The Grassland Biomes Lesson Plan with Activities for All Ages
The Facts
Most of the grassland biomes are in the tropical zone. The grassland biome includes the savannas of South America, Africa, and southern Asia as well as the prairies of North America, the steppes of eastern Europe and Asia. The downlands of Australia are included in this biome. While most grassland biomes are thriving, the American prairies that have all but disappeared. The American prairies have disappeared because of the expansion of farming and suburbia. The survival of the world other grasslands is often debated. While some believe that burning the grasslands will nourish the following year’s growth, others strongly disagree. However, dry conditions, burning, and heavy grazing will ensure that much of grassland biomes stay unchanged.
The typical grassland is mainly flat and a few slight hills. The habitant of the grassland can adapt to the cycle of wet and dry seasons that include prolong droughts. The grass and scrubs is very adaptable to being trampled, chewed, cut or burned. This biome has a limited variety of flora, but a large diversity of plant eating animals. The Nairobi National Park in Kenya, which is found in a grassland biome, has nearly 100 large plant animals per square mile.
The fauna of the grassland biomes includes predatory birds, such as the ground hornbills, eagles they are also home to kangaroos, wild horses, zebras, rhinoceroses, antelopes, gerbils and elephants to name just a few.
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Activities:
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Identify where the Grasslands can be found on a world map, this can be either a class project or group.
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Plant grass seed on a damp seed to show the students how fast it will sprout.
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Divide the class into groups and have them research a grassland biome of a certain area, i.e. the African savanna.
4. (Older students) Have the students research, how can some many animals live in the Nairobi National Park with such a limited amount of food?
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Other titles in the series
Introduction to Biomes of the world, which includes activities for all five biomes, Mountain biomes, Desert biomes, Tundra biomes, Forest biomes
This post is part of the series: Land Biomes of the World
We live in a beautiful world. This series offers several class ideas to keep students understand the five major land biomes.
