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e-Journal

My Environment (p. 81)


Step 1. Questions

At first look, a desert may seem like an empty and lonely place. However, it is really an abundant place, full of life and beauty. What are some things about your local environment that a new visitor might not notice at first glance?

Write a description about your environment. You can refer to the poem on page 81 of your textbook for inspiration. Begin by researching your environment. Here are some questions to guide you:
  • What are the living conditions of your environment?
  • What makes your environment special or unique?
  • What similes and metaphors would you use to describe your environment?
  • How would you describe your environment to someone who has never seen it?
Are you ready? Begin by visiting the Web sites listed in Step 2. Look for answers to the questions above, and write down what you learn in the note-taking boxes.

You may use search engines to research other Web sites. Or research your environment at the library. When you are ready, go on to steps 3 and 4.


Step 2. Research

Research answers for the questions you were asked in Step 1. Visit these Web sites. Take notes about them on this page, too!


Toolbox Tip: Click here to learn how to move from one Web page to another.


What's It Like Where You Live?
Start at this Web site from the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Identify the biome in which you live and click on the image for more information. Your environment may fit into more than one biome.
Take Notes:



Habitats: Home Sweet Home
This Web site comes from National Geographic. Click on the habitat that best matches your environment. When you're done, go back and click on some others. Don't forget CITIES AND SUBURBS to learn how animals and humans live together in urban areas.
Take Notes:



Biomes
This Web page is part of Wheeling Jesuit University's Classroom of the Future Project. It explains the importance of our environment and has links to the different kinds of biomes that exist in the world. Click on any link on the right to learn more about biomes.
Take Notes:



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