Biome+Project

**100 Points**
 * Biome** **Wiki Project**

**The Earth is one interconnected system, in which biotic and abiotic factors are dependent. When fluctuations occur, the environment, the organisms and their relationships change.**

The biotic factors of an ecosystem are dependent on the available abiotic factors in that ecosystem. Different climates have different resources, and as a result there is a large amount of biological diversity in the world. You will research and learn about a specific biome: the abiotic factors, the biotic factors and their relationships. You will analyze how all the factors are interrelated and predict what will happen to the organisms in the biome when a disruption occurs.

You will be working in groups of two to create a wiki page. You will be given time in the computer lab to start your research, but ultimately it is your responsibility to complete your research and post all of your information on the wiki. Each wiki page will be assessed by your peers and teacher based on the provided rubrics.

**Biome Wiki is Due on**: TBA

**Requirements****:**

· **__Research__**: Get involved o Throughout this project you and your partner will be working together to create a web page that is //in//formative, //in//teractive, and //in//teresting. //__Some__// of the content and information you will be sharing with the class will be from other sources (pictures, facts, etc.). **__Most__** of the website will be filled with your original work and creativity (writing, design, layout). **//__All__//** of your research will be conducted according to the requirements listed below, and you will be graded on these both individually and as pair. Please be mindful of these requirements throughout this project. It might help to consider the following metaphor: **__The 9th Grade Student Writer/Chef:__** //Combining your thirst for knowledge with the hunger for success// //6-step Recipe// 1) __Information Seeking__: Locating information from a variety of sources (websites, databases, video, print, etc.) is a skill that is developed over time. Think of it as a hunt rather than a chore. The information you find will be the ingredients for a successful wiki. Expand the breadth and depth of your search. Leave no rock unturned. 2) __Critical Evaluation__: Choose sources of information that are pertinent and credible to your topic. The best chefs choose only the finest ingredients. If a website doesn’t have an author/copy right date/bibliography/etc. then it shouldn’t make the cut. 3) __Synthesis & Integration__: The information you gather is meant to add depth and clarity to your writing (the meat & potatoes). It is the writer’s job to string this content together in a meaningful way (the herbs & spices). Good writers are like good cooks. They incorporate all the ingredients together with their own unique and creative blend. 4) __Citations__: Create a works cited section at the bottom of your wiki, create the citations with NoodleTools and link all parenthetical citations to the works cited. This serves a double purpose: 1) you give credit where credit is due, and 2) you add credibility to your own hard work. Look in the menu of any fancy restaurant, and you will certainly see the owners boasting that their ingredients come from only the best farms and freshest fish markets, choice USDA approved beef, etc. 5) __Organization & Layout__: You may have cooked the most delicious dish with finest ingredients perfectly blended and balanced. But if it looks like dog food nobody will eat it. Don’t let your hard work go unappreciated. Organize your wiki in a creative and attractive manner that’s easy to read and navigate. Think about this while you are conducting your research. What makes a website worth reading and what do you click away from? Large bodies of text, lack of color, pictures and video = boring 6) __Collaboration__: If you are doing your job properly than there will certainly be plenty on your plate. It is crazy to think you could do this all by yourself, and unfair to desert your partner. (they would much rather be dessert-ed, hahaha). Work together and communicate throughout the process. You all have unique skills and strengths you can bring to the table. Two heads are better than one. Plus you are getting graded on your ability to cooperate. Give your partner encouragement to tackle difficult problems. Praise them for their hard work. Ask them questions. Share ideas. Help and be helped. Compliments go a long way. · **__Biome Information__**__:__