world

The World’s Biomes

Desert Landscape

]MATERIALS

  • Small chime
  • Map of the world/globe
  • Music player and prepared music (Here Comes the Sun, Circus Music, Dawn of the Lake)
  • Tools for Schools Sun Salutation poster
  • Foam yoga blocks
  • Biomes Word Search & pencils
  • Guided visualization script

SHORT DESCRIPTION/TOPIC

We are going to explore the 5 major biomes of the world in a fun way through animal and other poses.

DISCUSSION POINTS

Biomes are regions of the world with similar climate, animals and plants. There are terrestrial biomes (land) and aquatic biomes, both freshwater and marine. The 5 majors biomes are: Desert, Aquatic, Forest, Grassland and Tundra.

CONNECTING CIRCLE

Breath Awareness Bring hands to heart center and close eyes. Do a couple inhalations/exhalations bringing focus inward. Ring chime at end of silence – Listen to the sound of the chime. Gently open your eyes when you can no longer hear its sound. Quiet Quests

POSES AS PATHWAYS TO LEARNING

Before each Biome ask students if they know where that biome occurs in the world. Show areas on map.

Desert

Sun Salutation – Play Here Comes the Sun or other appropriate music. Show the Sun Salutation poster and briefly outline the poses in this moving meditation. This series of poses warms the entire body, moving every joint and muscle. Body Benefits, Musical Musings

Dromedary Delight – Camels have two rows of thick eyelashes to protect their eyes from the desert dust. They are also able to close their nostrils and lips to keep out the dust. Ecological Echoes

Lizard – Lizards are cold-blooded and survive in the desert by keeping themselves in the shade during the heat and out of the shade during the cold. The color of many lizards can also change allowing them to either absorb heat quickly or more slowly. Ecological Echoes

Aquatic

Waves – Winds that move around on the surface of the ocean whip up those great big waves that we see. This is caused by friction (which is when one thing rubs up against another) between the air and water molecules which transfer the energy between the wind and the water. Ecological Echoes

Row Your Boat – Sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat. Musical Musings

Bubble Fish – This pose stretches the hip flexors which are a group of muscles located in the front of your pelvis (hip) and the top of your femur (thigh) –think about putting your hands in the top of your pants pockets. The action of the Hip Flexors is as simple as the name suggests, it flexes the hip! For example, it will allow the hip to flex (bend) forward to lift your knee up high in the air. Commonly used during high knee running, performing a lay-up in basketball, running hurdles in track or a tuck in gymnastics. Awesome Anatomy, Body Benefits

Forest

Tree/Leaf – Have the children press their hands into a partners hand. Notice how with the help of others, we are more sturdy. We All Win

Tarzan’s Thymus Tap – The thymus gland is located behind your sternum and between your lungs. It helps boost your energy and stimulates your body to make T-cells. These help your immune system, which in turn helps the body protect itself. Awesome Anatomy, Body Benefits

Elephant Ears – One of the places elephants live is in the rain forests of Central & West Africa. The African elephant has ears that average at least three times the size of the Asian elephant. If an Asian elephant’s ears average 60cm x 30cm, how big are the average African elephant’s ears? (180cm x 90cm) Ecological Echoes, Math Medley

Grassland

Deer – All grasslands share a lack of shelter from predators, and an abundance of grass for food. The long legs of deer help them run fast to escape grassland predators. Ecological Echoes

S is for Snake – Back-bends strengthen and open our hearts. They stretch the abdominal area and ribs and tone & strengthen the spinal nerves and muscles. Body Benefits

Eagle – When we reach our arms & legs across the mid-line of our body, communication is increased between the left and right sides of the brain. Brain Balance

Tundra

Yoga Freeze Tag – One child is the yoga master. The yoga master starts running to try to tag another player. If a player is tagged, they have to strike a yoga pose and hold it until another player touches them to release them from their frozen state. As soon as a player is tagged three times, they become yoga master. We All Win

Seal – Play circus music. Clap in different rhythms and patterns. Throw foam block in the air and catch it with the feet. Musical Musings, Math Medley

Polar Bear – Quiet Quests

VISUAL VIGNETTES

Biomes Word Search – http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/games/

QUIET QUESTS

Hot Air Balloon with Guided Visualization – Quiet Quests, Musical Musings

A Hot Air Balloon Trip (Adapted from A Hot Air Balloon Trip, Imaginations – Fun and Relaxing Stories and Meditations for Kids)

Imagine you climb into a great big hot air balloon. What color is your balloon? Your favorite color? All the colors of the rainbow? Polka dotted? Take in a big breath, and then blow out, filling up your hot air balloon. Feel your hot air balloon lift up off the ground and float into the sky. Do you see any birds, planes, or clouds? Look down-I think you are flying over your house! Now choose where you are going to fly, anywhere you want to go. Over a desert… an ocean or lake… a forest… a grassland…the tundra… Once you get there, feel your balloon land gently. Imagine you climb out of your balloon to explore. What do you see? What do you smell? What do you hear? What do you feel? Do you taste anything? Now climb back into your balloon. Take in a big breath and then blow out, filling up your hot air balloon again. Feel it lift up off the ground and float back home. Land your hot air balloon on the ground, safe and sound.

CLOSING CIRCLE

Chimes