this activity, scroll to the right to identify the MBG biome that describes your biome. These biomes are a simplified system of comparison developed by Missouri Botanical Garden, similar to the Forest Service Province or Division, but more specific than the Domain level. (TDF is Temperate Deciduous Forest.)

You can learn more about the domain, division, and province here: http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/biomes/descriptions/. More Information about the MBG biomes classifications is available at http://www.mbgnet.net

QUESTION 5: Record the domain, division, province, and MBG biome for your home county.

5. When you are done recording, close the information window on your map. On your map notice the cities, represented by the stars, in each biome. Each of these city markers has temperature and precipitation data attached to it. You will use these data to describe conditions in your nearest city’s biome.

IDENTIFYING BIOME DETAILS6. As a first step, highlight the biome you want. In the Biome layer, click the toggle arrow next to Highlight Mode. Presently,

all biomes are the same; none are highlighted.

7. Select a Biome Type in the Legend. The corresponding area on the map will become highlighted in yellow and a radio button will appear in the Layer List. Once you have selected a biome, it will remain in the selection list. In this way, even if you choose other biomes, you can select your original one again by clicking the radio button beneath the layer’s name.

Before continuing, be sure you have a biome selected.



8. To select the cities within that biome, be sure the bullet for that biome is selected.

9. Click the Open Analysis Window… button at the top of the screen. Notice that a new set of commands becomes available.

10. In this window, select the cities that are contained within your selected biome type. To do this, in the Anaysis Window choose Select… by Containment:

11. In the dialog box, select cities which “Are Completely Contained By” the records in the biome of interest. Give the results a title, such as “U.S. Cities in the Temperate Deciduous Forest (TDF) Biome” and click OK. You will be returned to the map.

12. Choose the “Color Selected Magenta” Highlight Mode in order to see the cities that were selected on your map.

13. Once you have made the selection, to see the statistics for Cities in that biome, click the Show Histogram/Bar Chart for Active Layer button above Layer List. This will open a new window with statistics for the cities in that biome.

14. Select the “View Histogram/Bar Chart for Field” pull-down menu. Select the Precipitation per Year (PYR) field, about halfway down the list.

15. Note in the Statistics window that there were 116 cities contained within the Temperate Deciduous Forest (TDF) biome. This biome has a range of precipitation from 24.36 to 65.71 inches per year. The mean and median values of precipitation per year are also shown in the statistics field.



16. Return to the pull-down field menu and choose the Temperature per Year (TYR) field.

QUESTION 6: Record the median precipitation data in the chart on the student data sheet. Record the median temperature data in the chart on the student data sheet.

17. Repeat these steps for the cities in the other eight MBG biomes. Record the data in the chart.

18. Once you have recorded the data for the cities in each of the Biomes, graph your results in a scatter plot; place temperature on the vertical axis and precipitation on the horizontal axis. Use a different color or symbol for each biome type.

QUESTION 7: Do you see a pattern? Or, is there a relationship between precipitation and temperature across these biomes? Explain.

What's it Like Where You Live? Mapping Climate and Biomes • Student Answer Sheets •

STUDENT ANSWER SHEETS

Name __________________________________________ Date ______________________________

What’s it Like Where You Live?Use the Student Instructions pages to launch My World GIS and complete the activity. Fill in your answers on these pages.

Part I: Exploring Temperature and Precipitation

1. Answer the following questions about the map:

a. Note the legend for the layer to the right of the map. What color indicates the warmest

temperatures? _______________________________________________________________________

b. Describe the general temperature pattern that you see. Where are the warmest areas in the

country? Where are the coldest? ________________________________________________________

c. Are there regions of the country that surprise you as being unusually warm or cold?

____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Record the temperature data for your area in degrees F.

Average temperature range: from __________________ degrees F to __________________ degrees F.

3. How does the average annual temperature where you live compare with the rest of the country?

Is your county generally warmer or colder than other areas? ___________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

4. Is your region generally drier or wetter than other areas in the contiguous United States?

Average precipitation range: from ___________________ inches to ___________________ inches.

