Biomes are so large that it is difficult to see the natural self-sustaining systems in action. However, you can make a miniature biome in a bottle and observe the cycle of life on a smaller scale. Cut off the bottom half of a soda bottle and fill it with pebbles half an inch deep. Cover that with an inch of soil. Run a furrow down the center and spread some seeds. Cover the seeds with more soil. Pour water over the soil until it is thoroughly soaked and water begins to collect around the pebbles. Seal the bottle in a resealable plastic bag. Set the bag in a sunny location and observe it for several days. You should see a water cycle develop as the plant soaks up water through its roots. The water evaporates through the leaves and soil and condenses on the interior surface of the bag and then falls back onto the plant as the air cools.
The merging of multiple creature habitats within a biome creates a food chain wherein the creatures depend on one another for food. If disease or pollution removes or depletes the population of one organism or creature, it affects all animals that depend on that food source. If another animal population dwindles or moves away because of reduced food supplies, that further disrupts the food chain, setting off a domino effect on everything in that biome. Students can create a word picture of a food chain by writing poems that describe the connections in linear fashion. For example, "There was an old fly on a log by the lake. Along came a frog who gobbled the fly but then came a gator who gobbled the frog and as he swallowed, he began to quake, for along came a jaguar..."
Every biome has its own sights, weather conditions and native plants and animals. Students can choose a biome and create a travel guide in booklet or brochure form for a visitor. Include important flora, fauna and animals to observe and photograph, meterological events to witness, landmarks to visit, places to stay, where and what to eat, dangers to avoid, what to pack and survival tips.
Assign each student an animal within the food chain of the biome you are studying. Have only two represent the top consumer in the food chain, four at the next level and so on down the line until you have several of the creatures at the bottom of the food chain. In this version of tag, everyone is "it" except the lowest-level animals that have no prey. Everyone's goal is to tag those who represent their animal's prey. When tagged, that person becomes the animal of the person who tagged him. At the beginning of the game, all animals should have a plentiful food supply. However, as the game progresses, the lowest-ranked creatures will disappear, causing the second rank to lose the ability to prey on them. As each layer of food is used up and the children turn into the higher organisms, they will discover that without the lower food sources, they have no source of energy and can only flee their predators. When everyone has transformed into the top predator, ask what will happen to the large population of predators when they have no prey.