Project Description:

Biomes are very large ecological areas on the Earth’s surface that are homes to many different types of plants and animals that have adapted to that environment. On the surface, biomes can very much look like habitats which can make them confusing for kids, however, biomes are not ecosystems. In fact, many times multiple ecosystems can exist within one biome. Biomes are often defined by physical factors such as climate, relief, geology, soils and vegetation. They are not, however, defined by the organisms that live there. These Sensory Bottle Biomes are a fun, yet simple way for kids to explore what makes up a biome and to compare how various plant and animal life has adapted to fit that biome.

Project Materials:

• 4 Plastic Water Bottles (Preferably w/ wide neck and w/o ridges)
• Plastic Models of Safari Animals
• Grass, Moss, Leaves, Sticks, Water/Corn Syrup (Materials to Represent Soils and Vegetation)
• Glue

Project Instructions:

• Sort the model animals into categories based on the similarities of the biomes they could live in
• Sort the items representing soils and vegetation based on the biome they would be found in
• Place all the sorted objects inside each of the 4 bottles