How does this compare with the rest of the contiguous United States? ________________________

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What's it Like Where You Live? Mapping Climate and Biomes • Student Answer Sheets •

STUDENT ANSWER SHEETS

Name __________________________________________ Date ______________________________

What’s it Like Where You Live?Part II: Exploring the Climate in your Biome

5. Record the following information about your home biome:

Domain (or biome): _____________________________________________________________________

Division: _______________________________________________________________________________

Province: ______________________________________________________________________________

MBG biome: ___________________________________________________________________________

6. Complete the table below using the MBG Biomes and U.S. Cities layers.

7. On a separate piece of paper, make a scatter plot with the data above; place temperature on the vertical axis and precipitation on the horizontal axis. Use a different color or symbol for each biome type. Do you see a pattern? Or, is there a relationship between precipitation and temperature across these biomes? Explain.

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Biome Name Median Precipitation Median Temperature (inches) (degrees F) Chaparral

Desert

Grassland

Mountain

Rainforest

Temperate Deciduous Forest (TDF)

What's it Like Where You Live? Mapping Climate and Biomes • Answer Key •

Name __________________________________________ Date ______________________________

What’s it Like Where You Live? Answer KeyUse the Student Instructions pages to launch My World GIS and complete the activity. Fill in your answers on these pages.

Part I: Exploring Temperature and Precipitation

1. Answer the following questions about the map:

a. Note the legend for the layer to the right of the map. What color indicates the warmest

temperatures? _______________________________________________________________________

b. Describe the general temperature pattern that you see. Where are the warmest areas in the

country? Where are the coldest? ________________________________________________________

c. Are there regions of the country that surprise you as being unusually warm or cold?

____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Record the temperature data for your area in degrees F.

Average temperature range: from __________________ degrees F to __________________ degrees F.

3. How does the average annual temperature where you live compare with the rest of the country?

Is your county generally warmer or colder than other areas? ___________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

4. Is your region generally drier or wetter than other areas in the contiguous United States?

Average precipitation range: from ___________________ inches to ___________________ inches.

How does this compare with the rest of the contiguous United States? ________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

red colors are warmest

Southern states are warmer than Northern states

Answers will vary

Answers will vary Answers will vary

Answers will vary

Answers will vary Answers will vary

Answers will vary

ANSWER KEY

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What's it Like Where You Live? Mapping Climate and Biomes • Answer Key •

Name __________________________________________ Date _____________________________

What’s it Like Where You Live? Answer KeyPart II: Exploring the Climate in your Biome

5. Record the following information about your home biome:

Domain (or biome): _____________________________________________________________________

Division: _______________________________________________________________________________

Province: ______________________________________________________________________________

MBG biome: ___________________________________________________________________________

6. Complete the table below using the MGB Biomes and U.S. Cities layers.

(Note: Data in the table above represents the 6 MBG biomes that contain contiguous U.S. cities. If your students use one of the Forest Service classification systems, results will vary. Data is presented as calculated by the software; you may want to discuss rounding with the students.)

7. On a separate piece of paper, make a scatter plot with the data above; place temperature on the vertical axis and precipitation on the horizontal axis. Use a different color or symbol for each biome type. Do you see a pattern? Or, is there a relationship between precipitation and temperature across these biomes? Explain.

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Biome Name Median Precipitation Median Temperature (inches) (degrees F) Chaparral 14.77” 61.6°

Desert 8.81” 52.3°

Grassland 21.49” 50.8°

Mountain 13.46” 47.3°

Rainforest 49.98” 50.3°

Temperate Deciduous Forest (TDF) 43.065” 55.05°

ANSWER KEY

Answers will vary. Students will use information in the Biomes layer.

There is no clear pattern of increasing temperature with increasing precipitation across these

biomes. This means there is quite a bit of variation in average temperature and precipitation

across them.

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